White town on the Mediterranean
Wander through the old town for a sense of its medieval origins. Small shops and restaurants surround the church plaza. Walk down the stone steps to meet your daily shopping needs, visit the weekly vegetable and sundries markets, stroll with townspeople and tourists on the beach-front paseo, check out the elegant boutiques and galleries, or eat, drink and meet friends in a waterfront cafe, bar or restaurant.
Facing the sea, protected by a wide bay and backed by the Bernia and Aitana mountain ranges, Altea boasts the best Mediterranean weather, excellent local transportation, and many artistic and cultural resources.
Beyond the church are the 1000-seat Palau offering musical, dance and theatrical performances, and the fine-arts branch of the University of Elche. The University of Alicante is 45 km to the south.
Some of our favorite things: people-watching in the plaza, swimming in the clear green-and-purple water of Altea`s pebble beach, taking the narrow-gauge train north for vertiginous views or south for a day in Alicante, hiking in the mountains.
For spectacular sandy beaches, visit the nearby towns of Benidorm, Calpe, Villajoyosa and Alicante.