About five million tourists visit the Alicante province each year. Half of those ship themselves straight off to Benidorm, but plenty of others stick around the city itself. So by my maths, that’s a lot of people who will need a sports bar to watch a match or two while enjoying the sun and sangria. 

I lived in Alicante for three months earlier this year and spent lots of my time either finding bars to watch football, or sitting in bars watching football. Therefore, I’d say I’m qualified to PhD level to tell you where to go. A doctor of sports bars, if you will.

There are tons of other bars, cafes and cevecerias in Alicante that have a TV or two, but chances are they’ll only be showing La Liga or basketball matches. I’m not going to waste your time telling you about those. You’ll find them without even trying. I’m only going to tell you about the best of the best. So let’s start with the most popular: Red Corner.

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Proper sports bars for serious sports fans

Red Corner – So popular it doubled in size!

It makes sense to start here, because it’s probably exactly what you’re looking for. Located in the heart of the city, Red Corner takes sport very seriously. 

This is the place to go if there’s more than one game kicking off at the same time. Multiple screens, all at different angles, mean you can be confident of getting a decent view. The only thing that could scupper it for you is if you leave it too late for a genuine Super Sunday of sport, as this place can fill up fast with a mix of locals and expats. But don’t worry, I’ve just given you reason to get there early. You’re welcome.

When you get there, you might feel like you’re seeing double, but it’s not an oasis; it is a double sports bar that straddles the street. Both sides are pretty much the same, so don’t let that concern you. My recommendation is to plonk yourself slap bang in the middle of the street, that way you can enjoy the joys of a Spanish terrace all while watching a match.

They’ve got all the big hitters on tap here, too. Guinness, Paulaner, Heineken and a cider too. Plus, of course, the wonderful Alhambra Reserva. The green bottle of 6.4% goodness is always my go-to beer. 

Red Corner is a lively sports bar with tons of screens, plenty of seats indoors and out, great beer and a food menu too. It deserves to be top of this list. But if you want more of Irish pub vibe or to be in the heart of the nightlife, do read on.

The Little Duke – A cosy Irish pub

Just a stone’s throw from the promenade, on the main road up to Luceros Station, we have the little gem that is The Little Duke. Its big brother, unsurprisingly named The Duke, is at Luceros island, but that’s not where the sports action is at.

The Little Duke is usually just a tight, cosy pub with one screen, but when there’s a match on, they open up the back room. A room with a projector and 4 big screens. Does anyone actually think sport looks better on a projector compared to a standard screen? Surely you need to go ‘full cinema’ and turn out the light to get all the benefits. Darkness + table service = beer disaster.

Anyway, back to the pub. Estrella, Guinness and Brewdog are on tap. There are sh*t loads of bottles on offer and they give you some free tasty snacks. Premier League and La Liga matches are equally important here, and there’s always an updated blackboard outside telling you what they’ll be showing in the back room. It’s a great pub to be in without the sport, too. 

If you rock up late and can’t find a seat, there’s another decent sports bar called Yellow, only a few yards up the main road. 

There are just two more sports bars that I want to tell you about.

Austin Sports Bar – The best for p*ssed up tourists

Austin Sports Bar is in the middle of the Old Town. It’s where to go if you’re planning on being a messy tourist because they’re very used to it. I saw plenty of p*ssed up, sun-kissed holidaymakers enjoying themselves out on Austin’s terrace. 

If you’re on a big sesh, go here. The cocktails are boozy, and it prioritises UK sport over La Liga, something that angered some locals on numerous occasions, so you can be sure it’ll show what you’re wanting on Sky Sports or TNT. What more do you want?

O’Hara Irish Pub – Best one closest to the beach

Last up on my list of the best sports bars in Alicante is O’Hara Irish Pub. It’s usually all about the terrace here, which isn’t surprising considering its prime location on the promenade in the busiest tourist area in the city.

The inside is usually just a walkway for those needing relief from the gallons of San Miguel consumed so far that day. Come matchday, though, and the football-loving tourists make their way indoors. There are plenty of screens spread over two floors. Upstairs, you’ll also find a pool table and a darts board. So you can play a bit of sport yourself while watching the match on TV.

The trouble you’ll have here is being bothered enough to go and sit inside what is a rather dull and dark pub, when there’s a sunny terrace out there offering table service and incredible people watching opportunities. Even as a football lover who’d been living under the Spanish sun for months, I still found it hard to venture inside. 

That’s plenty of decent sports bars for you to choose from in a city the size of Alicante. Just rest assured that you’ll easily find Sky Sports and TNT Sports all over the place showing English football, Scottish football and all of the main European football you could want. If there are no matches on these places will often leave the sports channels playing, so if you’re a fan of F1, rugby, tennis or of course darts nowadays too, you’ll find what you’re looking for.

Summary of the best sports bars in Alicante

• Red Corner is the busiest and most popular sports bar in the city.

• Austin is the best sports bar in the Old Town

• The Little Duke is the best traditional sports pub