Port city may have been the last resort for criminals

BAKING in the Mediterranean sun, Alicante, on Spain’s Costa Blanca, is a popular destination for Irish holidaymakers.

The port city, with a population of 300,000, sandwiched between the mountains and the sea, swells in the summer as millions use it as a gateway to holiday destinations on the coast.

Travel guides urge visitors to browse through the covered market stalls by day and enjoy the Alicantino wine and the tapas at night.