Alicante is located along the Costa Blanca, a 200-kilometer stretch of coastline along the Mediterranean in the southern part of Valencia. Due to its southern latitudes and seaside location, the city enjoys a very mild climate, with warm summers and cool winters. Temperatures, moderated by the nearby sea, rarely climb above 90°F (32°C) in August, the hottest month, and dip to about 45°F (7°C) in January. Average temperatures over the course of the year range from 54°F (12°C) to 79°F (26°C). Occasionally there is frost or even light snow, but this is quite uncommon for the region.

Alicante is also very dry; rainfall is scarce during the summer and hits a maximum in the fall, but the region usually gets no more than 15 or 20 inches (40-50cm) of rain a year. Some years, annual precipitation can go as low as 6 inches (15cm). The city, like most Mediterranean seaports, experiences many sunny days with low humidity, especially during the summer, making this an excellent place to go for sunbathing and beach sports. Even during the winter, the weather is usually fair and spring-like, so climate should not be a concern in planning your trip. Of course, the beaches are much more lively and crowded during the months of July and August (when much of Europe goes on vacation), with the first, 15th and last days of the month being particularly bad for travel.