What to see in Altea? A town to be lost and not found, a wonderful fusion of white architecture, heritage and miles of beaches with crystal clear waters. Today we fully discover the wonderful Alicante town of Altea Spain.
Welcome to Altea! A sea of white houses and sparkling domes awaits you by the Mediterranean. Altea is magic, it is a source of artistic inspiration, history and beauty.
Altea Map
Considered one of the most beautiful towns in the Valencian Community on its own merits, Altea Spain has established itself as an essential destination on the Costa Blanca. What to see in Altea? Between two giants of the Alicante tourist urbanization such as Benidorm and Calpe, and also very close to the beautiful beaches of Jávea, the town of Altea has managed to perfectly combine sun and beach and cultural tourism with an enviable charm.
If you want to download Altea map official from Tourist Info, you can find it here:
Top! amazing places to see in Altea
What to see in Altea? We are going to visit the essentials within the historic center and then visit other spectacular points in the surroundings of Altea. I recommend that you dedicate at least one full day to it. You will not regret it 😉 Incredible wonderful town in Alicante.
1) Portal Vell lookout point
We start wandering through the white streets of Altea in search of its best perspectives. We will soon find one of the most special viewpoints, Portal Vell. A balcony with infinite views of the Mediterranean Sea and the ubiquitous Peñón de Ifach. A small watchtower located in the heart of the historic center. Best start impossible right?
We continue ascending between cobbled streets and whitewashed houses to meet history. We are going to cross through one of the access gates of the old walls of Altea, the so-called Portal Vell or Puerta de Valencia. This wonderful construction allows us to access one of the most beautiful streets in the center. The whole could not be more idyllic.
At present, only two access gates remain, the one we have just seen and the Portal Nou or Puerta del Mar one. Some canvases of the Renaissance wall are also preserved, well integrated into the current architectural complex.
2) Church of Our Lady of Consuelo
It is the great Altean symbol. A wonderful temple visible almost from anywhere in the town and topped by two wonderful blue-tiled domes that give it the nickname Dome of the Mediterranean. This magnificent temple was built in the 19th century on a smaller one and in a marked Baroque style.
3) The beautiful streets of Altea
The old town of Altea is ideal for walking and getting lost in the streets. Lots of hills, stone streets and giant stairs. It is a fantastic area of the Mediterranean that is very well preserved to this day.
Take all the photos you can and enjoy this wonder. Do not miss a walk through some of the most beautiful streets and squares of the municipality. Our suggestions: Carrer Major, Carrer Salamanca, Carrer de Santa Bárbara, Carrer de San Miguel, Carrer Bonavista and Plaça de L’Aigua.
In addition to beautiful streets, we could say that the historic center of Altea is a great natural viewpoint. In any area you can find a viewpoint with views. And of course, another great point to see in the old town of Altea is the wide variety of local businesses that it offers. Craft shops, rooftops with views, bars, terraces and restaurants everywhere. It will not be for possibilities to enjoy it!
4) Altea seafront
We are still looking for the best places to see in Altea. In the Paseo Marítimo de Altea, you will find many shops, and we can see a long avenue next to some of its best urban beaches and its marina. The walk is 4 kilometers long and can start in the town of Albir and end at the Roda beach next to the so-called Mirador del Paseo Marítimo. It has a bike path in case you want to rent a bike and take a ride with incredible views.
5) The best beaches in Altea
The beaches of Altea have 8 kilometers of coastline, more than a dozen beaches and none of them are sandy. All the beaches of great beauty and crystalline. What to see in Altea?
These are the best beaches in Altea Spain:
- Playa de la Olla. More than a kilometer long, very transparent water, a lot of tranquility, magnificent views of the Peñón de Ifach and several restaurants by the sea.
- Cap Negret beach. A beach of fine and comfortable gravel, two kilometers long.
- La Roda Beach. It is the closest to the historic center, where you will find bars and restaurants. It has a Blue Flag and crystal clear waters. There are usually more people than the previous ones.
NOTE: Remember that they are stone beaches and it is more than advisable to bring a chair or a deck chair and, of course, slippers or closed sandals to walk and get in and out of the water.
6) St. Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church
Surely one of the most curious points to see in Altea. It is an orthodox wooden church in the middle of the Alicante coast. It was built almost entirely with materials brought directly from Russia, it is considered the first Orthodox church in Spain and its construction began in 2002.
The exteriors can be visited freely and for free as well as the interior within their opening hours. In addition, the temple is very close to the Mascarat beach, which, of course, is also worth visiting.
5 excursions to do around Altea
What to see in Altea and what to do near Altea? This area offers many excursions and things to do when you visit Altea and at word3dmap.com we will tell you everything.
Guadalest Castle 🏰
The city of Guadalest is the most beautiful and tourist place to visit in the surroundings of Altea. A wonderful town (the only one in the province of Alicante within the Association of Most Beautiful Towns in Spain), incredible views in the mountains near the Alicante coast. There are many organized excursions to see the Guadalest Castle but you can easily drive and park under the town to go up to the castle.
Guadalest se encuentra a sólo media hora en coche de Altea y muy cerca de la siguiente excursión que te vamos a proponer, les Fonts d’Algar. De hecho, ambas visitas se podrían hacer en un sola jornada.
Les Fonts d’Algar ⛲
It is another of the great classics to see in the area. Natural waterfalls and crystalline turquoise pools just 15 kilometers away from Altea. The entrance to Las Fuentes de Algar is regulated. In fact, you have to pay a rate that, at the moment, is very cheap. In return, it offers a beautiful route of more than a kilometer and the natural beauty of this space is incredible.
Jávea and its magnificent beaches 🏖️
Jávea is a municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is located on the north coast of the province of Alicante, in the Marina Alta region. Javea offers landscapes full of paradisiacal beaches and amazing jagged cliffs. The turquoise color of the water is from another world.
You cannot miss Cala Sardinera, Playa de la Granadella, Cala de Llebeig or Cala Portixol among others, but there are many and almost all of them are worth seeing and bathing in its crystal clear waters.
Benidorm – The most touristic city 🏙️
Benidorm is a Spanish city and municipality in the province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community. It is located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, in the Marina Baja region, which is its densest and most populated municipality.
Would you like to know Benidorm?
The panoramic view of the impressive Poniente and Levante beaches with hundreds of skyscrapers is impressive. So, if you do not know the city, we advise you to take a tour and enjoy its best viewpoints such as the Balcón del Mediterráneo or the Ermita Virgen del Mar. Benidorm is the most famous city in the Alicante coast area and has almost whatever you feel like doing.
Peñón de Ifach in Calpe ⛰️
The climb up the Peñón de Ifach, which is an impressive rocky mass with privileged views of the Alicante coastline of about 5 kilometers in length, has little difficulty (although you have to be very careful in its last section). To access the trail you must make a prior reservation at this link.
Conclusion about what to see in Altea
And so far my review of the best places to see in Altea and near Altea. What do you think? Would you include other sites in the tour? As always, I like to leave you the location map of all the points covered throughout the article and the comments section open for you to leave all your questions and / or opinions.
And so that you do not have any doubts, I end with a round of frequently asked questions and practical information that summarizes this small guide on Altea.
F.A.Q. What to see in Altea
Where can you park your car in Altea?
The best thing to do is park your car around the city center and walk to the most touristic spots in the town. As for free parking, we have the car park on Sant Xotxim street, that of the Sports square and other free spaces around the Nueva Playa de Altea on the Mediterranean promenade and the Playa de la Roda on San Pere street.
How long do I need to visit Altea?
I recommend that you dedicate at least one full day to it. However, given the number of interesting places within the town itself and the surroundings, the ideal is that you stay there and stay at least two or three days in the area.
What are the essential points to see in Altea?
You cannot miss a route through the most beautiful streets of the historic center, its impressive viewpoints, a good session on the beaches in Cap Negret or La Roda, an excursion to Guadalest or the Fonts d’Algar, and a hiking session along the paths from the Serra Gelada.
If you need more information about more places to see, beaches that I have not named and other interesting activities in the area, I advise you to go to the official website of Visit Altea.
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