Altea, Costa Blanca, Spain
Located 15km north of Benidorm, Altea is one of the most beautiful towns along the Costa Blanca.
Altea
This small town is situated on a big bay with modern marina and sandy beach. The Old Town is certainly worth a visit with it's steep, narrow cobbled streets that lead you up the hillside and to the church of 'Virgen del consulo' that is famous for it's rounded dome of blue and white ceramic tiles.
Divided by coves and cliffs, Altea has 6km of both pebble and sandy beaches. The two main beaches are Playa de la Roda and Playa de Cap Blanch.
Things to do
For fun days out, Benidorm is the place to head, home to the Terra Mitica theme park and neighbouring TerraNatura zoo and aquapark, the Mundomar Sea Life and Animal Park and next to this is Aqualandia Benidorm aquapark.
The Terra Mitica theme park has adrenaline rides and kids rides, set amid ancient Mediterranean themes, with daily shows, ranging from Roman circus acts to Egyptian and Greek dancers, there's also plenty of cafes and fast food outlets to keep you going for the whole day.
The TerraNatura Aquapark features a wave pool, hydrotherapy pool, kids pool, chutes for all ages, grassed picnic areas and a sun deck with jacuzzis. TerraNatura Zoo boasts over 1500 animals living in beautifully landscaped natural habitats including many endangered species.
The Mundomar Sea Life and Animal Park is a landscaped tropical delight with plenty of animals and colourful birds. Spend the whole day here and you can watch a host of entertaining shows with dolphins and sea lions, parrots and exotic birds. Families can take a break at the children's play area and when you're hungry, there is an a'la Carte restaurant as well as a cafe, snack bar and a number of kiosks to choose from.
Aqualandia Benidorm aquapark has plenty of eateries and everything you need for a fun filled day from kamikaze chutes and exhilarating rapids to the relaxing jacuzzi pool and kid's adventureland.
Nearby attractions
Around a one hour drive inland from Altea (25km) is the village of Guadalest, a strategic military stronghold with fortifications dating back to 715AD. It's a popular tourist attraction and its cobbled streets are filled with shops, crafts and restaurants.
Just 10km from Altea is the natural beauty spot of 'Las Fuentes del Algar' (the Algar waterfalls), this is a great place for a picnic and enjoy a refreshing dip in one its freshwater pools (to get the most out of your visit it's worth taking some water shoes to help with the pebbly water bed).
Further along the coastline heading north is Calpe and it's hard to miss 'Rock of Ifach', the 332 metre rock is a nature reserve and the largest single rock in the Mediterranean, a round walking trip takes about two hours.
Costa Blanca Resorts
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