Alicante to charge tourists an entry fee for popular castle and museums

VISITORS will soon have to pay to visit these popular museums and a castle in Alicante.

The Ayuntamiento de Alicante has decided to extend the entry fee to the Castillo de Santa Barbara to other municipal museums. 

It is hoped the fees will increase the value of heritage visits in the city and contribute to maintenance costs. 

The motion will affect the Castillo de Santa Barbara, the Contemporary Art Museum  of Alicante (MACA), the Lonja del Pescado exhibition hall, the Las Cigarreras cultural complex, the Bonfire Museum and the Nativity Museum. 

According to a spokesperson: “Many monuments and museums charge an entry fee in Spain and we think it’s reasonable to open this line of income to contribute to their maintenance.”

The council are also considering a citizens card, which will give residents hefty discounts or even free entry. 

For the castle, the changes are expected to be in force by the end of 2025. 

Politicians have urged decision makers to only charge the 500,000 tourists that visit the castle every year from outside the city. 

Although a full price list has not been released, it is thought the castle could cost between three and ten euros. 

The town hall hopes this will raise between two and four million euros annually for the development of the monument. 

It is not yet known if the funds will go directly to the museums affected or whether they will go to the council before being shared out.