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Alicante Central Market - Overview

This really is THE place to go for fresh fruit, meat and fish in Alicante and is the ideal place to soak up the atmosphere of Alicante! The Central Market (or Mercado Central) in Alicante is located on the famous Avenida Alfonso de Sabio - in the heart of Alicante City and is a bustling market on two floors.  The meat, flowers, fruit and vegetables are of the highest quality and reasonably priced and there are also numerous other stalls inside too. Open Monday-Saturday (except fiestas) from early in the morning until 14.30. (There is no fresh fish on Mondays). Designed by Spanish architect Francisco Fajardo Guardiola in 1915 and completed by Juan Vidal Ramos in 1921, this beautiful building has a rectangular floor plan, with a circular appendage in the south western corner, covered by a hemispheric dome ("the Rotunda"). It consists of two floors, one of them a basement, due to the slope of the surrounding streets, with internal escalators. It was opened in 1921 with an area of some 11,000m2 and has around 295 commercial units. Almost all of the stalls are owned by local people and their business traditions have been handed down for generations. 


Alicante Central Market - History

There are 3 entrances : the Main Entrance (being on the South side of Avenida Alfonso el Sabio), the Rear Entrance (from the Plaza 25 de Mayo) and the Third Entrance (from the South West corner). Plaza de 25 Mayo is one of the most famous squares in Alicante. It is named in memory of the residents killed in the bombing of the Market in 1938 during the Civil War. The Plaza 25 de Mayo, was originally called Plaza de Balmes, and then in 1990 it was completed re-formed and renamed the Plaza de Mercado. However in 2010 members of the Alicante Cultural Association petitioned to have it renamed to Plaza de 25 Mayo in memory of the 300 local people who died in the Civil War bombings on 25th May 1938 when the Italian Air Force bombarded Alicante City. There is a plaque in the ground of the Plaza commemorating this. 


Alicante Central Market - Clock

In the basement of the market (just under the escalators) you can see the original Market Clock which stopped when the bombing took place. Nowadays the Plaza is full of cafés, bars and flower stalls and is very busy and a great place to sit, have a coffee or snack and people watch. 



Alicante Central Market - Inside (Ground Floor)

Visitors will love to see the colour and bustle of Alicante Central Market as well as the vast array of produce it has to offer. The two floors sell everything you will need. The ground floor comprises stalls and delicatessens selling an incredible array of fresh meat, hams, sausages and cheese. The market gets very busy on Saturdays as the majority of people work during the week, so weekdays are a good time to come, when the majority of customers are from the older generation and there are less queues. It is well worth tying in a visit to Alicante Central Market along with part of a day trip to the City when you are staying in Gran Alacant. There are many other things you do during your day trip including a visit to Santa Barbara Castle, Alicante Old Town, Alicante Explanada, the gorgeous Postiguet Beach in Alicante or just by taking the Alicante Turibus to see all the sights from the top of the bus. 


Alicante Central Market - Inside (Lower Floor)

The lower floor (accessed by escalators) houses the stalls full of fresh fish, fruit, vegetables, eggs, bread, cakes, pastries, olives, pickles, fresh coffee, wine, dried fruits, sweets, pulses, herbs, nuts and honey plus a small pharmacy and various tapas bars. There is also a small hardware store, ATM, toilets and a herbalist


Alicante Central Market - How To Get There

Address Avenida Alfonso el Sabio, Alicante
TRAM: lines 1,2,3,4 Market
BUS: 1,3,4,6,9,21,22,23,24, C6 Aeroport, Turibus
Open - Monday to Friday: 07:00 to 14:30 (no fish on Mondays) and Saturdays from 07:00 to 15:00