My parents used to have a house in the charming white town Altea. The old town of Altea is located on a hill, so you have beautiful views over the Costa Blanca. Altea is somewhat touristy, as some tourist who stay in the area make a daytrip out of visiting Altea, but the town is not overrun by tourists. As the town does have all pros of being touristy, such as great restaurants, viewpoints, street performances, antiques & rare clothes shops and a beautiful dome it is a good holiday location, slightly off the beaten path. In Altea the shops have Spanish opening times, so the regular shops are closed on Saturday afternoon and Sunday, while the touristy shops in the old town are usually open. Did you know that Altea has one of the best climates in whole of Europe? In the summer months it hardly gets hotter than 30 degrees, there is a cool sea breeze, while having soft winters and little rain.
Pictures to inspire you to visit Altea
Sometime a picture says more than a thousand words, so I’ll start off by showing pictures of Altea.
Where to stay
On Airbnb you can rent apartments that look out over the Costa Blanca from the hills of Altea. In the old town the number of hotels is very limited, so this would be one of the nicest options. Hotel Cap Negret and Villa Gadea are more luxurious hotels, they are situated a little out of the city center, but they are close to the beachfront.
Another idea is to stay in Calpe, which is a 10 minute drive. Altea is much more charming than Calpe, and has better restaurants, but at Calpe you can stay in the Apartments of Muralla Roja. This is a stunning pink complex, with a rooftop swimming pool, pink stairs and interesting geometric forms, which you can only visit once you sleep in there. There is no access for visitors. You can find the Muralla Roja on Airbnb and booking.com and it is where I will be staying next time I am in the area.
Activities
Old town: The old town of Altea is especially beautiful during the spring and summer months, as the whitewashed walls are overgrown with pink bougainvillea. The old town really comes alive in the evening, when all the antique, jewelry, art and clothes shops are open. When strolling through town you will find many atmospheric restaurants to chose from. There are many tapas and Italian style restaurants, but you can also have Indian food (Crown of India) and there are more upscale restaurants (D’els Artists is one of my recommendations). In Altea you have something for each budget. I prefer the restaurants of the old town to the restaurants at the beach and you generally do not need reservations.
Beach: You have many beaches to choose from when you visit Altea. Altea itself has a pebble beach, but at Calpe you can find a sandy beach. If you really want to go to the beach for a full day, I recommend going to Villajoyosa with its lanes with palm trees and colorful square. This is a 25 minute drive from Altea.
Daytrip to Valencia or Alicante: From Altea it is a one hour drive to Valencia and Alicante. These cities make for great daytrips. As Valencia is such a popular city trip, it is ever evolving, with the development of new museums and a city beach. For my blogpost about Alicante click here.
Las Fuentes del Algar: The Algar waterfalls are one of my favorite activities on a hot day. It costs € 5 to enter the waterfall park and then you can go for a swim in the super cool water. The surroundings are super beautiful, with many pink flowers, so also if you don’t want to get into the water, I recommend to go there. There are several pools and waterfalls and in spring it’s not very crowded. There are some lockers at the entrance and you can buy some food/water.
Guadalest: Guadalest is a little town which is built on rocks. It is a cute town, with some nice terraces, but I mainly recommend visiting for the views of the reservoir that is at the other side of Guadalest. The blue water creates a beautiful contrast with the dry mountains that surround it.
Wine tasting in Alfas del Pi: I visited the winery of Enrique Mendoza, which is close to Altea. First you receive a tour and info about the winery, afterwards you have the tasting. You get generous portions of wine and tapas/delicious cheeses. We tastes seven wines and bought several bottles to bring to our apartment. Enrique Mendoza himself also came by to introduce himself and drink some wine with us. Make sure you take a taxi, taxis are really affordable in Spain, so no need to be the designated driver! You can make a booking on their facebook.
