Alicante

Alicante is the capital of the province of the same name, in the Valencian Community, a city open to the Mediterranean with almost 350,000 inhabitants. Its history goes back to Roman Lucentum, set on the Tossal de Manises, and to a settlement usually identified with Carthaginian Akra Leuke; its skyline is dominated by the Castle of Santa Bárbara, perched on the 169 metres of Mount Benacantil. The Explanada de España, with its wavy pavement of 6.5 million marble tiles, and the Hogueras de San Juan bonfire festival, declared of International Tourist Interest, are part of its identity. It is also home to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and one of Spain's leading cruise ports.

Football in Alicante revolves around Hércules CF, founded in 1922, which has played in the top flight and stages its matches at the José Rico Pérez stadium. Opened in 1974, this ground of close to 30,000 seats hosted three matches of the 1982 World Cup, including the third-place play-off. The city also looks to the sea: Alicante has been the headquarters and starting port of The Ocean Race (formerly the Volvo Ocean Race), the round-the-world sailing race in stages, to which it dedicates The Ocean Race Museum. In basketball, Lucentum Alicante plays at the Centro de Tecnificación de Alicante, and the city is home to the Royal Spanish Taekwondo Federation.

In 2004, ACES Europe named Alicante European Capital of Sport, the fourth city to receive the title after Madrid, Stockholm and Glasgow, and the second in Spain. Ten years later, the city council marked the anniversary by reviewing the legacy of that year, such as the municipal sports advisory service, the 'Juega Limpio. Juga Net' programme and the expansion of the municipal school games and sports schools. The recognition places Alicante within the Spanish representation of the ACES network.