Santa Cruz District and Hermitage

The district and the hermitage of Santa Cruz, in Alicante

The district of Santa Cruz, nicknamed the cradle of Alicante, clings to the slopes of the mount Benacantil with its flowery alleys and its lime-washed houses. The Alicante audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this picturesque district and its hermitage of the eighteenth century, from which depart, with contemplation, the famous processions of Holy Wednesday of the Holy Week.

The picturesque cradle of the town

At the foot of the castle of Santa Bárbara, on the slopes of the mount Benacantil, lies the picturesque district of Santa Cruz, nicknamed the Cuna de Alicante, the cradle of the town. It is here that all the charm of Alicante resides, in its tangled little streets, its coloured or lime-washed houses, decorated with numerous flowerpots and magnificent azulejos. Staircases go off in all directions and invite you to follow them to the discovery of shady little squares, of a street art full of poetry, and of a neighbourhood life with an authentic and preserved face, oh so photogenic. Here you arrive in front of the hermitage of Santa Cruz, a chapel of the eighteenth century. It is from it that depart, in contemplation, the famous processions of Holy Wednesday during the Holy Week, a strong moment of the popular fervour of Alicante. Its belvedere offers a fine clear view over the town centre, with the sea as a backdrop. If you raise your eyes a little higher behind you, you will glimpse the tower of the Ampolla, one of the rare medieval vestiges that survived in the town. The inhabitants tell that this district was once the refuge of gypsies and sailors taking shelter there centuries ago. It is doubtless the finest corner of Alicante, still relatively spared by the crowds, where time seems to have stopped. A district of charm and a chapel of the Holy Week, Santa Cruz is a fine stop of the discovery of Alicante.

What to see

Here you discover the most picturesque district of Alicante, nicknamed its cradle, clinging to the mount Benacantil with its tangled alleys, its lime-washed houses, its azulejos and its flowerpots; you see the hermitage of Santa Cruz, a chapel of the eighteenth century from which the processions of Holy Wednesday depart, its belvedere over the sea, and higher up the tower of the Ampolla. The district of Santa Cruz is the soul of Alicante. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The district of Santa Cruz is tiered at the foot of the castle of Santa Bárbara, in the old town of Alicante, reachable on foot by alleys and staircases. It is a residential district freely accessible, to be explored with respect for its inhabitants; the hermitage, a place of worship, can be visited according to the hours of the parish, which vary. You discover it during a stroll.

Why is the district of Santa Cruz nicknamed the cradle of Alicante?

Because it clings to the slopes of the mount Benacantil, at the foot of the castle, in the oldest and most authentic part of the town; with its tangled alleys, its lime-washed houses and its azulejos, it concentrates all the charm of Alicante and shelters the hermitage of Santa Cruz, from which the processions of Holy Wednesday depart.

Where is the district of Santa Cruz in Alicante?

At the foot of the castle of Santa Bárbara, on the slopes of the mount Benacantil, in the old town of Alicante, in Spain.