Altea - The
Town & Area
The dome of Altea's church, blue with a white geometrical
design, is one of the symbolic images of the Costa Blanca. Altea
is situated on a hill whose peak rises above the white-tiled
parish church. The magnificently jumbled and cluttered centre of
the Old Town provides Altea with a special charm. When visiting,
start at the Plaza del Convento and take the Pont de Moncau -
this leads to the Vellaguarda district, an area of steep narrow
cobble-stoned streets with balconies and small glorietas
(circular intersections). In the Plaza, the cultural and leisure
centre of Altea is the Church of the Virgin del Consuelo (Our
Lady of Solace).
Altea's peacefulness and tranquility have made it a paradise
for artists and craftsmen and their shops and stalls are
scattered throughout the Old Town Centre. At the foot of the hill
lies the wide sea promenade and the commercial street, the
Avenida del Rey Jaime I.
Altea - It's Beaches & Surrounding Areas.
Altea has a 6 kilometer beach, with cliffs alternating with
shingled bathing areas. Playa de la Roda is located adjacent to
the old town centre. The main beach, Playa de Cap Blanch, is
located to the south and runs into Albir's beach. The Playa
de Cap Negret, a shingled beach ending in a small cove with black
pebbles called the 'Cala del Soio', is located to the
north. L'Olla is another much-frequented beach opposite a
small island of the same name.
Altea ends in the 'Mascarat point' and the Sierra de
Bernia, where the La Barreta, La Solsida and La Galera shingled
coves are located. In earlier times, Altea used to be situated on
the road to the Sierra de Bernia and was called Altea la Vella -
a small village intersected by a Way of the Cross that ascends to
a Calvary surrounded by cypress trees. The Sierra de Bernia, with
its Font del Garroferet and ancient fortress, are excellent
reasons to visit the area.
Altea - House Prices
Altea Hills, situated between Altea & Calpe and home to the
Melia Altea Hills hotel, must surely be the expensive
urbanization on the Coast. A local estate agent has a
nothing-exceptional 3 bedroom villa on the market for 1,800,000
euros! However the area close to Altea has more affordable
properties. There has been considerable construction of
apartments recently and many are of good quality. The town itself
is very pleasant - once you get away from the dreaded N-332
coastal road. If you want to live in a charming old town, with a
strong artistic and cultural heritage (see link below for Palau
Altea) and be beside the sea, Altea could be for you!
Altea - More Information (click
here)
Altea - WebCam (click here)
Palau Altea Arts Centre (click
here)
Club
Nautico de Altea (click here)
enquiries@almondblossom.co.uk
