There are several alternative ways to reach the city of Alicante, depending where you set out from:
Getting to the city of Alicante by road is very easy: there are various exits to the city from the A-7 Mediterranean Coast highway that surrounds it, while the N-III highway comes directly from Madrid (see map below).

• By plane from Madrid: There are several daily flights to "El Altet" airport, the airport of Alicante, operated by Spanair and Iberia. The airport is 12 km away from Alicante. A taxi from El Altet to Alicante costs about 15 euros.
• By train from Madrid: From Chamartín or Atocha stations daily every two hours, to the city of Alicante. It costs about 36 euros.
• By bus from Madrid: From the South Bus Station in Madrid (the nearest underground station is Méndez Alvaro subway station). It costs approximately 18 euros. Daily departures at 9.00 - 15.00 - 24.00; on Friday and Saturday at 17.00 also.

• As the Costa Blanca zone is a high tourist attraction, there are direct flights from several European cities like Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Glasgow, London, Manchester, Milan, Munich, Paris and others.
• From other places, you must either change planes in one of the mentioned cities, or in Barcelona or Madrid.

TIME 2007 will be held on the University of Alicante, Sede Universitaria Ciudad de Alicante, located at Avenida Ramón y Cajal 4, an old building that was the Business School of Alicante in the past.

The building has been recently rehabilitated and it is in front of the attractive Port of the city of Alicante with a beautiful and centennial garden as the only obstacle interposing between the blue Mediterranean and the building. Beautiful views of the Port are descried from the building.

Conference location and hotels map.

[more info, click here...]

Alicante's exceptional location between the mountains and the sea provides a special kind of enrapturing beauty. The city, wherever one roams, is pervaded with the flavour of the sea, playing its deeply-felt role as a seaport, as it has always done.

As Juan Gil-Albert said, "Alicante looks uninterruptedly to the Mediterranean", or in the words of Gabriel Miró "my city is pierced through and through by the Mediterranean". Another native author, Joan Fuster, wrote that Alicante "is without a doubt, the friendliest of all Valencian cities, a city one would choose to live in if one were to exchange a village for a city". This love, care and affection shown to Alicante stems from two premises, the first of which is its privileged location and the second the mildness of its climate, with an average year round temperature of 18° C.

As a seaport down to its bedrock, gastronomy in Alicante is closely linked to the Mediterranean, with the additional importance of rice in combination with fish. This type of dish, called "paella", is the basis of Alicante's cuisine. So be prepared to try dozens of different, savoury rice dishes during your stay. In mentioning some of these rice dishes, the first and foremost is the rice a la alicantina, using chicken and rice as basic ingredients, accompanied by shellfish and seasoned with ñora, a touch of dried red pepper. Also of note is the caldero (stewed with fish), el arroz a banda (rice in fish broth), el arroz con costra (rice with baked egg on top), arroz negro (with squid in its own ink)...

• Ayuntamiento de Alicante s. XVIII (townhall)
• Puerto de Alicante (Port)
• Casco Antiguo (Old city)
• Mercado Central de Alicante s. XX (central market)
• Diputación Provincial de Alicante s. XX
• Casa de La Aseguradora s. XVII
• Concantedral de San Nicolás s. X (San Nicolás catedral)
• Iglesia de Santa María s. XIII (Santa María church)
• Lonja de Pescado s. XX (Fish Market)
• Monasterio de la Santa Faz s. XV (Santa Faz monastery)
• Palacio Gravina s. XVIII (Gravina Palace)
• Palacio Maisonnave - Archivo Municipal s. VI
• Teatro Principal de Alicante s. XIX (Main theatre)
• Convento Canónigas de San Agustín s. XVIII (San Agustín convent)
• Castillo de Santa Bárbara s. XIV (Santa Bárbara castle)
• Castillo de San Fernando s. XIX (San Fernando castle)

You will find something for everybody in Alicante, from international labels to local crafts, in designer shops, department stores and even outdoors. The traditional shopping part of the town is located around the Rambla de Méndez Núñez, but the area of Maisonnave and its surrounding streets, although newer, is an equally lively shopping area. There is also a multipurpose market that takes place in the Paseo del Doctor Gadea in winter and along the Explanada in summer, where you can buy anything from casual clothes to pottery, jewellery and decorative items.

If you have a discerning palate, we recommend a walk around the Central Market. Located on the Avenida de Alfonso el Sabio in the heart of the city, its sheer range will surprise you. Behind the market is a flower seller's square, with cafés where you can take a break and at the same time enjoy the colourful sights.

Locally produced products, of a quality that is internationally recognised, are the most popular purchases. Of the foods, we recommend the fish and vegetable preserves, olives stuffed with anchovies, chocolates, dates, sugared almonds (peladillas) and nougats (turrones). And of the drinks, the wines, anisettes and fruit liqueurs.

Leather items include clothing for men and women, and the accessories for which Alicante is justly famous, its shoes, bags, wallets, belts, etc.

Alicante is also famous for its rugs, toys and dolls, as well as for its 100% handcrafted pottery and basketwork items.

And don't forget to check the Alicante origins of your product. This will be your best guarantee, since you will always find imitations of what is genuinely good.

El Corte Inglés	Avda. Maisonnave, 53	Tel. 901 122 122
	Avda. Federico Soto, 1	Tel. 901 122 122
Boulevard Plaza	Avda. de la Estación	Tel. 965 92 84 40
Centro Comercial Gran Vía	C./ José García Sellés, 2	Tel. 965 25 06 42
Carrefour San Juan	Ctra. Valencia, km. 89	Tel. 965 65 29 50
Asociación Corazón de Alicante		Tel. Información 965 20 84 42
Panoramis	Muelle de Poniente	Tel. 965 98 93 00
Mercado Central	Avda. Alfonso X el Sabio, 1	+34 965 14 07 63
Puerta de Alicante	Avda.Alcalde Lorenzo Carbonell, s/n	+34 965 112 169
Plaza Mar 2	Avda. Denida,1	+34 965 159 523
Vistahermosa	Antonio Ramos Carratalá, s/n	+34 965 261 589

The Hogueras de San Juan, Alicante's principal festival, has been officially declared as of International Tourist Interest. The origins of the custom of dancing around bonfires on the arrival of the summer solstice are very remote and long since lost in the mists of time. The festivities as organised in their present form date from 1928 and can be attributed to José María Py y Ramirez from Cartagena (Carthage). The pregón (opening proclamation) marks the beginnings of the festivities and the bonfires - composed of multicoloured, truly artistic and profoundly satirical monuments constructed in papier-mâché and wood - are set up (plantà) on the night of the 20th June, to be burned 4 days later (cremà) following an enormous palmera of fireworks launched from the St. Barbara castle on the summit of Mount Benacantil and visible from all over the city.

During the festivities, there is a multitude of programmed acts such as street parades, processions, offerings to saints, bull fights, musical performances, sports championships, and many more activities, with the festival being lived largely in the street where the people eat, drink, and dance in the barracas (temporary street constructions), enjoying the typical coca en tonyina (tuna pie) and the bacores (early figs). In the days following the cremà of the bonfires, there is an important fireworks competition, with spectacular firework sequences launched from Postiguet Beach.