Altea Travel Guide: Old Town, Beaches and Practical Tips

Altea earns its place on a Northern Costa Blanca itinerary because it packs a whitewashed hilltop old town, a working seafront and a long pebble beach into one compact, walkable town. You can see the best of it in a single unhurried day, climbing to the church in the cool of the morning and drifting down to the promenade for the evening.

It sits on the bay that carries its name, roughly between Benidorm and Calpe in the province of Alicante. That position makes it an easy base for the rest of the coast, and a calmer one than its louder neighbours.

I’d be doing you a disservice if I only praised the blue-tiled dome. The old town is steep, the beaches are mostly pebble, and evenings are relaxed. If those trade-offs suit you, Altea rewards a stay of two or three nights more than a rushed afternoon.

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What Are the Best Things to Do in Altea?

The best things to do in Altea are concentrated in a small area: the stepped lanes of the old town, the blue-domed church at the top, the seafront promenade and the restaurants tucked between them. Most of it costs nothing, and the main effort is the climb.

Wander Altea Old Town and Its Art-Lined Streets

Altea old town is a tight web of cobbled and stepped streets, white façades, wooden doors and pots of geraniums. It grew from a fortified enclosure laid out in 1617, and two of its old gates survive: the Portal Vell to the north and the Portal Nou, also called the Gate of the Sea.

I like entering through the Portal Vell and following Calle Mayor, which still keeps its original line all the way up to Plaza de la Iglesia. From there, wander without a plan. Look out for:

• Glorieta del Maño, a small viewpoint on the site of the old lordship house overlooking the mouth of the Algar River
• Calle Santa Bárbara, with the façade of Casa Cervantes
• Calle Salamanca, where number 5 keeps the look of a well-off 18th-century merchant’s home
• Small galleries and craft shops that reflect the artists who settled here in the 1960s and 1970s

That artistic thread still shows. In summer the town hosts the Mostra d’Artesania craft fair and the Música a Boqueta Nit evening concerts, while winter brings concert cycles such as Baroque Music Week.

Visit the Blue-Domed Church and Plaza de la Iglesia

The Church of Nuestra Señora del Consuelo is the image most people carry home: a slender bell tower and a dome covered in blue and white glazed tiles, visible from the beach and from boats out in the bay. It stands on the site of Altea’s old castle.

Plaza de la Iglesia in front of it is the social heart of the old town, lined with café and restaurant terraces. In my experience it’s at its best early in the morning, before tour groups arrive, and again after dark when the façade is lit.

Walk a few steps to the Mirador de los Cronistas de España for the wide view over the Mediterranean and the coastline towards the Sierra Helada. Bring water; there’s little shade on the way up in summer.

Walk the Seafront Promenade in the Evening

The seafront promenade runs along the bay below the old town and is where Altea spends its evenings. I’d time the walk for an hour or so before sunset, when the light catches the white houses on the hill above.

Expect strolling families, ice cream and long dinners. Altea nightlife is gentle: a drink on a terrace, perhaps live music in summer, and quiet streets by midnight. If you want clubs, Benidorm is the place for that.

Find Valencian Food Beyond the Main Square

The terraces on Plaza de la Iglesia are lovely for a drink, though you pay for the view. For a better meal, I’d step one or two lanes away from the square or look along the streets just behind the seafront, where smaller, family-run places serve local menus.

Order rice dishes. This is Valencian country, so look for paella, arroz a banda cooked in fish stock, or a creamy arroz meloso, plus grilled local fish. A short menu written in Spanish or Valencian, with daily specials chalked up, is usually a good sign. Book ahead for weekend lunches in summer.

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Are Altea’s Beaches Right for You?

Altea beaches suit swimmers, snorkellers and anyone who prefers clear water to soft sand, because almost all of them are pebble or gravel. Across more than 6 km of coastline you’ll find town beaches with full summer services and small, rocky coves towards Mascarat.

What to Expect at Playa de la Roda

Playa de la Roda is the main Altea beach, about 1,400 m long and right beside the town centre. It’s made up of pebbles, gravel and some sand, and the water gets deep quickly, so everyone in your group should swim confidently.

In high season it has lifeguards, toilets, umbrella hire, play areas and volleyball nets, with plenty of bars and restaurants close by. It’s also one of Altea’s accessible beaches, offering an assisted bathing service for people with reduced mobility from 11:00 to 18:00 daily in high season, with no booking needed.

My practical advice: pack water shoes and a padded mat or thick towel. The pebbles are hard on bare feet and backs, and the water is calm and clear in return.

Swimming, Diving and Boat Trips Along the Coast

Further along the coast, beaches such as L’Olla, Cap Negret, Solsida, El Bol and Mascarat offer more variety, from fine gravel to large rocks. The rockier stretches are where snorkelling and diving come into their own, and kayaking and windsurfing are popular off La Roda.

Boat trips from Altea leave from the port and head for the Mascarat cliffs or along the Sierra Helada (Serra Gelada) natural park. Options include sunset cruises, guided natural park trips, swimming stops in quieter coves and a ferry hop to Calpe. Prices and boats change by season, so check the operator’s calendar when you plan.

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How Should You Plan Your Visit?

Plan Altea around the heat and the hill: arrive early, climb first, and save the seafront for later. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons, and where you sleep shapes how much climbing you do.

How Long to Stay and When to Explore the Old Town

A day trip covers the old town, a swim and a seafront dinner. Two or three nights let you add a boat trip and a day in Calpe or along the Sierra Helada.

Tackle the old town before 10:00 or after 18:00. The lanes are steep, the steps are uneven, and midday sun on white walls is tiring. I take the climb in the morning, then rest at the beach.

The Best Time to Visit Altea

For most people, the best time to visit Altea is spring (April to June) or September and October. The sea is pleasant by early summer, the old town is comfortable for walking, and restaurant terraces are lively without being packed.

July and August bring full beach services and summer festivals, along with heat and busier streets. Winter is quiet and mild, with concerts and a slower local rhythm, though some beach services stop after high season.

Where to Stay: Hilltop Atmosphere or Seafront Convenience

Stay near the old town if evenings among the lanes matter most to you. Hotel Tossal d’Altea is a family-run hotel in a restored mid-19th-century olive oil mill, about 500 m from the old town and 200 m from the Palau Altea arts centre, with its own restaurant serving rice dishes.

Choose the seafront side if beaches, pools and flatter walks come first. SH Villa Gadea is a large resort-style hotel with 202 rooms, a spa, several restaurants and sea-view rooms, suited to a more relaxed, facilities-led stay. Expect a longer walk to the old town from there.

Getting There and Managing the Steep Streets

Alicante Airport is the nearest major airport. ALSA coaches serving Altea leave from the outdoor bays on the Departures level (Level 2), so head upstairs after collecting your bags. ALSA publishes times and fares through its live search, so check before you fly.

Valencia Airport is a longer transfer and makes sense if you’re combining Altea with Valencia or Dénia. Hiring a car gives you the most freedom for side trips along the coast.

For the hill, Calle San Miguel and Calle San José offer a more gradual climb into the old town than the stepped lanes. Some parts remain uneven, so wear shoes with grip.

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Where Can You Go from Altea?

Calpe and Benidorm are the two easiest trips from Altea, and they show very different sides of the coast. If you’re weighing Altea against its neighbours, I compare them in more depth in my guide to the Northern Costa Blanca – Towns, Beaches & Hidden Gems.

Calpe and the Peñón de Ifach

Calpe sits just north, dominated by the Peñón de Ifach, the huge rock rising from the sea. I’d go for the views, the sandier beaches and the fish restaurants near the port.

You can drive, take the coach, or make an occasion of it with the seasonal ferry from Altea’s port, which also takes bikes and pets.

Benidorm, Sierra Helada and Other Coastal Trips

Benidorm lies south, beyond the cliffs of the Sierra Helada Natural Park. Go for long sandy beaches, theme parks and nightlife, then return to Altea’s quieter evenings.

The natural park is good for coastal walks with big sea views. By sea, Benidorm Island is a small protected spot popular for snorkelling. Further afield, Dénia and Valencia work as longer day trips or onward stops.

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Who Will Enjoy Altea Most?

Altea suits travellers who like a town small enough to know within a day, with good food, art and sea views close at hand. Couples, slow travellers, walkers and families with confident young swimmers will feel at home here.

It’s a good fit if you:

• Enjoy wandering old streets and don’t mind steps
• Prefer clear water and snorkelling to soft sand
• Want relaxed dinners and early nights
• Plan to use a calm base for trips to Calpe, Benidorm or the Sierra Helada

Look elsewhere if you want wide sandy beaches for toddlers, late nightlife on the doorstep, or completely flat streets. For everyone else, I’d book at least one night so you see the old town in the evening light, then add a second for a boat trip.

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Frequently Asked Questions