A stroll along the Corniche, from Qaitbay Fort to the new library, gives a real insight into the Mediterranean character of a city looking to the West. It will also give you a taste of the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the 1930s to the 1950s, for example at Hotel Cecil, immortalised by Lawrence Durrell in The Alexandria Quartet. The seafront with its hotels, cafés and restaurants is frequented by locals too, especially at sunset, and the sandy beaches are very popular in summer.