Coastal Spain Road Trip: Alicante, Valencia & NYE in Barcelona

About this tour

Drive into the New Year in style along the stunning Mediterranean coastline. This six-day road trip takes you from Alicante up to Barcelona, passing dramatic hilltop fortresses, hidden mountain villages perched on rock spikes, and a seaside Roman amphitheatre. Pause in Valencia to taste authentic paella where it was invented. The journey culminates at Barcelona’s official New Year’s Eve celebration with an unforgettable open-air party by the sea.

🌞Why Go?

Kick off the new year at one of Europe’s biggest open-air celebrations, surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea and towering fortress views.

This road trip traces over 600 kilometers of Spain’s eastern coastline, taking you from sunny sea-level promenades up into winding mountain passes, with every stretch offering something spectacular. It begins on the Costa Blanca, in the port city of Alicante, and ends in Barcelona, with a stop in Valencia to taste authentic paella in the exact city that invented it, cooked over open flames to achieve that perfect, crispy socarrat bottom.

Along the way, we will stop in Villajoyosa, a seafront town of brightly painted fishermen’s houses that has been making chocolate since 1881. You will explore Guadalest, a small, picturesque village perched on a sheer rock spike above a turquoise reservoir, and drive cliffside roads down to Tarragona, where a second-century Roman amphitheatre overlooks the ocean.

The main highlight of the route anchors your New Year’s Eve in Barcelona. As night falls, join the city’s massive outdoor party along Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina beneath the illuminated Montjuïc Castle. Watch midnight hit with synchronized drone shows, ringing chimes, and a massive firework display over the plaza, all just a short walk from the Mediterranean shore.

The momentum continues into the new year with a visit to the Sagrada Família, which raised its final tower in 2026 and is now the tallest church in the world, and a walk up to the Bunkers del Carmel for a sunset view across the entire city. From mountain castles and winding coastal drives to delicious food and an unforgettable midnight celebration by the sea, this trip delivers the ultimate Mediterranean escape.

⭐What are some of the Highlights?

• New Year’s Eve in Barcelona: The city’s official celebration on Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, below the Magic Fountain and the MNAC. Projections and music from late evening, the twelve chimes at midnight, then fireworks and drones over Montjuïc.
• Guadalest: A small, picturesque village on a rock spike in the mountains behind Benidorm, with the castle entrance cut as a tunnel through the stone and a turquoise reservoir in the valley below. One of the most photographed villages in Spain.
• Roman Amphitheatre Tarragona: An amphitheatre built into the cliff above the beach in the second century, with the Passeig Arqueològic running along the old Roman walls behind the cathedral. The whole Roman ensemble is UNESCO listed.
• Paella in Valencia: Spain’s most famous dish, eaten in the city that invented it. A wide flat pan of saffron rice cooked over the fire, the Valencian original with chicken, rabbit and beans, and the prize is the socarrat, the toasted crust at the bottom.
• Castell de Santa Bàrbara, Alicante: A fortress on top of Mount Benacantil, 166 m straight up from the sea, with a lift that runs through the inside of the rock from Postiguet beach. You walk back down through the Barri de Santa Creu, the whitewashed lanes on the castle slope.
• Gaudí’s Barcelona: The Sagrada Família raised its final tower in 2026, 144 years after the first stone was laid, and is now the tallest church in the world. Inside, the stone columns branch like a forest and the stained glass floods the nave with red and blue as the sun comes round.
• Xàtiva Castle: A double fortress strung along a ridge above the town, thirty-odd towers, Iberian and Roman foundations under Moorish walls. On a clear day you can see the sea from the top.
• Bunkers del Carmel: Civil war anti-aircraft positions on a hill above Gràcia, and the best view in Barcelona. At sunset the whole city, the Sagrada Família and the sea line up in front of you.

📋Trip Details

📅 Start & End Date: Monday, December 28 – Saturday, January 2 (5 nights)

📍Meeting location: Alicante (city centre or airport) – Meet your guide from 12:00 PM on Monday.

• Note: If you are arriving earlier or later, please let us know in the sheet that will be shared with you closer to the event date, so that we can accordingly make the relevant pickup arrangements.

📍Finishing Location: Barcelona city centre – 3:00 PM on Saturday.

• Note: If you are leaving earlier or later, please let us know in the sheet that will be shared with you closer to the event date, so that we can accordingly make the relevant drop-off arrangements.
• Distance:
  • Day 1 (Monday): Alicante on foot – the castle rock, the Barri de Santa Creu and the Explanada. Approx. 5 km, lift up and walk down.
  • Day 2 (Tuesday): Villajoyosa, Guadalest and Xàtiva, ending in Valencia. Approx. 4 km on foot, with steep cobbles at Guadalest and Xàtiva.
  • Day 3 (Wednesday): Valencia – the old town, the Turia park and the beach. Approx. 9 km, flat.
  • Day 4 (Thursday): Valencia to Tarragona to Barcelona. Approx. 4 km on foot in Tarragona, plus a late night out.
  • Day 5 (Friday): Barcelona – the Sagrada Família, Passeig de Gràcia, Park Güell, Bunkers del Carmel and Barceloneta. Approx. 10 km, 150 m ascent.
  • Day 6 (Saturday): Barcelona – Montjuïc, the castle and the MNAC terrace. Approx. 5 km, with the funicular and cable car up.

🥾Difficulty: This is a road-trip style trip with lots of walking. Although there are no hikes, there is an uphill climb to the castles of Guadalest and Xàtiva, so you need comfortable shoes for walking.

✈️How to get to Alicante?

• Flying is the easiest way in. Alicante-Elche airport has direct flights from most of Europe and sits twenty minutes from the city centre by bus. Overland, Spain’s high-speed line reaches Alicante from Madrid in about two and a half hours.
• We finish in Barcelona, which has one of the busiest airports in Europe and fast rail links in every direction, so you can fly home from there or keep travelling.

✅What is included ?

• Community leader & local guide for the entire duration (Guide is fluent in English, German & Spanish)
• 5 x nights shared accommodation. Note: additional accommodation upgrade options are available, including a single-room supplement.
• Private transportation for the entire trip.
• Guided walking tour of Alicante, including the castle and the old town
• Guided visits to Castell de Guadalest and Xàtiva Castle
• Guided city tour of Valencia, including the Mercat Central, La Lonja de la Seda and the cathedral
• Guided walk through Roman Tarragona
• Guided walks in Barcelona, including the Gothic Quarter, Passeig de Gràcia, the Sagrada Família and Park Güell. We go to all of them as a group, but entry tickets to the Sagrada Família and the Park Güell Monumental Zone are an optional extra
• Entry fees to the Santa Bàrbara lift, Guadalest castle, Xàtiva castle and the Tarragona amphitheatre
• Group spot at the official New Year’s Eve celebration on Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina

❌ What is not included ?

• Flights to Alicante and from Barcelona, however we can provide this on request.
• Interior tickets for Casa Batlló and La Pedrera on Passeig de Gràcia
• Lunches and dinners
• Drinks and personal snacks
• Personal expenses
• Travel insurance
• Personal beach and swimming expenses
• Any optional activities not specifically mentioned as included

➕Optional Add-On

• Single-room supplement, for a private room at each of the three bases
• Timed entry to the Sagrada Família on 1 January. The basilica only opens 9:00 to 14:00 that day and slots are limited, so tell us early if you want one
• Timed entry to the Park Güell Monumental Zone, the part with the Dragon staircase, the Hypostyle Room and the mosaic terrace. The forest side of the park is free and open to everyone

🚀What is Next?

• WhatsApp Group: You will be added to a WhatsApp group dedicated to this event. This group is where you can connect with trip mates, coordinate arrival options and stay in touch.
• Trip Briefing: You will find a link in the WhatsApp group description to a detailed trip briefing document providing details on what to expect, how to prepare etc.
• Trip Info Session: Closer to the trip date, the guide will organize a group video call to go through the trip briefing document and answer any queries / concerns you may have.
• Google Photos Album: You will find a link in the WhatsApp group description to the shared Google photos album where you can upload and view all shared photos and videos from the trip.

ℹ️ Other Things of Note:

• Bases are Alicante (1 night), Valencia (2 nights) and Barcelona (2 nights).
• English is the main language spoken during this trip.
• Late December on this coast usually runs 16 to 18°C in the day and 8 to 10°C at night, with Barcelona a few degrees cooler. Bring one warm layer for the castles and for standing outside on New Year’s Eve.
• Program Flexibility: The itinerary, activities, and venues may be adjusted due to weather conditions, safety considerations, or the size and dynamics of the group.
• Right to Modify: Urbanature Travel (UNT) reserves the right to cancel the trip, modify routes, change accommodations, or reschedule hikes and activities if necessary, even without prior notice.
• Participant Conduct & Fitness: UNT guides reserve the right to remove a participant from the trip if their behavior is disruptive, unsafe, or if they are deemed unfit for the specific activities involved.
• Personal Responsibility: UNT is not responsible for any loss, theft, damage, illness, accident, or personal injury that may occur during the trip.

By joining the trip, participants acknowledge and accept these conditions, helping ensure a safe, respectful, and enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

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