Alicante's location on a natural crossroads facing the sea, its rear protected by several hills of great strategic value, was a crucial deciding factor for its first human settlers. Bronze Age remains dating back to the second millennium BC are to be found in the small mountain range of La Serra Grossa . Similarly, there are many remains from the Iberian era, of which those at La Albufereta, including the impressive fortified city of Tossal de Manises, are the most remarkable and are evidence of its occupation from the 4th century BC to the 3rd and 4th Centuries AD.
Old City of Alicante: The cathedral of San Nicolas de Bari

There is also evidence of the existence of the Roman city, Lucentum. The first Muslim city was founded at the foot of El Benacantil for defensive reasons. Alicante became a port of call for provisions, and it developed a thriving commerce.

In 1244 the Almizra Treaty settled the frontiers between Castile and Aragón and Alicante was included in the Castilian territories. Three years later, in 1247, after the city was conquered by Alfonse X, the "Vila Nova" was built as a counter to the Muslim "Vila Vella". In 1296 James II definitively incorporated the town of Alicante into the Kingdom of Valencia. Two centuries later, in 1490, Ferdinand II 'the Catholic' granted city status to the borough of Alicante.

In the 16th Century, Alicante's population increased dramatically due to the growth in trade, the export of handcrafts, and a thriving local agriculture. During this period, construction work began on two quarters outside the city walls, the maritime quarter of San Francisco and the inland San Antón quarter. Between 1510 and 1609, the city's population doubled.

Alicante has seen its share of wars and conflicts throughout the history of Spain, and due to its position on the coast, all attacks have been made from sea. In 1691, under the reign of Charles II, the French Armada bombed the city for seven consecutive days. Without so much as a breathing space, it became involved in the War of Spanish Succession (1701-14). It sided with the Bourbons and suffered the bombardment and destruction of the castle of Santa Bárbara by English troops. During the War of Independence (1804-14), known as the Peninsular War, it was the provisional capital of the Kingdom of Valencia while Valencia proper was occupied by Major General Suchet.

In the 17th and 18th Centuries, the port was the economic motor that drove urban transformations. It was given licence to trade with the Americas and a Sea and Land Council was created to promote navigation and agriculture.

The 19th Century saw the demolition of the city walls, the creation of new districts and the arrival of the railway. In the 20th Century the intensification of secondary and tertiary activities, Alicante's consolidation as a service centre and the development of tourist industry gave the city its present aspect.

Today, Alicante is the second largest city in the Land of Valencia with a population of 261.255 (1991), a central location on the Costa Blanca, and now deriving much of its income from the tourist industry.