Illeta dels Banyets

If you want to see more than the beach and the old town, this is a very good direction.

Illeta dels Banyets is located about 15 minutes from Alicante, towards El Campello. It is a small promontory (today connected to the mainland), where an important trading place functioned for centuries. First an Iberian settlement, then a Roman one, and even before that, traces from the Bronze Age. A lot of layers of history for such a small space.

Don't expect a "ready-made museum under the roof". It's more of a walk in the open area, where you look at the foundations of old buildings, the remains of baths, warehouses or houses and try to imagine how this place once lived.

The most interesting are definitely the tanks carved into the rock for breeding and storing fish - something you are unlikely to see in typical ruins. In addition, there is a cistern from the Bronze Age and fragments of various structures that show how this place has changed over the centuries.

A nice detail: the colors of the stones filling the interiors of the ruins are not accidental - they mark their former functions. It is worth taking a look at the board at the entrance, because suddenly everything starts to make more sense.

The place itself has another big advantage... location.

On the one hand, history, on the other, the sea practically at your fingertips.

The tour takes about 30 minutes, at a leisurely pace a little more. Admission is paid (cheaper on Sundays and holidays), it is best to have cash with you.

If you have a moment, also walk along the path to the right of the entrance, it leads to more reservoirs and gives a nice view of the surrounding area.

On the way, you will also pass the Torre de La Illeta - a sixteenth-century defensive tower that once guarded the coast from pirates. Today, it is simply an interesting accent in the landscape.

And if you like water, this place is also popular with people who stop by for snorkeling.

This is not a "must see" attraction for everyone.

But if you like places with an atmosphere and history without crowds - it is very possible that you will like it.