Alicante in December: Is It Warm Enough for a Day Trip?

Can you get a day of sun in mid December for the price of a takeaway? From Manchester, more or less. These are the questions people ask us about Alicante in December, with what we checked.

Our top picks for Alicante in December

• Walk the Explanada de España, the palm-lined seafront promenade
• Sit on Postiguet beach, the city beach right next to the centre
• Take the lift up to Santa Bárbara castle for the view, about £2.30
• Wander the old town streets of the Santa Cruz quarter under the castle
• See the Christmas lights and the giant Nativity scene by the town hall
• Keep MARQ, the archaeology museum, for a rainy hour. It's about £5

Is Alicante warm in December?

Warm for December, yes. Spain's weather agency AEMET gives Alicante an average December high of 17.7C and low of 7.4C (1981 to 2010). It rains on 3.8 days of the month on average and gets about 164 hours of sunshine. That's T-shirt weather at lunchtime on a good day and jumper weather by the evening.

Reasons to visit Alicante in winter

• It's one of the driest places in Spain in December, with rain on fewer than four days on average
• The flight from Manchester is under three hours, so a day trip works
• The beaches are quiet and the promenade cafés still put tables out
• The Christmas lights and the giant Nativity are up all month
• Flights outside the school holidays are cheap. £54 return on the date we checked

Which is warmer, Malaga or Alicante?

By day they're almost the same. AEMET's December averages for the same period:

• Alicante: high 17.7C, low 7.4C, rain on 3.8 days, 164 hours of sunshine
• Malaga airport: high 17.5C, low 8.9C, rain on 6.6 days, 160 hours of sunshine
• Valencia: high 17.0C, low 8.1C, rain on 4.8 days, 155 hours of sunshine

Malaga has the milder nights. Alicante is the driest of the three, which matters more when you only have one day. Valencia is a touch cooler. If you're choosing on weather alone, Alicante is the safest bet.

Malaga as a day trip

What is Alicante like at Christmas?

Lit up and busy in the evenings. In 2025 the city put up 2.6 million LED lights at 130 spots, switched on on 21 November on Avenida de la Constitución. The big draw is the Belén Monumental, a giant Nativity scene in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, which the city says is in Guinness World Records. In 2025 it was up from 23 November to 7 January.

The Christmas fair ran from 28 November 2025 to 18 January 2026, and there was a Santa's house in Plaza Séneca until Christmas Eve. The 2026 programme isn't out yet. In 2025 the city announced it on 19 November, so expect it around then.

How much is the flight from Manchester?

£54 return with Ryanair on Sunday 13 December, checked on Google Flights on 8 October 2026. easyJet was £58 and Jet2 was £62 on the same day.

Alicante from Manchester on Sun 13 Dec: times and today's price

What time do you land and leave?

Out at 07:00, landing at 10:45. Home at 22:15, landing in Manchester at 00:05 on Monday. You're in the centre at about 11:55 and need to leave at about 19:20.

How do you get from Alicante airport to the centre?

By bus. Allow about 40 minutes from the airport to the centre, and we budget £6 for the return journey. After passport control you're in town at about 11:55. Coming back, leave the centre at about 19:20 to be at the airport in good time for the 22:15 flight.

How long do you get in the city?

About 7.4 hours. Sunset is 17:42, so nearly six of those are in daylight and the last hour and a half is under the Christmas lights.

Things to do in Alicante in winter

Start by the sea. The Explanada de España runs along the marina with its wave-pattern tiles, and Postiguet beach is at the end of it. In December the beaches are much less crowded than in summer, and on a sunny day people still sit out on the sand.

Then go up. The lift into Santa Bárbara castle is about £2.30 and the view takes in the whole bay, the port and the town. Walk back down through the old town, the narrow streets of the Santa Cruz quarter, which bring you out near the cathedral and the town hall.

If the weather turns, MARQ, the archaeology museum, is about £5. Finish the day at the town hall square for the Nativity scene once it's dark, then eat close to the bus stop.

What food should you try in Alicante?

Rice. Alicante is rice country, and a paella or arroz for lunch by the sea is the local thing to do. Spanish lunch runs late, so you'll have no trouble getting a table at 14:00. Turrón, the almond nougat everyone eats at Christmas in Spain, comes from Xixona in the same province, and you'll see it everywhere in December.

We allow £15 for lunch and £17 for dinner. You can do it for less with tapas.

What to wear in Alicante in December?

Layers. A T-shirt and light jacket in the middle of the day, a jumper or coat for the evening when it drops towards 7C. Bring sunglasses. A small umbrella is optional with fewer than four rainy days in the month.

Is there a Christmas market in Alicante?

Not a German-style one. Alicante's version is a Christmas fair, which ran from 28 November 2025 to 18 January 2026, plus extra market days in the town squares and local markets from 12 to 30 December 2025. It's local and low-key. Come for the sun and the lights, and treat the fair as a bonus.

If a proper Christmas market is what you want, our guides cover the big ones in Germany and Central Europe, many of them a day trip from Manchester.

Christmas market day trips

What does the whole day cost?

About £92 a person. That's the £54 flight plus about £38 on the ground: £6 for the airport bus both ways, £15 for lunch and £17 for dinner. Ground prices were checked on 3 October 2026.

Is Alicante worth a day trip in December?

Yes, if you want daylight and some warmth more than a big city break. You get seven and a half hours, nearly six of them in daylight, at about 18C on an average day, for about £92 all in. The early start and the after-midnight landing are the price you pay.

Is December better than November?

It's a few degrees cooler and the days are shorter, but you get the Christmas lights, and flights are often cheaper outside the half term weeks. If you want the warmest version, go in November.

Alicante in November

Every day trip from Manchester

Founders pay £19 a year for as long as they stay. See the founders offer

Photo credits. Top: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0. Explanada: Nicolas Vigier, CC0.