ToursGaGa

...or keep fit on the sands

Another attraction of San Juan is the fitness facilities, which include watersports areas and spots on the beach to use exercise machines and weights. Every main beach offers a free training circuit for a wide variety of exercise routines. During the holiday season, a team of physiotherapists offer advice. You'll find two great exercise parks in Denia, while Benidorm hosts exercise classes on the beach.

Go hiking in the mountains

The Alicante Mountains are within easy reach of the city. These limestone mountains stretch up to 1,558m (4,600ft) and provide a wonderfully varied terrain for hikers and walkers. Enjoy rugged peaks, narrow ravines, deep gorges and razor-sharp ridges as well as terraced valleys, dotted with small villages, plus remnants of its Moorish, Roman and Iberian past.

Golf by beaches and ruins

Alicante has two golf clubs close to the centre: Alicante Golf (www.alicantegolf.org) is a 18-hole, 72-par course designed by Severiano Ballesteros only five minutes from the centre, close to the San Juan beaches. It also features a practice area, with a natural grass driving range and a short game area, set against the backdrop of ruins of a Roman villa dating back to the 1st century BC. There's also teh El Plantio Golf Course (www.elplantio.com).

Lounge on paradisal beaches...

Postiguet beach, at the foot of Santa Bárbara castle, has lovely sand, a palm tree lined boardwalk and numerous cafes. This, together with its proximity to the Old Quarter, makes this beach one of Alicante's most well-known attractions. There are other smaller beaches too, such as Almadraba beach and Albufereta beach. One of the most beautiful beaches in the province is San Juan, with over 7km (4.5 miles) of spacious, wide beach and fine sand stretching from El Campello right through to the Cabo de las Huertas headland.

Sample regional wines

You'll find a number of tours in the Alicante area that take you wine tasting, with some terrific tipple bottled in this part of Spain. One of the must-see spots for wine lovers is the spectacular Jalon Valley, where you'll be led through beautiful vineyards and orchards. One of the best wine producers also offering great tours is Bodegas Xalo next to Jalon river (www.bodegasxalo.com).