If you spend long enough in the province of Alicante, you realise that Christmas here is more than just a season. People may picture snow, pine forests or German-style markets when they think of the holidays, but Alicante has its own version of magic — warmer, brighter and sweeter in every sense of the word.
Just 35 minutes from the city lies Xixona, the beating heart of Spain’s Christmas pantry. The turrón that fills tables from Galicia to Cádiz is born there, crafted much the same way it has been for centuries. In the weeks leading up to the holidays, the town transforms into a wonderfully lively Christmas market — small enough to feel local yet big enough to remind you that this region supplies the entire country with its most iconic festive treat.
And then, of course, there is Alcoi. Its cabalgata — the oldest Three Kings parade in Spain — is an extraordinary spectacle. Every 5th of January, the city becomes a living stage of tradition:
lanterns glowing, music floating through the cold mountain air, children wide-eyed with wonder. It is impossible not to feel something during that parade — joy, nostalgia, a sense of belonging.
Across the province, cities and towns now compete, quite enthusiastically, to outdo one another with Christmas lights. Whether or not we share the same taste for giant luminous reindeer or neon snowflakes is another matter… but the creativity is undeniable. Everywhere you look, something sparkles.
This is why we always say it: Alicante is Spain’s Christmas province. But this year, for us, the season feels different.
Many of you who read Home Turf know that we — together with our neighbours from El Faro, Balcones del Mar and Brisas del Faro — have spent the past months trying to stop or at least mitigate the so-called “hotel project” in the upper part of Gran Alacant. It has been exhausting, emotionally and physically, and if we’re honest, it has drained much of our Christmas spirit.
Since the works began, our homes have been subjected to constant noise and vibrations. Cracks have started to appear. Walls continue to tremble as heavy machinery works just metres from our properties. These are not small inconveniences; they are the early signs of structural impact.
We asked the council for a few days to conduct professional surveys of our homes, so that we could document the damage properly and begin the process with our insurance providers. Silence. No response from the promoter. No response from the council. Not even the courtesy of acknowledging the request.
In fact, we have received no reply at all from the mayor or the Gran Alacant councillors. Not one meeting. Not fifteen minutes of their time. Not a single gesture of respect toward the hundreds of residents who will live with the consequences of this project long after political terms have changed.
And the more we investigate, the more troubling things become.
We have discovered that the works are moving forward without all the necessary permits for the scale of excavation currently underway. And even more shocking: what has been repeatedly presented to the public as a “hotel” is not a hotel. It is a block of tourist apartments — fully equipped with kitchens and gas installations. With precedents like Carlotti or Reales Campos de Castilla, you’ll forgive us for being concerned about what this building may eventually become.
What is clear to us is this:
The council of Santa Pola has been granting rights and economic value to the promoter while disregarding the rights, safety and wellbeing of the neighbours.
It is unacceptable, and we will continue saying so.
We will continue fighting.
We will continue asking questions.
We will continue refusing to be treated as if we don’t matter.
And despite all of this — despite the fatigue and the frustration — we are determined to enjoy Christmas in our own small way, surrounded by the community that has shown us such remarkable solidarity.
To all the neighbours who have signed the petition, shared our articles, sent messages, forwarded information, or simply stopped us in the street to offer encouragement: thank you. Your support means more than you know.
To Lou and the Gran Alacant advertiser team — thank you for giving us space every month to write, reflect and connect.
And to each one of you reading this: we wish you, sincerely, a peaceful Christmas and a hopeful, prosperous New Year. May 2026 bring clarity, fairness and perhaps even a council willing to listen.
With gratitude, Juan & Archie
HOME TURF
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