Restaurant Dàrsena

Welcome Drinks

Bodegas Francisco Gómez

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

Dinner

Party

Our Wedding

Here are some pictures from our travels

Our Story

The venue

The ceremony and celebration will take place at <a href="https://www.bodegasfranciscogomez.es/en/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bodegas Francisco Gómez</a>, in Villena, a region at the northwest of the province of Alicante.

Villena

With a population of around 33 thousand people, <a href="https://www.spain.info/en/destination/villena/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Villena </a>is a really small town in the mountains of Alicante. Villena is known in the region of Alicante for its XII century castle, the Atalaya castle. If you like tennis, you would be able to recognize one of Villena´s residents, Carlos Alcaráz.

The winery

Francisco Gómez winery has both amazing wines and olive oil. The winery belongs to the Alicante D.O., is located in the Alto Vinalopó region, and they mainly grow the Monastrell grape variety. You can find more information about their wines and olive oil on their <a href="https://www.bodegasfranciscogomez.es/en/wines/https://www.bodegasfranciscogomez.es/en/wines/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">website</a>.

How to get there

The venue itself is isolated in the country, with the nearest town being Villena. Depending on your overall travel plans, it might be best to stay near the city of Alicante (see "Plan your trip" section). In order to get to the venue on the day of the wedding, the easiest option is to drive. If you stay in San Juan (town near Alicante City) it´s a 50 minute drive to the venue. We will have a shuttle bus that will pick guests from San Juan and Alicante and will drop them off again at the end of the night. The bus will have two departure times.

In this page, you will find information on...- Traveling to Alicante, Spain- Where to stay- What to do- Restaurant recommendations You can also find more detailed information on our <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VmLBSW1eW6026ORvpkIpEpxELOzx6Cld/view?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">newsletter</a>

Traveling to Alicante, Spain

There are no direct flights from Chicago to Alicante, but there are several options for relatively easy connections. The easiest option and shortest trip is the <a href="https://www.iberia.com/us/?language=en&amp;cq_src=google_ads&amp;cq_cmp=252047005&amp;cq_con=22724231125&amp;cq_term=iberia&amp;cq_med=&amp;cq_plac=&amp;cq_net=g&amp;cq_plt=gp&amp;esl-k=google-ads|ng|c268490401663|me|kiberia|p|t|dc|a22724231125|g252047005&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwtqmwBhBVEiwAL-WAYWNA3KJMF6aL6kuTF9ZEMTbwFC2V0qfxM8BtP7WlGRJMjjqwFau3NRoCsmAQAvD_BwE" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Iberia</a> flight which is direct to Madrid and then a short flight to Alicante. Other options include taking an <a href="https://www.aerlingus.com/html/en-IE/home.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aer Lingus </a>flight and connecting through Dublin, or a <a href="https://www.flytap.com/en-us/?anetwork=PAIDSEARCH&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwtqmwBhBVEiwAL-WAYe1Y5D1wL875JHQgAppxl0JywSqrvTeoz3H4EGmXhrEvFIW-Og5VoBoC2sQQAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TAP </a>flight and connect through Lisbon. There are many other cities that offer connections between Chicago and Alicante if you plan on doing some European traveling before or after the wedding. You can also chose to get a flight directly to a major city such as Madrid or Barcelona for some sightseeing before coming to Alicante. Those flights are usually easier and it gives you a chance to visit a beautiful city. If you land in Madrid, you can either take a flight to Alicante later on, or you can chose to travel to Alicante using our train system called <a href="https://www.renfe.com/es/es" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Renfe</a>. The Renfe trains from Madrid to Alicante are usually under $100 and it takes less than 3 hours to get to Alicante. If you decide to book a Chicago &gt; Barcelona flight, you also have the Renfe option to get to Alicante from Barcelona. However, this line is much slower (it takes around 5 hours to get to Alicante) and it is not as reliable (you can run into some delays because it is an older line).

Where to stay

Our "home base" hotel will be Hotel Alicante Golf in San Juan. Please use the code IRENEYMARK to book your stay in order to get a 5% discount. In order to use this code you have to go through the hotel's <a href="https://en.hotelalicantegolf.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a>. This code is valid from June 18th - June 25th, so if your trip includes nights before or after that window please email eventos@hotelalicantegolf.com and Manuela can help you book your stay with the 5% discount. Hotel Alicante Golf, San JuanSituated near San Juan Beach and Alicante Golf Course, this hotel offers comfortable rooms and amenities. <a href="https://en.hotelalicantegolf.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> We would recommend booking sooner rather than later as they did tell us that they tend to fill up around the Hogueras celebration which coincides with our wedding weekend. There is a parking lot at hotel that is free as well as a fair amount of free parking on the street in front of the hotel. Other hotel options... Alicante is the name of the region and the city (think New York, New York). Because of the Hogueras celebrations occurring during our wedding week, we are not recommending trying to find a hotel or airbnb downtown Alicante City. There will be many street closures, as well as parties that start early and end late in the streets. For that reason, we list below some hotels in the San Juan neighborhood which is just outside the city. Our venue is about a 45-50 min drive from San Juan. We also listed a few hotels in the town where our venue is, but the town is very small and isolated so keep that in mind! The city of Alicante has many different types of hotels and airbnbs to chose from. During the Hogueras week (see below), the city becomes very festive, and very busy as well. We recommend that, during those days, you stay in the neighboring town of San Juan or El Campello. Those two towns are very close to the city of Alicante and it is very easy to travel back and forth using the public transportation system (TRAM as well as a variety of bus lines). The list below shows some options in the Alicante city area as well as places around Villena (closer to the wedding venue).

Hotels in San Juan and surroundings

Hotel Almirante, San JuanLocated right on the San Juan Beach, Hotel Almirante offers stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea and easy access to the beach <a href="https://www.hotelalmirante.com/el-almirante/?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> Hotel Bonalba Alicante:Situated in a peaceful area near El Campello, this hotel offers modern rooms, a golf course, and a spa for relaxation. <a href="https://hotelbonalba.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> Hotel Meliá, Alicante:Situated on the Postiguet Beach, Meliá Alicante provides stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea and comfortable accommodations. <a href="https://www.melia.com/en/hotels/spain/alicante/melia-alicante" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> AC Hotel Alicante by Marriott:A modern hotel near the city center and the marina, offering sleek rooms and a rooftop pool with panoramic views. <a href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/alcal-ac-hotel-alicante/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a> Hospes Amérigo, Alicante:This luxurious hotel is located in the heart of Alicante's historic center, offering elegant rooms and excellent service. <a href="https://www.hospes.com/en/amerigo/?promo=PPCHOSPES&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjw9IayBhBJEiwAVuc3fmaL9Fz97bn-JUebmZZ4mPQkbf3bBYVAaDtQq2miPGcm-f3ifBQWpxoCZb8QAvD_BwE" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Website</a>

Hotels in Villena and surroundings

LA CASA DE LOS AROMAS, Villena - Hostal<a href="https://www.hostalaromas.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.hostalaromas.com/</a>alojamientolosaromas@gmail.comTelf. +34 666475612 HOTEL LA SALVADORA, Villena<a href="https://hotelsalvadora.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://hotelsalvadora.com</a>Telf. 965 80 09 50 LA CASA DE FÉLIX, Villena<a href="https://lacasadefelix.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://lacasadefelix.com/</a>Telf. 623718597 CASA JAZMÍN, Villena<a href="https://casajazminvillena.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://casajazminvillena.com/</a>Telf.690706738 HOSTAL LA MORENICA, Villena<a href="https://hostallamorenica.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://hostallamorenica.com/</a>640944485 CASA DEL PROCURADOR, Villena<a href="https://casadelprocurador.net/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://casadelprocurador.net/</a>+34 687 70 78 76 | +34 965 97 91 61 reservas@casadelprocurador.net

How to get around

Alicante, the city, has a good transportation system. We usually walk everywhere, but you can also take <a href="https://alicante.vectalia.es/en/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buses</a>, or the <a href="https://www.tramalacant.es/en/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TRAM system</a>. If you are planning on doing some traveling around the region, we recommend you rent a car for a few days. Hertz has cars in the Alicante airport which is what we tend to use. If you need an automatic transmission, make sure you have that selected as you look through the options (manual will likely be the default in Europe).

What to do

From June 20th through June 24th in Alicante we celebrate <a href="https://alicanteturismo.com/en/the-fogueres-de-sant-joan-festival/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Las Hogueras</a>, one of the most significant and vibrant festivals celebrated in Alicante. One of the main highlights of Las Hogueras is the creation and display of enormous papier-mâché sculptures called "Ninots." These sculptures, often satirical or depicting current events, are erected throughout the city in different neighborhoods. Throughout Las Hogueras, the streets of Alicante come alive with music, dancing, and parades. Visitors can enjoy live music performances, traditional dances, and processions featuring elaborate costumes and floats. In addition, every day at 2 pm Alicante hosts dazzling firework displays known as "mascletàs" at Plaza de los Luceros. The festival concludes with "La Crema" on the night of June 24th. This is when the Ninots are set ablaze in a spectacular display of flames and firework

Restaurant Recommendations

🍽️ Restaurants in San Juan &amp; El Campello<a href="https://barrazero.es/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barrazero Bistro</a> – Fresh ingredients, good food.<a href="https://www.restaurantecasajulio.es/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Casa Julio</a> – Renowned for its paellas by the beach ⚠️ Reservatio﻿n needed<a href="https://lostroncos.es/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Los Troncos</a> – A classic grill house specializing in high-quality meats.<a href="https://xn--restauranteascoca-pxb.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ñas Coca</a> – Creative tapas and Mediterranean flavors in a cozy and modern setting.<a href="https://asadorlavaqueria.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">La Vaquería</a> – Brasserie-style restaurant.<a href="https://lacocinadelnorte.es/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">El Norte</a> – Basque cuisine.<a href="https://restaurantemicasa.es/restaurante-alicante-mi-casa/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mi Casa</a> – Specializing in rice dishes, grilled meats, and seafood.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://puertomaderoalicante.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Puerto Madero</a> – A mix of grilled meats, rice dishes, and tapas.<a href="https://fincasantaluzia.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Finca Santa Luzia</a> – Mediterranean delights in a charming, natural setting.<a href="https://laesenciadelnonno.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">La Esencia del Nonno</a> – Spanish-Italian fusion cuisine with live music.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Lapasstiseria/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">La Pastisseria</a> – Homemade desserts and pastries.<a href="https://mandonnasanjuan.wixsite.com/mandonna-san-juan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mandonna</a> – Fresh, creative cuisine with bold flavors and elegant presentation.

🍽️ Restaurants in Alicante<a href="https://restauranteracodelpla.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Racó del Plá</a> – Traditional dishes and tapas.<a href="https://g.co/kgs/5tqWwPb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bar el Cantó</a> – Cervecería tapería. It´s hard to get in, but worth it.<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/8HDaarpM4FannT3F9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nou Manolín</a> – Traditional Spanish food.<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/LBMy3tvUW3LxoVV26" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bar Guillermo</a> – Typical Spanish restaurant with tapas.<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/Zz5ceTvmmarc4xhT7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">La Marmita Alicantina</a> – Good quality traditional dishes.<a href="https://g.co/kgs/EdbWfUw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">La Vaquería del campo</a> –Store in the front, tapas restaurantwith local ingredients in the back&nbsp;

🌇&nbsp;Rooftop Alicante<a href="https://linktr.ee/cuppola?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAadLY2YLIpGlxZyFSiltMiSKoNOee2Z2EoyURYDQKOOCbAqIT6kwxdWMP1KxiQ_aem_jZL6f55xRHy2KmT3Wlfw1Q" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cuppola</a> – movie-inspired cocktails and tapas.<a href="https://www.melia.com/es/hoteles/espana/alicante/hotel-alicante-gran-sol-by-melia/restaurantes/restaurante-convistas?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaddO3-u3fVip8jh5fvTO09fBpcYuJG-Tc6Xa1-7fT71Ekky0E9LcCWqP6b_RA_aem_EHSiU9L9O_j8Ufo9cIuRoA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Restaurante Convistas Melia</a> – restaurant in hotel Melia with stunning Mediterranean views.<a href="https://highbarrooftop.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Highbar Alicante</a> – Signature cocktails, wine, beer<a href="https://www.lamilagrosabealicante.com/rooftop/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaefxGebZKwKKsqtNkSfDRpxLDx_EgLCYFBj3QFSklmMjPrzaIF-IcFMNCHzZA_aem_D45-25NdfVEx9wlM35PDAQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">La Milagrosa Rooftop</a> – All-day food and cocktails<a href="https://www.eurostarshotels.com/eurostars-portico-alicante/promociones/experiencia-miralta.html?id_referer=GMB" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Terraza Mira Miralta Rooftop</a> – Hotel rooftop with excellent views of the city

Plan your trip

If you want to get from Chicago to Alicante, the easiest way is to search for a Chicago &lt;&gt; Alicante flight. There are no direct flights from Chicago to Alicante, but you can buy a connecting flight from most companies. We recommend <a href="https://www.iberia.com/us/?language=en&amp;cq_src=google_ads&amp;cq_cmp=252047005&amp;cq_con=22724231125&amp;cq_term=iberia&amp;cq_med=&amp;cq_plac=&amp;cq_net=g&amp;cq_plt=gp&amp;esl-k=google-ads|ng|c268490401663|me|kiberia|p|t|dc|a22724231125|g252047005&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwtqmwBhBVEiwAL-WAYWNA3KJMF6aL6kuTF9ZEMTbwFC2V0qfxM8BtP7WlGRJMjjqwFau3NRoCsmAQAvD_BwE" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Iberia</a>, since they always fly to Alicante through Madrid. Other options include taking an <a href="https://www.aerlingus.com/html/en-IE/home.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aer Lingus </a>flight and connecting through Dublin, or a <a href="https://www.flytap.com/en-us/?anetwork=PAIDSEARCH&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwtqmwBhBVEiwAL-WAYe1Y5D1wL875JHQgAppxl0JywSqrvTeoz3H4EGmXhrEvFIW-Og5VoBoC2sQQAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TAP </a>flight and connect through Lisbon. There are many other cities that offer connections between Chicago and Alicante. You can also chose to get a flight directly to a major city such as Madrid or Barcelona for some sightseeing before coming to Alicante. Those flights are usually easier and it gives you a chance to visit a beautiful city. If you land in Madrid, you can either take a flight to Alicante later on, or you can chose to travel to Alicante using our train system called <a href="https://www.renfe.com/es/es" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Renfe</a>. The Renfe trains from Madrid to Alicante are usually under $100 and it takes less than 3 hours to get to Alicante. If you decide to book a Chicago &gt; Barcelona flight, you also have the Renfe option to get to Alicante from Barcelona. However, this line is much slower (it takes around 5 hours to get to Alicante) and it is not as reliable (you can run into some delays because it is an older line).

How to get to Alicante

Alicante, the city, has a good transportation system. We usually walk everywhere, but you can also take <a href="https://alicante.vectalia.es/en/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buses</a>, or the <a href="https://www.tramalacant.es/en/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TRAM system</a>. If you are planning on doing some travelling around the region, we recommend you rent a cart for a few days.

How to get around in Alicante

Travel

From June 20th through June 24th in Alicante we celebrate <a href="https://alicanteturismo.com/en/the-fogueres-de-sant-joan-festival/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Las Hogueras</a>.

Las hogueras

Alicante is the name of the city where Irene was born and raised, but it is also the name of the larger region. Alicante region is full of beautiful villages to visit and things to do. Irene's personal favorite are the cities of Altea and Villajoyosa. Here are some other suggestions: https://rideandy.com/blog/pretty-villages-near-alicante

Visit Alicante

While Madrid and Barcelona are the most popular cities in Spain, a personal favorite of Mark and Irene is Córdoba. Head to the south of Spain for....

Travel around Spain

While Alicante is well known for its beautiful beaches, we also have a great cuisine! Don´t forget to try a paella (for lunch), our Here are some of our favorite restaurants in Alicante

Enjoy the Spanish gastronomy

Things to Do

Where to stay in Alicante

The city of Alicante has many different types of hotels and airbnbs to chose from. During the Hogueras week (see "What to do" section), the city becomes very festive, and very busy as well. We recommend that, during those days, you stay in the neighboring town of San Juan or El campello. Those to towns are very close to the city of Alicante and it is very easy to travel back and forth using the public transportation system (see "How to travel" section).

Photos

Wedding Party

Honeymoon Fund

NEWSLETTER We have created a <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VmLBSW1eW6026ORvpkIpEpxELOzx6Cld/view?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">newsletter</a> to share with you some information on the wedding weekend.

For any other questions, please reach out to us and we will be happy to help!

Irene & Mark

Irene & Mark

Honeymoon Fund