Altea is arguably the prettiest town on the Northern Costa Blanca. Located in the region of Alicante, it is one of the most beautiful towns to be found along this stretch of Spain’s coast.
Altea is a seaside village that stretches up into the Altea Hills. The town’s name was derived from the Arabic name ‘Althaya’, meaning ‘health to all’. Once a small traditional fishing village, Altea has transformed from a medieval village into a modern town without losing any of its charm.
The old town of Altea is perched on top of a hill from which there are spectacular views, above the modern low rise beachfront developments below. Here there are narrow streets and alleys and long flights of steps that lead up to the famous landmark church of Nuestra Senora del Consuelo or Virgen de Consuelo with its domed blue roof. Here you will also find the main shopping street of Avenida Fermin Sanz Orrio with its busy bars, restaurants and art galleries. The old town has many designer shops and is popular with artists. Interspersed among the narrow streets of beautiful white houses and orange trees you will discover many traditional craftsmen and painters at work. There is a real authentic Spanish feel to the old town of Altea. Walking around, one is captivated by the beautiful old quarter, its narrow cobbled streets and alleys, and the wide palm lined seafront esplanade.
Along the seafront you can enjoy scuba diving, windsurfing, fishing, sailing, water skiing and boat cruises. The Luis Campomanes harbour, where you will see some of the most magnificent cruisers and yachts that you are ever likely to see, and the Altea marina are very pretty and scenic and this area is a great place to eat or drink in the cafés and restaurants. A market is held along the seafront every Tuesday. There are two high quality water sports centres, EL Club Nautico de Altea and El Puerto Deportivo Luis Campomanes (or Greenwich Marina).
