When is a good time to visit Alicante?

I'm sure this is a question those of you planning a trip to visit Alicante or to come and study Spanish ask yourselves so I thought I'd give my opinion.  However there may be different reasons for visiting so I'll give you different aspects to consider.

Beach holiday

If you want to stay in Alicante or San Juan Playa when its warm/hot and laze on the beach all day and go to restaurants in the evening then its best to come from June to September.  It may even be hot in May or in October but its not so reliable.  If you are lucky enough to have a little secluded terrace that blocks out the wind then you can probably sit outside for a couple of hours in the afternoon even in the winter as its sunny most of the year.  The sea is at its warmest in August and September if you like watersports.  But if you can't handle a humid, hot atmosphere then its best to avoid mid July to end of August.

Hiking in the hills, cycling or walking visits

If you want to specifically go walking in the hills or go cycling then May and June or October and November are your best bet.  The weather is not extremely hot as it can get especially in August.  If you want to go to the Sierra del Maigmo, or the Sierra Helada for instance when on your summer holiday here then make sure you go early in the morning, planning your route well to be able to return back before the hottest part of the day.  Its extremely important to take enough water and wear sun block.

Partying

The local fiestas are at the end of June with the main event of Hogueras running from 20-24th June.  The city is in full party mode and you must be able to put up with crowds as the centre of the city is blocked off to traffic to allow the various activities during the day and night to take place safely for the hundreds of thousands of partygoers.  Other than the Hogueras de San Juan, Alicante is a very sociable place to be and especially at weekends the bars and restaurants fill up with locals of all age ranges enjoying themselves.  Alicante is very popular with Erasmus students as there is a very 'balanced' work/play ratio.

The year at a glance

The local and national holidays are governed by date not day of the week as it is in the UK so this list might be useful in case you want to catch a specific fiesta or activity:

January:

-1st New Years day, a national public holiday.

-6th day off for the celebration of the Kings, or Los Reyes Magos.  A celebration like when Father Christmas visits in the UK.  There are parades in the streets on the evening before.

-Not the best month to visit, cold with some good days.

Febuary:

-Carnival. It is celebrated on a Saturday but the date depends when Easter is.

-Not the best month to visit, usually cold.

March:

-19th is the day of San Jose (fathers day), a national public holiday.

-Easter could be this month or next month.

-Not the best month to visit, usually cold and could rain.

April:

-Easter could be this month or next month

-Santa Faz.  This falls on the second Thursday after Maundy Thursday (the Thursday just before Easter).  It's a local holiday for the Alicantinos.

-Not the best month to visit, usually cold and could rain a lot

May:

-1st is labour day, a national public holiday.

-The weather gets warmer and a little more reliable.

June:

-24th is the day of San Juan, and is the day when the local fiestas oficially end.

-Towards the end of the month it gets very hot.  It's good weather in general and is hot for those who are not used to living in a warm climate.

July:

-Usually hot all day every day.  Queueing up to buy an icecream at midnight will make you kiss your diet goodbye.

August:

-15th is a national holiday but is not a widely celebrated religious festival.  It's used as a strategic day off mid-summer.

-August is hot, hot, hot.  If you can't handle too much heat, avoid visiting this month.  Beaches are busy and Alicante city itself is empty as locals go to their beach apartments.

September:

-Things get back to normal even though it is still very hot.  If you want to avoid crowds its a good month to come although a torrential storm could happen any moment.

October:

-9th is the holiday of the Valencian Community

-12th is the Hispanic Day or National day and is a public holiday.  It commemorates when Christopher Columbus set foot in the Americas in 1492.

-The weather this month is usually nice, not too hot and certainly not cold.

November:

-1st is All Saints Day.  It's a day reserved for the whole family to visit their deceased loved-ones in the cemeteries. 

-The weather is chilly in the evenings but the days are lovely when its sunny.  It's usually not hot but not cold at lunch time.

December:

-6th is Constitution Day and is a national public holiday. 

-9th is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  A Catholic religious festival and national holiday. 

-By this month the weather is generally cold but if you don't mind the temperature (around 9-15oC), the beautiful blue skies of Alicante will brighten your day.

I hope this has helped you think of when you might like to visit, or not.