Shopping on Avenida de Maisonnave in Alicante City
The Avenida de Maisonnave in Alicante is one of the most lucrative shopping streets in the whole of Spain
The Avenida de Maisonnave is by far the most commercial and bustling street in the centre of Alicante city, just a 10- minute walk from the rambla Méndez Núñez and a 5-minute walk from the plaza de los Luceros. The avenida is 460 metres long, extending from the plaza de Calvo Sotelo to the glorieta de la Estrella, and is home to numerous shops, department stores and international franchises as well as places to eat and drink.
The street was named after the Spanish politician and the first mayor of Alicante, Eleuterio Maisonnave y Cutayar who served as Minister of State in 1873 in the First Spanish Republic. Eleuterio Maisonnave was greatly respected by the residents of Alicante as he devoted a large part of his time in improving the public services in the city and encouraging trade.
A study in 2015 by a real estate consultant confirmed that the avenida was the sixth most expensive shopping street in the whole of Spain, owing to the street’s most modern and prestigious brands selling high street fashion and other top-quality goods.
The street has a wide range of retail stores specializing in fashion, cosmetics, accessories, household goods, sports clothing, footwear and electrical items, including big name brands such as Zara, El Corte Inglés (one at each end of the street), Mango, H&M, Másimmo Dutti, Bershka, Nike, Springfield, Womens Secret, Stradivarius and other major brands.
There are also various banks and local tapas bars along the highstreet, with an underground car park that passes all the way along the avenida, which can be accessed from the Plaza de Calvo Sotelo.
The Avenida de Maisonave has four lanes, two going in the direction of the Glorieta de la Estrella roundabout and a bus lane going in the opposite direction. It has wide sidewalks with large trees planted in concrete pots, and there are benches on both sides of the street for those who enjoy their shopping to sit and enjoy a well-earned break.
Most of the stores are open Monday to Saturday from 10:00-20:00 although some big brand names keep their doors open up until 21:30.
Since new legislation was passed allowing stores along the Avenida de Maisonnave to decide their own opening hours, some have taken advantage to extend shopping times during peak periods of the year, but in general visitors are advised to consult the online websites of specific stores in advance to know their opening times. Visitors should also take note that banks likewise vary in opening times, but as a rough guide most banks are expected to be open between 8:30 and 14:00.
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