Alicante at Christmas: what to see and do in the province
At Christmas, Alicante is completely transformed, filled with lights, Christmas trees and nativity scenes. Christmas differs from other festivities because of its ability to light up the streets of all the towns and villages. At Christmas, the province of Alicante is the perfect place to travel with your family and visit many new places, because the Christmas effect doesn’t just happen in the capital, it reaches into all the province’s towns and little villages endowing them with a special charm.
It’s the perfect occasion to take the car and visit the most amazing fairs, spectacular nativity scenes and unique parades. Below, we will tell you the best places to visit in the province of Alicante at Christmas.
The Municipalities of Alicante at Christmas
Every year, the locality of Xixona hosts one of the largest Christmas fairs in the Comunitat. Xixona is famous for making turron, chocolate, polvorones and other traditional Christmas sweets. Every year, it displays this fame by filling the town with exhibitions, food tastings, musical parades and children’s workshops.
Each year, creators of nativity scenes compete to see who can make the largest, most spectacular or most innovative one. Although all the towns and villages take part in this unofficial competition, few can compete with the popular Nativity Scene at Belén del Tirisiti in Alcoy. This consists of a puppet show dating back over 100 years which represents various biblical scenes and Spanish Christmas folklore, accompanied throughout by Tirisiti, the leading character.
Some of the incredible Christmas fairs in Alicante are found at Elche and Rabasa. At the Elche fair, you will find attractions like the Christmas carousel at the Plaça de Baix, the Christmas Market at the Paseo de la Estación and nearby, at the Plaza del Congreso Eucarístico, there are four giant illuminated angels. You can also visit its famous live Nativity Scene, in which the city’s residents take part, as well as the Father Christmas Parade and the Three Kings Parade. In Rabasa you will find the Community’s largest outdoor fair with over 30 activities in its 60 Christmas-themed stalls among which there are dozens of workshops for the little ones.
If your thing is festivities and adventure, you won’t want to miss the tradition of Els Enfarinats at Ibi. This consists of a pitched battle with flour, eggs and practical jokes that takes place on the Day of the Innocents each year. The festive atmosphere at Ibi is completed with music, dances and much madness, making it one of the craziest Christmas celebrations in Alicante.
The city of Alicante at Christmas
Despite the spectacular events in the other municipalities, the capital of Alicante doesn’t lag behind. Firstly, the city offers a diverse selection of nativity scenes. The 800 year centenary of this great tradition is celebrated in the old quarter and at Alicante Council’s Nativity Scene Exhibition with some of the Community’s most classical Nativity Scenes. The one you really shouldn’t miss is Alicante at Christmas’ Giant Nativity Scene, consisting of figures that are over 17 metres high. It is the largest in the world and complements the 13 metre high nativity scenes in the Plaza de la Montañeta.
If you don’t want to miss out on any of the great Christmas attractions in Alicante, book your car rental with Lara Cars and get peace of mind. Lara Cars offers a fast service with the greatest convenience, such as comprehensive cover without excess, or collecting the car from Alicante-Elche Airport. The service is also perfect for travelling as a family, as we have 9 vehicles with up to 9 seats and you can hire baby seats for all ages.
