september2014
67
FLYTO
alicante
and
athens
threetimesweekly.
brusselsairlines.com
10,775,557 +30 24°C
Euro (EUR)
threetimesweekly
47,737,941 +34 23°C Euro (EUR) Threetimesweekly
athens
alicante
greece
ElEfthériosVenizélos
InternationalAirport (ath), 33km
spain
alicante internationalairport (alc), 9km
Bar andgallery
TAF isabuzzing
eveninghangout
SLEEP
Close toSyntagmaSquare,
NEWHotel
(Filellinon 16, 2103273000,
yeshotels.gr, doubles from€107) is
amemberofDesignHotels. It features
funky recycled 1950s furniture,
a rooftop loungeandawellnesscentre.
EAT
InPangrati, a20-minutewalk from
Syntagma,
MavroProvato
(Arrianou
31) isa trendybut unpretentious
gastro-bistroserving reasonably-priced
delightssuchasshrimpswith fennel
andouzo, or veal withaubergine.
CULTURE
For a filmbeneath thestars,
visit a therino (open-air cinema)– films
areshown inoriginal version, normally
English,withGreeksubtitles. Themost
central is
CineAigli
(aeglizappiou.gr),
ina lovelywalledgardendrapedwith
bougainvilleaand jasmine.
SHOP
Greekdesigner
IoannaKourbela
(109Adrianou) isknown for her
minimalist aestheticanduseof natural
organic fabrics. Call inat her flagship
store inPlaka tosee thenewautumn-
winter 2014collection.
LATER
Theperfect choice for abalmy
September evening,
TAF
(Normanou5)
isabar-galleryset inacourtyard
SLEEP
If seaviewsareaprerequisite
for yourSpanishbreak, youcan’t do
better than the
MeliáAlicante
(Plaza
del Puerto3, 965205000,melia.com,
rooms from€117),whereall rooms
overlookeitherPostiguetBeachor
Alicantemarina. Youcanalsoenjoy
excellent seafoodand traditional rice
dishesat the threediningvenues.
EAT
Formorespectacular vistas,with
amazing flavours tomatch, dineat
LaEreta
(ParquedeLaEreta). Located
at the topof LaEretaPark, near the
castle, the restaurant offers two tasting
menus. Dishesare innovativeandput a
modern twist on traditional ingredients.
CULTURE
The
Fiestadel Raval Roig
is
oneofAlicante’sbest andoldest
celebrations.Held from5-7September
in theold fisherman’sdistrict, it
BUS
ExpressbusX95
runs toSyntagma
Square in thecity
centreevery20
minutes. It takesone
hour andcosts€5.
METRO
MetroLine3
(blue) runs to
SyntagmaSquare
every30minutes
from6.30am to
11.30pm.Journey
time is40minutes
and ticketscost€8.
TAXI
A taxi to the
citycentre takes40
minutesandwill set
youback€35 (day)
or€50 (night).
TOURIST INFO
thisisathens.org
BUS
Bus routeC-6
runs from theairport
to thecentreevery
20minutes, from
6.40am to 11pm. It
stopsat thestation
andalsoconnects
with theMetropolitan
TramatAlfonsoXEl
SabioandPlazade
losLuceros.Asingle
journeycosts€3.85.
TAXI
A taxi to the
citycentre from
theairport costs
approximately€20
witha€4.25
surcharge.
TOURIST INFO
alicanteturismo.com
garden, close toMonastiraki. It stages
ever-changingart exhibitions, serves
exquisitecocktailsandhostsoccasional
DJnights.
TIP
Todiscover thecapital’s
contemporarycreativescene, join
AlternativeTours of Athens
’ two-hour
GreekDesigners
walking tour. You’ll
visit boutiquesandstudiosproducing
original clothes, jewelleryandhousehold
items (atathens.org).
JaneFoster
honours theVirgendel Socorrowith
games, paellacompetitions, parades
andstreet decorations.
SHOP
Alicante is famous for the
qualityof its leather products, such
asshoesandbags. Toget your hands
onsomeof these, head to theoldEl
Barriodistrict or theopen-airmarket
on
EsplanadadeEspaña
.
LATER
Itmaybesmall, but trendy
NIC
(CalleCastaños22) serves thebest
cocktails in thecity. It’salsowell known
for itsexcellent ginand tonics,which
are fashionable inSpain right now.
TIP
Head to
HorchateríaAzul
(Calle
Calderónde laBarca38) to trya
delicioushorchata–a typical drink
from the regionof Valenciamade from
crushed tiger nuts. Theyservealmond
versionshere, too.
EsmeFox
/
info
/
info
Dineby themarina
at theMeliá
Alicantehotel
