The smell of roasting chestnuts will soon be drifting through the streets of Alicante again. This year, 12 traditional stalls have been authorised to open across the city this autumn and winter.
The castañeros can set up from Thursday 15 October and remain until 15 February 2027, giving residents and visitors four months to pick up a hot paper cone of castañas as the weather cools.
Several stalls will return to Avenida Maisonnave, while others will appear at familiar spots including Plaza de los Luceros, Plaza Calvo Sotelo and Avenida Alfonso el Sabio.
Why chestnuts appear in autumn
Fresh chestnuts have long been associated with autumn in Spain, when the harvest brings them back into markets, kitchens and street stalls.
They are particularly connected with the period around All Saints’ Day on 1 November, although traditions vary considerably around the country.
In Galicia, the autumn celebration centred on roasted chestnuts is known as magosto. In Asturias, you may hear amagüestu, while Catalonia has its castanyada.
Different names and local customs aside, freshly roasted chestnuts are the common ingredient.
Alicante has its own chestnut tradition
Roasted chestnut sellers are nothing new to Alicante.
They have appeared on the city’s streets for generations, particularly as temperatures begin to drop in autumn.
In earlier years, sellers commonly positioned themselves around busy areas such as cinemas, preparing chestnuts and sweet potatoes using small charcoal ovens.
The equipment and regulations have changed, but the seasonal ritual has survived.
Municipal documentation records official authorisation for these street stalls from at least 2014, although Alicante’s tradition of street chestnut sellers goes back considerably further.
What are castañas asadas?
Castañas are chestnuts and castañas asadas simply means roasted chestnuts.
The shell is normally scored before roasting, allowing heat to reach the chestnut and helping prevent it from bursting. Once cooked, the outer shell and inner skin are removed before eating.
Street sellers traditionally serve them hot, making them rather different from the bags of nuts found on supermarket shelves throughout the year.
There is also a useful Spanish word to listen out for: castañero or castañera. It can refer to the person selling or roasting chestnuts, while a puesto de castañas is the chestnut stall itself.
From 15 October, Alicante will have 12 places to put that new vocabulary into practice.
Where to find roasted chestnuts in Alicante
Avenida Maisonnave will have the largest concentration, with five authorised locations.
The stalls will be at the corner of Calle General O’Donnell; the corner of Paseo Federico Soto; the corner of Calle Portugal; the corner of Calle Serrano; and at number 46, on the corner with Avenida Salamanca.
Elsewhere in the city centre, there will be a stall on Avenida Alfonso el Sabio at the corner with Avenida de la Constitución.
Another will open in Plaza Calvo Sotelo, while one of the most central locations will be in Plaza de los Luceros.
Further stalls have permission to operate in Plaza Manila at the corner with Calle San Mateo, Glorieta Músico Emilio Álvarez Antón and Avenida Doctor Jiménez Díaz near Isla de Corfú.
The final location is Calle José García Sellés, beside Centro Comercial Gran Vía.
Bridging the Gap’s recap
- Alicante has authorised 12 roasted chestnut stalls for the 2026-2027 season.
- They can open from Thursday 15 October until 15 February 2027.
- Five locations are along Avenida Maisonnave.
- Other central spots include Plaza de los Luceros, Plaza Calvo Sotelo and Avenida Alfonso el Sabio.
- Castañas asadas means roasted chestnuts.
- Roasted chestnuts have a long association with autumn and All Saints’ Day in Spain.
- Similar traditions include Galicia’s magosto, Asturias’s amagüestu and Catalonia’s castanyada.
- Alicante’s street chestnut tradition stretches back generations.
