Hi friends! Almost everyone visits a local market on vacation. It’s one of the best ways to see how people really live, and it’s where you find the juiciest oranges, the freshest olives, and a few souvenirs you didn’t plan to buy. However, the Costa Blanca has dozens of markets, and every town has its own day. So we made a handy overview of the market days, to help you plan your week.
We live in Alcalalí, in the Jalón Valley, so we know the markets in our corner of the coast best. For example, Xaló has its rastro, the antiques and second-hand market, every Saturday, and it’s a favorite stop. But whether you’re staying in Dénia, Benidorm, or Torrevieja, there’s a market near you on almost every day of the week. Here’s how it all works.
Market Types: Mercadillo, Rastro, and More
Before you go, it helps to know the words you’ll see on the signs:
Word
What it means
Mercadillo
The weekly street market. Clothes, shoes, household goods, fruit, and vegetables
Rastro
A flea market, with second-hand goods, antiques, and bric-a-brac
Mercado municipal (or Mercado Central)
A covered market, open most days, with fresh fish, meat, and vegetables
Agrícola or ecológico
A farmers’ market or an organic market, with produce from local growers
Artesanía
A crafts market
Monday Markets
Town
Hours
Notes
Dénia
8:00–13:30
General market (Torrecremada)
Elche
8:30–14:00
General market (plaza de las Flores, calle Uberna)
Santa Pola (Viguetas)
7:00–13:30
General market
Monóvar, Petrer, Sax
8:00–14:00
General market
Ibi
about 8:00–13:00
General market
Tuesday Markets
Town
Hours
Notes
Altea (Avenida de la Nucía)
9:00–14:00
Food and general goods
Altea (Camino del Algar)
9:00–14:00
Clothes, textiles, and shoes
Xaló (Jalón), Plaza Mayor
9:00–14:00
A small market, with about 15 stalls
Callosa d’en Sarrià (Plaza del Convento)
8:00–13:00
Fruit and vegetables
Elche (Puertas Coloradas)
8:30–14:00
Farmers’ market
Orihuela
8:00–14:00
A big market, with over 300 stalls
Orihuela (Paseo Calvo Sotelo)
8:00–14:00
Farmers’ market, about 20 stalls
Jijona (Xixona)
8:00–13:00
General market
Castalla
8:00–14:00
About 100 stalls
Elda
8:00–14:00
Clothes and shoes, with no food
Aspe
8:00–14:00
A small market, with no fruit or vegetables
Benijófar
8:00–14:00
General market
La Cala (Finestrat)
9:00–14:00
A mix of everything
Wednesday Markets
Town
Hours
Notes
Benidorm (Foietes)
not stated
General market. One source says 8:00–14:00
Benidorm (Pueblo)
not stated
Also on Sundays
El Campello
9:00–14:00 (winter), 8:00–14:00 (summer)
General market
Mutxamel
8:00–13:30 (October to April)
General market
Novelda
8:00–13:00
Calle Lepanto
Petrer (La Frontera)
8:00–14:00
Also on Fridays
Guardamar del Segura
not stated
La Redona car park
Alcoy, Banyeres de Mariola
9:00–14:00 / 8:00–14:00
Also on Saturdays
Biar, Beneixama
8:00–13:00 / 8:00–14:00
General market
Thursday Markets
Town
Hours
Notes
La Vila Joiosa (Villajoyosa)
9:00–13:15
General market
Jávea (Xàbia)
around 8:00–14:00
Plaza de la Constitución. Sources differ on the exact start time
Alicante (Babel, Benalúa, Carolinas, Teulada)
8:00–14:00
Four sites, and also on Saturdays
Aspe
8:00–14:00
Also on Tuesdays
Agost
6:00–14:00
An early start
Gran Alacant
not stated
General market
Villena
about 7:00–14:00
General market
Cocentaina
morning
General market
Orihuela (Campoamor, Desamparados)
not stated
General market
Friday Markets
Town
Hours
Notes
Torrevieja
8:00–14:00
A very big market, with about 500 stalls
Dénia (calle de la Vía)
8:00–13:00
Fruit and vegetables
Moraira
8:30–13:30
General market
Gata de Gorgos
9:00–14:00
Plaza Nueva
Alfaz del Pi
8:00–14:00
General market
Elche (Casablanca)
8:30–14:00
Farmers’ market
Orihuela (Paseo Calvo Sotelo)
8:00–14:00
Farmers’ market
Pilar de la Horadada
8:00–14:00
General market
Crevillent, Petrer, Monforte del Cid, Onil, Dolores
8:00–13:00
General market
Torrellano
8:30–14:00
General market
Los Montesinos
15:00–20:00
An afternoon market
Saturday Markets
Town
Hours
Notes
Xaló (Jalón), rastro
9:00–13:00
Antiques, next to the Gorgos river
Xaló, Mercat de la Terra
9:00–14:00
Farmers’ and crafts market, next to the tourist office
Calp
8:00–14:00
Clothes on Avenida de Rumanía, fruit on calle Petit
Calp (fruit and vegetables)
8:00–13:00
A separate produce market
Benissa
8:00–13:30
General market
Callosa d’en Sarrià
8:00–13:00
Plaza de España
La Cala (Finestrat)
9:00–14:00
General market
Alicante (Babel, Benalúa, Carolinas, Teulada)
8:00–14:00
Four sites
Alicante, Ecomercadet Carolinas
9:00–14:00
Organic, every other Saturday
Elche
8:30–14:00
Several sites. The organic market is on the 1st and 3rd Saturday
Santa Pola
8:00–14:00
Two markets
Orihuela
8:00–14:00
General market
Orihuela Costa (Playa Flamenca, La Zenia)
8:00–14:00
Sources give two locations
San Vicente del Raspeig, Sant Joan d’Alacant
8:00 or 9:00–14:00
General market
Almoradí, Catral, Novelda, Elda, Castalla, Alcoy
morning
General market
Torrevieja (hippie market)
10:00–22:00
Temporary location
Sunday Markets
On Sundays, most markets are rastros, so it’s the day for antiques, books, and second-hand finds.
Town
Hours
Type
Alicante (Plaza del Ayuntamiento)
9:00–14:00
Rastro (collectibles and second-hand)
Alicante (Plaza Santísima Faz)
10:00–15:00
Crafts market
Benidorm, Rastro El Cisne
9:00–14:00
Rastro
Benidorm (Rincón de Loix)
8:00–14:00
General market
Dénia (Mercat de l’Autocine)
8:00–14:00
Rastro
Dénia (Jesús Pobre)
about 9:00–14:00
General market
Pedreguer
9:00–13:00
Rastro
Teulada
about 8:30–13:30
Rastro
La Nucía, Polop, El Verger, Novelda
8:00–14:00
Rastro
El Albir
8:00–14:00
General market
El Campello
9:00–15:00
General market
Gran Alacant
9:00–13:00
Charity rastro
Algorfa (El Zoco), Guardamar, Pilar de la Horadada
8:00–14:00 or 15:00
General market
Covered Markets
If you’d like fresh fish and meat, a covered market is the better choice. These are usually open from Monday to Saturday:
Alicante: the Mercado Central, on Avenida Alfonso el Sabio.
Dénia: the Mercado Municipal, on calle Magallanes.
La Vila Joiosa: the Mercado Central, on Carrer Canalejas. Check the opening hours before you go.
Tips for Visiting a Costa Blanca Market
A few simple habits make market day easier:
Arrive early. The best stalls are at their liveliest in the morning, and many markets wind down around 2:00 p.m.
Bring cash. Many stalls don’t take cards.
Haggle gently. It’s common at clothing stalls, but not for fruit and vegetables.
Check the date. Days and places can change for holidays, roadworks, or bad weather, so check the town hall’s website before you travel. We also found conflicting information for Calp, so we list it on Saturdays, but one source says Wednesday. Hours also differ a little between sources.
Bring a bag, or a granny cart. You’ll buy more than you planned.
Markets Near Us
We live in the Jalón Valley, so here’s where we’d send you if you’re staying nearby. On Saturdays, Xaló has its rastro and its farmers’ market. On Thursdays, Villajoyosa has its market, and you can combine it with a walk past the colorful houses. And on Sundays, Pedreguer and Teulada have rastros. Wherever you go, take your time, and enjoy a coffee afterward.
