This summer in Alicante is a story of sea views, sun, and a growing culture of leisure. From the 18th century onward, the city by the coast drew praise and invited commerce, with warm springs and Postiguet beach becoming magnets for visitors and residents alike. The idea of combining health, pleasure, and scenery was clear even then, though it would take many decades to fully understand its reach.
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Alicante’s seaside appeal widened with new forms of entertainment and cultural activity. These additions were not just economic boosters for the city; they offered a lively repertoire of experiences for locals and guests, increasingly shaping the social calendar year after year.
Summer theater, open-air cinema, circuses, kiosks, and even slides joined the offerings of spas and beach huts, especially along the march of martyrs (now the Explanada) and the Canalejas Park area. The result was a richer, more varied summer that pulled people to the waterfront and kept them returning for seasons to come.
Folders
The Alicante Provincial Historical Archive preserves a vast corpus of plans and documents that reveal how the city organized its summer amenities. Among them is the file on the reform of the Paseo de los Mártires by municipal architect Jose Guardiola Pico in 1894, and the 1864 application for a bath facility on Postiguet beach. Spas were symbolically established on that very beach, with work carried out in 1886. Local families also contributed bathing huts, and the AHPA notes how these spaces helped countless summer days feel comfortable and complete.
Summer theater settled on the Explanada. The preserved plans from 1905 show seating, stage dimensions, and even the advertising space on the façade. A program called Alicante recreation invited cinematographers to stage performances along the Paseo de los Mártires, sometimes including an orchestral setup to accompany the films. By 1908, the same operator sought permission to place a sideboard for beverages and light snacks, though public authorities warned against certain distractions.
The circus and the slide
Private entrepreneurs typically opened these facilities only for the summer, creating a vibrant, temporary climate of entertainment. One notable venture, the Great Circus Christianity French, drew crowds with flagship acts and a festive mood.
Among the more quirky attractions was the slide, described in the 1908 occupation files as located in a corner of Parque de Canalejas. It was marketed as an exclusive leisure option for the hot months, a precursor to the modern thrill rides we associate with seaside resorts. From July to September, it offered a new form of solace and lively animation for visitors by the sea.
In 1909, officials considered a kiosk for soft drinks and snacks near the Paseo de los Mártires and the railway fence. Simultaneously, plans were made to build beach barracks and expand the hot springs, signaling an era of growing infrastructure to support the summer crowds.