Alicante Plaza BeachApartment · Alicante City Centre
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Alicante Plaza BeachApartment · Alicante City Centre
Book our apartment
While the rest of Northern Europe shivers into autumn, Alicante is still warm, sunny and very much open for business. October half term is one of the best kept secrets on the Costa Blanca — same city, same beaches, same old town. Just without the August crowds, prices and heat. Here is why it works so well for families, and why this year the timing is perfect.
The October half term dates vary slightly across the UK, Germany and Ireland — but all of them fall within a window that lines up beautifully with the best Alicante weather of the autumn.
If you are in England, Wales or Germany, the overlap is almost perfect: your children are off school during the last week of October, when Alicante still has 23°C days, warm sea and seven and a half hours of sunshine daily. Scottish families have even more flexibility — the earlier break means quieter beaches and lower prices in mid-October.
October in Alicante is not summer. But compared to what families from the UK, Germany, Ireland or Poland are leaving behind — grey skies, 12°C and rain — it feels like a completely different season.
The sea temperature of 22°C is perfectly comfortable for swimming — especially for children who are less bothered by temperature than adults. Daytime highs of 23–25°C mean t-shirts and light layers, not heavy sunscreen and shade-seeking. Evenings cool to around 14–16°C, so a light jacket for dinner is sensible.
Postiguet beach in October — warm, clear water and plenty of space for families, just 2 minutes walk from the apartment.
This is the part that genuinely surprises first-time October visitors. The beaches in October are not just open and warm — they are spectacular in a way they simply cannot be in August.
Without the summer crowds stirring up the seabed, the water turns a deeper, clearer blue. Postiguet beach — just 2 minutes walk from our apartment — looks completely different in October: you can see the sandy bottom several metres deep, the sea glitters in the lower autumn sun, and the beach itself is clean and uncrowded. You choose your spot. You spread out. You swim in crystal-clear Mediterranean water at 22°C without anyone within three metres of you.
Alicante's Explanada de España in quieter season — the city belongs to you in October. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
San Juan beach — 7 kilometres of golden sand reachable in 25 minutes by TRAM from our apartment — is even more dramatic. In August, finding space requires arriving at 9am. In October, you have the beach almost to yourself. The water is still warm, the lifeguards are still on duty, and the beach bars are still open. It is the same beach with none of the stress.
Book your October half term week directly — by WhatsApp or through our website — and get 10% off the nightly rate, plus these family extras at no extra cost:
One of the strongest arguments for October over August is what happens when you leave the city. The excursions that feel crowded and rushed in summer become genuinely relaxed and memorable in autumn.
In July, the morning ferry to Tabarca sells out days in advance and the island's handful of restaurants have queues before they even open. In October, you can board the ferry the same morning, walk the island without crowds, snorkel in the marine reserve with crystal-clear water and exceptional visibility — and sit down to a fresh grilled fish lunch without waiting. The water around Tabarca in October is 22°C and the clarity is at its annual best. This is the Tabarca experience at its finest.
Tabarca Island in October — the water is at its clearest and the crowds have gone.
Guadalest is the most visited inland village in the province of Alicante — perched dramatically on a rock at 595 metres, with a turquoise reservoir below that looks almost Caribbean. In summer, coach parties from every resort on the Costa Blanca converge on its narrow streets, making the village feel claustrophobic. In October, those coaches are gone. You can walk the streets at your own pace, visit the castle, look out over the reservoir and understand why people fall in love with this place. The circular walk around the reservoir (13 km, suitable for families with older children) is at its best in October — cooler temperatures, autumn colours in the surrounding almond and olive groves.
Altea's whitewashed old town climbing the hillside above a turquoise bay is one of the most photographed views on the Costa Blanca. In October it is genuinely quiet — the galleries and craft shops are open, the terraces have space, and the light on the white walls and blue church dome in the lower autumn sun is exceptional. A perfect half-day trip combined with lunch in the port area.
For families with younger children, Pola Park in Santa Pola (20 minutes by car) continues operating into October with its 30 attractions. Worth checking current opening hours before visiting — in autumn the park typically operates evening sessions from 18:00.
One of the best food festivals in the province, held at Fira Alacant in the first week of October. Tastings, cooking demonstrations, local producers and restaurants. A genuinely good family outing — most families can find something interesting and the atmosphere is lively without being overwhelming.
The MARQ archaeological museum hosts a Candlelight concert series featuring Halloween-themed classical music in late October — an atmospheric evening for adults in the group while children are asleep. Check current dates and booking at the MARQ website.
Spain's National Day on 12 October is a public holiday — shops and offices close but the city comes alive with a local atmosphere that is worth experiencing. For families visiting in the first two weeks of October, it adds a cultural layer to the trip.
October is shoulder season in Alicante, which means noticeably lower prices across the board compared to July and August — without any reduction in what the city offers.
| Category | August | October |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 32–35°C — uncomfortably hot for young children | 23–25°C — perfect for sightseeing and beach |
| Sea | 26°C — warm but often choppy and cloudy | 22°C — crystal clear, calmer, spectacular |
| Beaches | Packed — arrive at 8am to find space | Quiet — choose your spot, spread out |
| Flights | €250–400 per person return | €100–200 per person return |
| Accommodation | Peak rates, limited availability | 20–35% lower, good availability |
| Day trips | Guadalest with coach parties, Tabarca fully booked | Relaxed, no queues, restaurants available |
| Restaurants | Long waits, noisy, rushed service | Tables available, relaxed atmosphere |
| Castle visit | Very hot — exhausting with children | Perfect temperature for exploring |
October half term in Alicante works best for families who want a genuine holiday — beach, culture, day trips, good food — without the chaos and expense of peak summer. If your children are school-age and the UK half term dates work for you, the timing in 2026 is close to ideal.
It is less suitable if your priority is guaranteed 30°C beach days with full summer resort facilities. October has everything except that last degree of heat — and most families find the trade-off is very much worth it.
Our 145 m² apartment at Plaza Virgen del Remedio sleeps up to 8 across 3 double bedrooms. 2 minutes from the beach, 10 minutes from the castle, 8 minutes from the TRAM to San Juan. Minimum stay 4 nights. Book direct and use code FAMILIA2026 for 10% off + free family extras.
Book online — code FAMILIA2026