Sustainable Alicante

Do you want to travel to Alicante in a sustainable way?

The main challenge for tourist destinations is their sustainability.
This translates into the maximum utilization of the economic, social, cultural, and natural resources of the destination area without reducing visitor satisfaction and without generating negative impacts on the host society or the environment.
Below we offer you a series of tips that you can put into practice during your visit to our city.
Help us be more sustainable!

Recommendations

Travel with little luggage

Alicante, 320 days of sunshine and temperatures that generally range from 7°C to 31°C throughout the year. Before traveling, we recommend checking your suitcase and avoiding unnecessary items. With light luggage, the plane or car consumes less fuel and reduces carbon dioxide emissions.

Travel off-season

Travel off-season and stay longer. Did you know that Alicante is a perfect maritime destination to enjoy in winter thanks to its mild temperatures and almost 3,000 hours of sunshine annually? We recommend it, you will have more space, more calm, more relaxation. Think about it!

Use public transport

The best way to get around the city center is on foot, by bike, and with public transportation. The urban buses are mostly hybrid, and the tram is the best transport option. It has 4 lines that run along the coast, take you to the best beaches in the province, and use 100% renewable energy, helping to reduce CO2 emissions.

If you combine biking with public transport, you can move quickly, comfortably, and effectively to almost any point in Alicante and its surrounding areas. In Alicante, you have a cycle street, bike sidewalk, bike lane, protected bike lane, and bike path, totaling 133 km of routes. Go for it! On the Alicante Town Hall website you will find the maps.

Respect, value, and enjoy

The beaches of Alicante have quality certification, they have blue flags, help us keep them that way… respect the environment, value our work to preserve marine and terrestrial flora and fauna and, above all, enjoy a leisurely vacation, admiring nature and its monuments.

Don’t get upset if there are algae on the beaches, did you know that the Mediterranean Sea has an endemic alga declared World Heritage by UNESCO, called Posidonia oceanica? Although they may seem unpleasant to you, the presence of these algae on the beaches is a sign that the waters are clean, free of pollution, and suitable for swimming. Additionally, they mitigate the effect of waves and protect the coastline from sand loss on the beaches.

Help keep the waters clean

Did you know that most sunscreens are pollutants? It is scientifically proven that UV filters like oxybenzone and octinoxate are harmful to the environment and damage coral reefs: they negatively affect their photosynthesis capacity, causing the coral to lose tissue and making recovery very difficult. For this reason, we suggest you use only sunscreens with formulas free of microplastics and filters that harm the ecosystem.

Use resources reasonably

Alicante has a semi-arid climate, with scarce rainfall and high temperatures, without river networks or large surface or underground water reserves. For this reason, we ask you to use water reasonably, do not wash your beach towels daily, we recommend using “mats” that, in addition to keeping your towels clean, prevent sand loss on the beach, thus preserving the ecosystem.

Our 3000 hours of annual sunshine will allow you to hang your clothes outside and avoid using the dryer; turn off the lights and unplug appliances you are not using; open the windows and avoid turning on the air conditioning; these are some actions you can practice to save energy and reduce your carbon footprint.

Smoke-free beaches

Did you know that cigarette filters are one of the biggest causes of litter in the world? The cellulose acetate, their main material, is not biodegradable, and its degradation time can extend up to ten years. Each cigarette butt can contaminate between 8 and 10 liters of seawater and up to 50 liters of freshwater, and its ingestion can be a direct cause of mortality in birds and cetaceans. As you can see, the effect on the environment is devastating. If you decide to smoke on the beach, use a portable ashtray. The beaches are for everyone, help us keep them smoke-free. All our beaches are “smoke-free beaches”.

Reduce

Reduce waste and reuse instead of bringing a large amount of recyclable materials. It’s the best way to leave no trace of your stay! Avoid packaging and single-use products. Did you know that the plastic bags we use for just a few minutes can last from 15 to 1000 years in the environment, suffocating our oceans and causing significant damage to our environment? Around 1 trillion plastic bags are used each year, 89% of them only once. Let’s avoid it!

Recycle

Bring your own water bottle to the beach and eat local foods without plastic packaging. On the beaches, your waste goes directly into the sea, use the containers located at each exit and on the boardwalk. Help us keep our seabed clean, it is essential for the ecosystem.

Many beach bars and restaurants no longer use plastic straws, if you see one that still uses them, encourage them! Change is possible, together we can stop pollution.

Souvenirs

If you enjoy diving and exploring the surroundings, remember not to take anything as a souvenir—it is essential to preserve the marine flora and fauna. The best souvenirs can be found in local shops and artisanal stalls around the city. Sometimes, unknowingly, you might harm the ecosystem. Don’t forget to visit our museums and cultural heritage sites. We highly recommend taking a guided tour with our official tourism guides.

Discover local cuisine

The best way to immerse yourself in local culture and traditions is through gastronomy. Alicante is known as the “City of Rice,” where seafood comes straight from the sea to the table, mostly sourced from artisanal fishing. The region also boasts bountiful and high-quality produce from its fertile fields. For these reasons, we invite you to enjoy our local products, available at our markets and street markets. By doing so, you contribute to local development and help create a more sustainable economic system, both socially and environmentally.