Blogs from the balcony
The Spanish Civil War left many marks on Alicante, some still visible 80 years after the conflict ended. The city was bombed repeatedly; one raid caused more casualties than any other single attack in the entire war. You can now visit two of Alicante's Civil War shelters.
Eighty years ago, the Spanish Civil War ended and the Republican government went into exile. Its last days in Spain were spent at a secret headquarters in the hills behind Alicante.
In March 1939, Alicante port was full of Republican refugees desperate to escape as Spain's civil war neared its end. Nearly 3,000 got away thanks to the bravery of a British captain and his crew. This is the remarkable story of the Stanbrook, still remembered 80 years on.
