Taste Alicante Guided Tour: Tapas, Wine & Local Streets

Discover Alicante’s Tardeo tradition with stories, drinks, and sweet surprises

A guided food tour through Alicante's central streets where you taste horchata and almond cake at the Esplanade, local wine and ham at a 19th-century plaza, and finish with Spanish tapas and a beer or sangria on Mushroom Street. The guide speaks English or Spanish and accommodates dietary restrictions with advance notice. Minimum two people required.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Casa Carbonell15m
2. Alicante Town Hall15m
3. Co-Cathedral of St. Nicholas of Baripass by

Alicante culinary and cultural walking tour

• Introduction at Casa Carbonell
• Walk along Esplanade of Spain, taste horchata and almond cake
• Visit central square, taste local wine and special ham
• Explore Calle Mayor and learn local customs
• Historical explanation at Alicante Town Hall
• Brief explanation at Co-Cathedral of St. Nicholas of Bari
• Enjoy traditional tapas with drinks on Mushroom Street

The experience

The tour starts at Casa Carbonell, where your guide introduces the city's layout and history before leading you toward the Esplanade of Spain. That promenade is laid with more than 6 million ceramic tiles, and here you'll taste horchata (the local drink made from tiger nuts) along with a piece of traditional almond cake. It's the first of several stops built around what Alicante actually eats, not what tourists expect to find.

From there you move into the central square, built in the 19th century as a water supply point and meeting place, where you'll taste two glasses of local wine paired with Spanish ham. The guide walks you through Calle Mayor to explain how locals live and eat, then past the Town Hall and the Co-Cathedral of St. Nicholas of Bari, each stop adding context to the food rather than stopping the eating for sightseeing. The afternoon tradition of tardeo (drinks and tapas in the company of friends) is what ties the day together, and your guide explains why it matters to how Alicante moves through its afternoons.

The final stop lands on Mushroom Street, where you taste local tapas (seafood, pork, vegetables, fruits and nougat for sharing), plus two tapas per person and your choice of local beer, soft drink or sangria. Vegetarians and anyone with dietary restrictions can notify the operator in advance, and the guide will adjust what you taste without cutting the stops.

What’s included

• Horchata tasting with almond cake.
• two glasses of local wine and Spanish ham.
• local tapas for sharing including seafood, pork, vegetables, fruits and nougat.
• two tapas per person.
• one local beer, soft drink or sangria per person.
• guide in English or Spanish.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 12:00 and 18:00

AgesAdult (18 to 65 years) · Senior (66 to 85 years) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (7 to 12 years) · Infant (1 to 6 years): free

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Withinexperience

Is this one for you?Three hours is long enough to move through five neighborhoods and taste at each stop, but short enough to leave your afternoon free for the beach or the castle. The fixed route and timing mean you're not choosing where to eat (the guide is), so you taste what locals actually order rather than what a menu suggests.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (7 to 12 years); Infant (1 to 6 years): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly is horchata and why is it so popular in Alicante?

Horchata is a traditional local drink made from tiger nuts, and it's served here with a piece of almond cake as the first tasting on the tour. It's one of the most recognizable flavors in the city's food culture.

Does the tour include wine and beer, or do I pay separately for drinks?

Two glasses of local wine and one local beer, soft drink or sangria are included in the tour price. Horchata is also included at the Esplanade stop.

What is tardeo and when does it happen during the tour?

Tardeo is the Alicante tradition of enjoying drinks and tapas in the afternoon, usually with friends. Your guide explains the custom and its role in local life as you move through the stops, and you experience it firsthand at the final tasting on Mushroom Street.

Can I do this tour if I'm vegetarian or have other dietary restrictions?

Yes, the tour accommodates vegetarians and other dietary restrictions. You need to notify the operator in advance so they can adjust the tapas and other tastings to match your needs.

How many people need to book for the tour to run?

A minimum of two people is required for the tour to operate.