What to Do in Alicante with Children

The province of Alicante packs three water parks, a village entered through a tunnel cut into the rock, museums built around toys, nougat and chocolate, and city beaches with a gentle slope into the water — all within reach of each other. Not all of it works equally well at every age: a slide with a metre-and-a-half drop is a different proposition from the splash pool next to it, and a village with steep, cobbled streets and a stone tunnel at the entrance won't take a pushchair, however easy the rest of the day might be. This guide sorts what suits which age group and flags where the terrain gets in the way. For a general itinerary that isn't built around children, what to do in Alicante in one day covers the rest of the capital's essentials.

Water parks: height decides, not age

All three water parks in the province — Aqualandia and Aqua Natura, both in Benidorm, and Aquópolis in Torrevieja — sort their rides by minimum height rather than age, so it's worth measuring the kids before you go. At Aqualandia the flagship Verti-Go slide needs at least 140 centimetres; other slides drop the bar to 125 centimetres, and below 120 centimetres children are limited to the kids' area, the pools and the mini zigzag slides with an adult. Aqua Natura sets aside a very shallow pool, around 37 centimetres deep, aimed at children up to four years old, plus a separate area with small slides and water games near the toilets and food stalls. Aquópolis bands its rides by height — children's rides between 50 centimetres and a metre, moderate rides between 110 and 120 centimetres, and high-thrill rides from 140 centimetres up — and has its own area for children under 140 centimetres, with a pool no deeper than 60 centimetres and an eight-metre water play structure. None of the three parks makes exceptions below a ride's minimum height, so a tall four-year-old can end up on more rides than a shorter six-year-old.

Castles: one with a lift, one a pushchair won't enter

The Castillo de Santa Bárbara, in Alicante city, has a lift that starts from a tunnel by the seafront near Postiguet beach and runs straight up to the fortress — the fastest route and the only one without steps; the ride down is free. The walking route up from the Barrio de Santa Cruz is all slope and stairs, so with a pushchair the lift is the only practical way up. Once inside, the grounds are large and mostly flat.

Guadalest is the opposite case: the old town's streets are steep and cobbled, and the entrance to the historic centre is a tunnel cut through the rock that a pushchair simply won't fit through. Both the Casa Orduña and the castle grounds involve several flights of stairs, and reaching the castle and old village means climbing steps and passing through the Portal de San José. Most people visiting with babies leave the pushchair in the car and carry them in a baby carrier instead; the car park closest to the centre has a flat stretch leading to the lower part of the village, but it doesn't reach the upper town.

Museums that aren't just for adults

The Museo Valenciano del Juguete, in Ibi, sits in a town that was for decades one of Spain's main toy-manufacturing centres, and traces that industrial history through pieces from different eras. The Museo del Turrón, in Xixona, explains how the local almond nougat is made in a town that's still Spain's leading producer of it. The Museo del Chocolate Valor, in La Vila Joiosa, stands next to the chocolate factory the Valor family founded in 1881 and keeps original production machinery on display.

The Casas-Cueva in Petrer are three dwellings dug straight into the castle's own wall, restored to recreate a mid-twentieth-century Petrer home, with displays on local trades — pottery, farming and shoemaking. They're only open on free guided visits booked in advance through the tourist office; there's no self-guided access to the caves.

Parks and beaches for the rest of the day

The Palmeral de Elche, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the largest palm grove in Europe and still runs on an irrigation system that dates back to the Islamic period; its avenues between the palms make an easy stroll to slot between busier stops. Next to it, the Huerto del Cura is a botanical garden laid out in themed sections, built around the multi-trunked Imperial Palm. On the coast, Playa del Postiguet, right below the Castillo de Santa Bárbara, is a city beach with a gentle slope into the water, a lit promenade and terrace restaurants along the sand — a simple way to close the day without any more travel.

Frequently asked questions

Which water park suits the youngest children best?

Aqua Natura has the shallowest pool, around 37 centimetres, aimed at children up to four. Aquópolis and Aqualandia also have separate kids' areas away from the big slides, but check a child's height before you go, since access to each ride depends on that, not their age.

Can you take a pushchair to Guadalest?

Not really: the streets are steep and cobbled, and the tunnel entrance to the old town won't take a pushchair. Most parents use a baby carrier instead; the nearest car park has a flat stretch, but only as far as the lower village.

How do you reach Castillo de Santa Bárbara without stairs?

By lift, from a tunnel near Postiguet beach — it's the fastest route and the only one without steps, and the ride down is free. Walking up from the Barrio de Santa Cruz means slope and stairs the whole way.

Are there museums that appeal to kids beyond the water parks?

The Museo Valenciano del Juguete in Ibi, the Museo del Turrón in Xixona and the Museo del Chocolate Valor in La Vila Joiosa all explain processes and trades through objects, not just text. Best museums in Alicante rounds up more options in case plans change at short notice.

What if it rains on the day?

The same museums in this guide still work under cover, and what to do in Alicante on a rainy day adds more indoor options in case the outdoor plan isn't workable.