You climb white limestone alleys paved with river stones to reach the blue-tiled dome of Nuestra Señora del Consuelo. Below, the Mediterranean beats against gray pebble shores while fishing trawlers unload red prawns at five in the afternoon. The town smells of crushed pine needles, garlic sizzling in olive oil, and the dry heat coming off the Sierra de Bernia. It rewards anyone willing to walk uphill on empty knees for a plate of arroz a banda.
Last updated 22 Aug 2026






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Altea splits into two worlds: the high village crowned by tiled domes and the working port down below. Days here follow the sun and the fishing fleet. You spend mornings navigating steep stone stairs, afternoons swimming off stone beaches, and late evenings over rice cooked thin in wide pans. It suits travellers who prefer walking over lounging and who value good fish and quiet corners above loud resort nightlife.
Start by 9 AM climbing Costera del Mestre Música to Plaza de la Iglesia for coffee. Spend the midday heat at Playa de la Roda, then grab a table at the port for arroz a banda around 2 PM. End the evening at Portal Vell as the breeze picks up. Select 1 Day above to see it.
Day two belongs to the quiet northern stretch. Swim at Cap Negret in the morning, where dark volcanic rocks meet the tide, then drive ten minutes inland to Polop for roasted rabbit with garlic alioli. Finish with a glass of sweet mistela in an old village tavern. Choose 2 Days to expand the plan.
A third day lets you leave the coast. Hike the rugged loop of the Sierra de Bernia, crawling through the natural rock portal for views of the entire coastline. Afterwards, head into the Jalón Valley to buy cured sobrasada and taste bold reds at a local cooperative.
Watch the 5 PM dock auctions at the Puerto de Altea, then order cigalas, red prawns, and grilled sepia splashed with garlic and parsley at nearby tascas.
Skip tourist paellas and ask for arroz del senyoret or caldoso with monkfish and cuttlefish, slow-cooked in rich fish stock called fumet along the seafront.
Walk south along the pebble coast from Playa de la Roda past El Albir towards the Punta Bombarda lighthouse for views across the bay to Calpe rock.
Climb Calle Mayor to the parish church with its blue and white ceramic domes, built on the foundations of an old fortress guarding the coast from Barbary pirates.
Head inland to the Marina Alta valleys to taste dry Moscatel de Alejandría and mineral Giró reds poured straight from small oak casks in local cellars.
Potters and silversmiths still keep workshops along Calle Mayor and Portal Vell, shaping raw terracotta and hand-hammered silver during cool evening hours.
The Tuesday market on Camí de l'Algar runs from 8 AM to 2 PM, loaded with salted cod, cured sausages, olives in brine, and ripe blood oranges from nearby groves.
Tackle the limestone crest of Sierra de Bernia through the natural rock tunnel called El Forat, starting early from Casas de Bernia to avoid midday heat.
Bring rubber-soled water shoes to navigate the smooth gray stones at Playa de l'Olla and Cap Negret, where the water stays clear and clean all morning.
Step through the 16th-century Portal Nou gate to trace remnants of defensive stone walls built to repel Ottoman raids along this stretch of the Levant coast.
Take the steps up Costera del Mestre Música before sunset when the whitewashed facades cool down and old residents pull folding chairs onto cobblestones.
Drive twenty minutes up the valley to Guadalest, where an 11th-century Moorish fortress perches above an emerald reservoir ringed by almond trees.