History.

Alicante or Alacant was founded in 230 BC. founded by the Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barkas as Akra Leuke ("White Headland"). After that it was part of the Roman Empire and the city was called Lucentum ("City of Light").

In 711 during the great Moorish invasion of Spain, Alicante was besieged and eventually taken. The fled inhabitants were able to join the Visigothic armies in the interior as they moved north to the Pyrenees. The Moors gave the city the final name of Alicante. From the 8th to the 13th century, the city was in the hands of the Moors. They built a fortress on the Benacantil (a rocky, 166 m high hill that dominates the city) to protect the city against attackers. 

Over time, this fortress grew into the Castillo de Santa Bárbara. It owes its name to the conquest of the fortress on December 4, 1248 (the Catholic name day of Saint Barbara) by the future King Alfonso X of Castile.
In 1298 the city was transferred to the Kingdom of Valencia from James II of Aragon.

5 interesting Alicante facts

• Tapas originated in Alicante. They used to serve little delicacies on a slice of bread to travelers.
• People in Alicante speak both Spanish and Valenciano, which are two distinct languages.
• Benidorm, a neighboring town, was the first tourist destination to allow bikinis on the beach. In the year 1950, this was used as a promotional gimmick.
• The city of Alicante is located in an arid region and lacks any significant permanent water source other than the beach.
• The Montgo is a peak in Alicante Province, Spain, that rises to 2,470 ft (753 m), the 'white mountain.'