Altea
Altea is a very charming and genuine Spanish whitewashed village located on a mountain top. Altea is considered one of the most beautiful on the entire Costa Blanca and has approximately 25,000 inhabitants. At the top of the mountain sits the beautiful church, Virgen de Consuelo, with a blue dome-shaped roof and around the church square there are many cozy restaurants and bars scattered on the picturesque cobbled streets where you can stroll around and soak up the atmosphere. The old town is also known by artists from all over the world for the unique light, the whitewashed houses, the ironwork in its windows, fragrant flowers and among the alleys you will find many studios and art galleries that display their works.Altea also has a pleasant promenade consisting of coves, cliffs and beaches. Here you will also find many restaurants, bars and cafes.The municipality of Altea has this year invested in building a new sandy beach below the center of Altea and south of it is the beach Cap Blanch which joins Playa del Albir. Altea and Albir are practically contiguous and it is a popular walking route. Another popular beach is Playa de la Olla, which is located inside an island with the same name and many people who want to snorkel come here. Altea has a large marina bordering Albir.In the more modern parts of Altea there are all kinds of shops, banks, market hall, health center, the town hall and all kinds of services and on Tuesdays there is a market.If you are looking for peace and quiet but still want to be close to the sea and to the hustle and bustle, the neighboring villages of Altea la Vella, Altea Hills and Mascarat are good alternatives.Altea la Vella has a nice 9-hole golf course in hilly terrain. There are many cycle and walking paths and a walk to Altea la Vella takes about an hour from Altea.The way there goes through Altea's garden, where many fruit trees grow, such as various citrus fruits, pomegranates, olives, rose hips, avocados, etc.Altea has a very pleasant climate all year round where the temperature almost never drops below 18 degrees. In summer, the temperature can rise up to 42 degrees in the shade.It is very easy to get there from Alicante airport. The motorway takes approximately 45 minutes. It is also possible to take the local train that runs along the coast from Alicante to Denia which also passes through Altea. There is an airport bus to Albir and from there you can take a bus or taxi.