If your heart is set on a trip beneath the Spanish sun, but the teams of holiday-makers are already making you anxious, then turn your sights to a lesser-known spot on the Costa Blanca.
Recently, visitors of the Spanish islands and coastal hotspots have warned Brits not to visit the overdone Marbella or the crowded beaches of Benidorm. Jet-setters hoping for a calmer experience may instead look towards a Spanish seaside town on the Costa Blanca that is a world away from the coast’s reputation.
Altea is a particularly beautiful town offering idyllic scenes where mountains meet the sea. In a survey on the best Spanish seasides to visit this season, more than 1,000 respondents answered. While four out of the five worst were in the Costa Blanca or the Costa Del Sol, one of the best was just a short 15km drive from Benidorm.
Altea is a quiet town that makes for a stunning city-break. Recognised for its fairy-tale town centre that sits above its hilltops, Altea boasts pebbled beaches and stunning architecture that features iconic navy domes. The seaside town is home to a small 15,000 residents – perfect for a tranquil trip of good food and picturesque sights.
A charming feature of the former fishing village is the way in which it has been protected by its locals, who are keen to keep the feeling of the Valencian community as it is. White-walled homes stretch up across the island’s hillside.
Particularly popular with German tourists and older travellers, Altea’s church-styled domes paint a romantic setting that is not crowded with the loved-up couples that flock to Santorini. The wall of mountains that border the island has been known to draw artists towards this haven since the late fifties.
Which? writes of the town: “The historic, villagey one where blue-tiled church domes glitter above a hill of sugar-cube houses. The one whose romantic setting – a wall of mountains on one side, the Mediterranean on the other – attracted artists, kickstarting tourism along this coast in the late 50s. They’re still here, too. Ateliers and galleries are scattered throughout the old town, a cats-cradle of cobbled streets beneath the church, perfumed by bougainvillea, knotting into tiny squares. When daytrippers leave by late afternoon, a lucky few get to revel in a pipsqueak beach resort that scored joint-highest for tranquillity.”
Dubbed ‘the artist’s capital of the Costa Blanca,’ the town is home to a variety of galleries, street artists and creative events throughout the year. Its unique blend of mountainous ranges and quaint coastal homes has inspired a host of painters, sculptors, and musicians for decades. Altea’s year-round exhibitions, concerts and the International Contemporary Art Fair will provide a feast for your eyes.
As well as it’s independent art, Altea is home to sweet cobbled streets and beautiful churches surrounded by clusters of bougainvillea – a dainty purple flower locals knot into squares.
Additionally, a luxury development of Altea Hills can be found in the northern part of its town. Situated on the edge of the woods between the development and the N332, visitors will be able to find an enormous Russian Orthodox wooden church which startles in the sunlight due to its gold domes and spires. The historic church was built in 2007 by a Russian entrepreneur.
Rated a four out of five for attractiveness, friendliness and safety, the island is a product of several major cultural influences. With traces of Iberian, Roman and Arab culture, as well as Greek, Muslim and Christian roots, the town’s rich history, optimal hiking paths and delightfully fresh seafood cannot be missed!
A full ranking of the best and worst Spanish seaside towns can be found on Which?
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