A Wetherspoons at Alicante Airport: Because Apparently We Weren’t British Enough Already
Pack your bags, grab your passport, and prepare your taste buds for a final hit of home, because the very first Wetherspoon on continental Europe is opening at Alicante–Elche Airport. Yes, the same airport where half of Britain already seems to live between April and October.
Today is the day it’s due to officially open, 9th Feb 2026.
It’s a compact 93 m² outpost of UK culture, complete with a terrace so you can enjoy your pint while watching planes, palm trees, and people sprinting to Gate C42 because they misjudged the queue at security.
They’ve christened it Castell de Santa Bàrbera, which is a lovely nod to Alicante’s iconic castle… and also a delightful contrast to the reality that most customers will be ordering a large breakfast and a lager before sunrise.
Where to find it
You’ll spot it after security in the non‑Schengen departures area, perfectly positioned for that moment when you realise your holiday is over and you need emotional support in the form of a fry‑up.
Opening day: Monday 9 February Hours: 6am–9pm Translation: if you want a pint with your boarding pass, the universe has provided.
What’s on the menu
Well, as their link is not working ( https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/wp-content/uploads/menus/currentmenus/MENU_7927.pdf ), we can as yet only guess!
Expect the classics for that taste of home:
- Full English breakfasts
- Burgers
- Pizzas
- Draught beer, wine, craft beer, ale
Plus a few Spanish touches like garlic prawns and tortilla, presumably to reassure airport staff that we’re not completely beyond saving. Check their page here for more information.
Why the fancy name?
The pub borrows its name from Castell de Santa Bàrbera, the 9th‑century fortress perched above Alicante. It’s been a lookout, a fortress, a prison… and now, indirectly, the inspiration for a Wetherspoon in an airport. History takes strange turns.
Address
Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport Airside departures, non‑Schengen zone Alicante, Spain
So, nothing inspires residents of Spain to leave their local bar, drive to the airport to fly abroad and have a quick pint at double their usual prices.
I had my first pint on Saturday, watching the rugby and it was a delightful pint of Guinness at a local ‘pub’ in Catral, it cost 4€ per pint.
Imagine flying back to the UK, the weather is crap, the beer is expensive and it seems not as strong as out here. I saw someone comment that “Amstel is 5%..meanwhile in the UK it is now 3.4%!! Cruzcampo is 5.6% (in the UK it’s 4.4%).”
I’m 100% sure next time I need to fly, I won’t be rushing for a Guinness at 7.50€.
The Brexit Irony
Tim Martin, who had been calling for the UK to leave the EU long before Nigel Farage was on the scene, is the man in charge, but how many people who Brexit screwed up things for, will still have a beer in his latest pub?
