Markets in Alicante Province

Alicante province has 242 markets spread across 54 towns and cities, and the useful thing to know before planning a morning around one is how they fall across the week. Saturday is the biggest day by some distance, with 132 of them trading. Monday is the quietest, and even then 68 are open somewhere in the province.

That means there is no day of the week without a market on here, so if you have missed the one in the town you are staying in, look at the next town rather than wait a week. Most trade from 9am to 2pm, which makes a market a morning plan and not an afternoon one.

Ten of the 242 have no confirmed trading day in our records. Where a market's own page shows no day, it has not been confirmed rather than the market trading daily.

Where the markets are concentrated

Alicante city has 23 markets and Elche 22, so between them they account for nearly a fifth of the province. The counts drop away quickly after that: Denia has 10, Santa Pola and Villajoyosa 9 each, and Xàbia, Calpe and Orihuela 7 apiece. The rest of the 54 towns have fewer, in many cases a single weekly mercadillo.

Halls and street markets

203 of the 242 are street markets and 39 are municipal halls, better than five to one. That ratio decides how you plan: a mercadillo sets up on its day and is cleared away the same afternoon, so you go when it runs rather than when it suits you.

Beyond the province

If you are still deciding where to base yourself, the Valencian Community region page covers Alicante alongside the rest of the region.

Is there a market on in Alicante province today?

Yes, Alicante province has markets trading on all seven days. Saturday is the busiest with 132 of the 242 open, then Friday on 89, Wednesday and Thursday on 84 each, Sunday on 73, Tuesday on 71 and Monday on 68. Ten markets have no confirmed day recorded.

How many markets are there in Alicante province?

Alicante province has 242 markets across 54 towns and cities, 203 of them street mercadillos and 39 municipal halls. Alicante city holds the most with 23 and Elche 22, followed by Denia on 10, and Santa Pola and Villajoyosa on 9 each.

What time do markets in Alicante province open?

Markets in Alicante province most often trade from 9am to 2pm, the commonest opening and closing times recorded across all 242. For a mercadillo that finish is firm, since the stalls are packed away the same afternoon rather than reopening later. Times differ from market to market, and each one's page carries its own.

What is the difference between a mercado and a mercadillo?

A mercado is a permanent market building with fixed units inside. A mercadillo is an open-air street market that sets up on a set day and is packed away afterwards. Alicante province has 39 of the first and 203 of the second, spread across 54 towns.

Which town in Alicante province has the most markets?

Alicante city has the most markets in Alicante province, with 23, just ahead of Elche on 22. Denia comes next with 10, then Santa Pola and Villajoyosa on 9 each. Between them, Alicante city and Elche account for nearly a fifth of the province's 242 markets.