Spanish Civil War 1936–1939
Refugio de la Plaza Séneca, Alicante
Air-raid shelter
The story
Alicante, a Republican port and supply base, was bombed repeatedly by Italian aircraft from Mallorca, most deadly on 25 May 1938. The city responded with public shelters under its squares. The Plaza Séneca shelter, next to the old bus station, is one of two (with Plaza Balmis) that the city now opens as a memory site. Soundscapes recreate the experience of a raid, and a linked exhibition, 'Alicante ha caído: aquí comienza la guerra', tells the story of the city's war and its end in the port.
What you can see today
Restored underground galleries with a sound and light installation recreating an air raid.
Plan your visit
Guided visits only; book online. Tours run daily (weekday afternoons, weekend mornings) and cost €4.95. Check current times.
- Open
- Route 1 (Séneca + Balmis): mid-Sep–late Jun Mon–Fri 17:00, Sat–Sun 10:00; English Sundays 09:30. Summer times differ.
- Price
- €4.95
- Booking
- Guided visits only; book online or refugios@guiasoficialescv.com / +34 693 771 105
- Access
- Underground spaces with stairs; Balmis shelter not wheelchair accessible
Checked September 2026 from official sources: alicante.es, guiasoficialescv.com. Things change, so check before you travel.
Sources
- mapcarta.com/N5605172221
- soyalicante.com/bombardeo-del-mercado-central-de-alicante-y-visita-a-los-refugios/
- mapcarta.com/N5605172221
Nearby sites
- Mercado Central, Alicante (bombing of 25 May 1938) · under 1 km
- Port of Alicante – Stanbrook and the last refugees · under 1 km
- Campo de Los Almendros memorial, Alicante · 3 km
- Albatera concentration camp memorial, San Isidro · 36 km
- Refugio-Museo de la Guerra Civil, Cartagena · 93 km
- Batería de Castillitos, Cabo Tiñoso (Cartagena) · 105 km
All 158 sites in Spanish Civil War 1936–1939 →
The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939
A free field guide for your phone: the route, the maps and the stories built in, even with no signal. The battlefields, trenches, ruined villages, shelters, museums and memorials of the Spanish Civil War across the whole of Spain, told fairly from both sides.
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