We’ve been residents of Alicante for just over two months now, and we’ve even had our first visitors! My best friend Hanna came to visit for about 10 days, and then immediately afterwards, Matt’s parents came for a week. Which means we’ve had a good reason to keep exploring our new city and find ways to entertain our guests. Luckily, there are lots of museums in Alicante — many of which cost only €5 or less.
While Alicante may be a typical Costa Blanca beach town for many tourists, the museums are a great way to spend a rainy day, escape the heat or cold, and learn something new. And when the museums are so cheap, what’s not to like?! With that in mind, here are 5 museums in Alicante you can visit for €5 or less.
1. Museo de la Ciudad de Alicante
I didn’t really initially think of this as a “museum,” but it’s probably the one you’re most likely to visit on your trip to Alicante — even if just by accident. That’s because it’s part of Alicante’s famous Castillo de Santa Bárbara, which is perched high on Mount Benacantil, overlooking the historic city center and the beach.
Whether you decide to hike up to the castle or take the elevator, there are plenty of historical sites to explore once you reach the top. And five of them are part of Museum de la Ciudad de Alicante. You’ll find exhibitions about Alicante’s history and the city’s relationship with the Mediterranean Sea, as well as archaeological artifacts from the past, and stories of people, things, and wars. From what I remember. exhibits were offered in at least English and Spanish. And while information may be more sparse than at other museums, a visit to the castle is well worth it — so you may as well make the most of it while you’re up there.
Address: Monte Benacantil Castillo Santa Bárbara, sin número, Alicante 03013
Cost: Free for all visitors; elevator costs €2.70 for general admission or free for over 65s
Hours: These hours are a little too insane for me to write out, but check them at this link.
More information: https://castillodesantabarbara.com/en/castle-information/
2. The Ocean Race Museum
Near Alicante’s famous beach, Playa del Postiguet, there’s a long dock. And past the giant casino, you’ll find the Ocean Race Museum. This very contemporary museum is dedicated to the most competitive sailing race in the world, fittingly named The Ocean Race. Now, why is this museum in Alicante? It turns out that Alicante has been The Ocean Race’s Start Port since 2008, and will be the Start Port for the next edition of the Race in 2026-27.
I didn’t know much about sailing — or even boats — at all before going to this museum. But after visiting, I have to say I’m eagerly looking forward to the next Ocean Race and following the progress of the teams. The museum does a great job of providing historical context for the race, the changes the race has undergone over the years, and the boats and teams that have won. It was also interactive in some ways, though not all the interactive displays worked — but I bet by the summer, they’ll have them in tip-top shape again. The museum was enjoyable and had information in English, Spanish, and Valencian.
Address: Muelle Levante 10, Alicante 03001
Cost: €5 general admission; €3 for those aged 12-17 and students; free for residents of Alicante, children under 12, and adults over 65
Hours: Sept. 20-June 24, Wednesday & Thursday from 10:00-16:00, Friday & Saturday until 18:00, Sundays until 14:00; June 25-Sept. 19, Wednesday & Sunday from 11:00-15:00, Thursday-Friday-Saturday until 19:00; closed Mondays and Tuesday all year.
More information: https://www.theoceanrace.com/en/museum
3. Museo Arqueológico de Alicante (MARQ)
One quick note about MARQ that could be a potential downside for some visitors: the exhibits are only offered in Spanish and Valencian. With that in mind, I recommend using your favorite translator app; Google Translate, for example, has a great function where you can take a picture of words in another language and it will translate for you. Just make sure you download the Spanish-English dictionary before your visit.
Anyway, the archaeology museum of Alicante is in an absolutely beautiful building. There are eight wings for exhibits, and five of them house the permanent collections: Prehistory, Iberians, Roman Culture, the Middle Ages, and the Modern Age. The remaining three wings are home to temporary exhibitions. We did not do any of the temporary exhibits, so I’m not 100% sure whether there’s an added cost for those. Besides the wings, there are also three reproductions of archaeological excavation sites in the middle of the museum, including a sunken Roman ship and an old Gothic church.
Address: Plaza Dr. Gómez Ulla, sin número, Alicante 03013
Cost: €5 general admission; €3 reduced (for adults over 65, etc.); €3 general admission on Sundays & holidays
Hours: Sept. 16-June 15, daily from 10:00-19:00, Sundays & holidays until 14:00; June 16-Sept. 15, daily from 10:00-20:00, Sundays & holidays until 14:00; closed Mondays all year.
More information: https://www.marqalicante.com/
4. Museo de Hogueras/Fogueres
Similar to how we have 50 states in the U.S., Spain has 17 autonomous communities. And Alicante is part of the Comunidad de Valencia (as is the city of Valencia). If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a new resident of the Community of Valencia, it’s that the Comunidad loooooves fire. Valencia (city) is famous for its Fallas, an annual celebration that is actually happening right now, where giant effigies are burned as the party rages on for days. Not to miss out on the fun, Alicante created its own fire-related festival, which takes place around the summer solstice — las Hogueras (Spanish) or les Fogueres (Valencian), which means “bonfires.”
This was something I had no idea about before moving to Alicante, but Hogueras is the most important celebration in the city. (Alicante Carnaval is second.) And a free museum on Alicante’s Rambla is a great way to learn about this interesting tradition, though the English translations don’t make a ton of sense. I think they just copied and pasted from Google Translate. Either way, it’s still pretty cool to walk through the museum and check out the larger-than-life artistic figures, and it got me excited to experience it for myself this summer!
Address: Rambla de Méndez Núñez 29, Alicante 03002
Cost: Free for all visitors
Hours: September-June, Tuesdays-Fridays from 10:00-13:30 and 17:00-19:30, Saturdays & Sundays 10:00-13:30; July-August, Tuesdays-Fridays from 10:00-13:30 and 18:00-20:30, Saturdays 10:00-13:30, Sundays closed; closed Mondays all year.
More information: https://alicanteturismo.com/en/fogueres-festival-museum/
5. Museo de Bellas Artes Gravina (MUBAG)
Even if you’re not a huge fan of art museums, Alicante’s MUBAG (yes, they actually call it that) has a lot going for it. First, it’s a small museum so you don’t feel overwhelmed — it’s definitely not like the Prado in Madrid where you could easily spend 5 hours and not see everything. Second, it’s located in the historic center of Alicante, so it’s easy to swing by without going out of your way. And third, it’s completely free!
I do actually like art museums, and MUBAG was cute. Everything was in English as well as Spanish and Valencian, and the museum had a modern feel although some of the art was quite old. Much of it was also focused on Alicante and Alicante artists, so I also really liked that! It was kind of crazy to see old paintings of Alicante and know that I’m there/here right now. Also, there was an exhibit — though I’m not sure whether it’s permanent — about Salvador Dali and surrealism, and I’m a big fan of both, so that was a bonus. Overall, I thought it was a nice way to spend an hour or so.
Address: Calle Gravina 13-15, Alicante 03002
Cost: Free for all visitors
Hours: Daily from 10:00-20:00; Sundays & holidays from 10:00-14:00; closed Mondays.
More information: https://www.mubag.es/
Find more things to do in Alicante.
There you have it — five museums in Alicante you can visit for €5 or less. Which would you go to first? Let me know in the comments!
-Cathy
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