Altea

Altea is a charming seaside town on the Costa Blanca of Alicante province, Spain.

. . . Altea . . .

Due to its advantageous location the area has been settled since Iberian times, and later Greek colonists established a market town here named Althaia. The town later came under Roman, Visigothic, and then Moorish control. Following the reconquista and the arrival of Jaime I in the 13th century the town was fortified; remains of these city walls can still be seen today around the old town.

Tourism came to Altea in the 1950s, yet in contrast with many stretches of the overdeveloped Costa Blanca, especially nearby Benidorm, the town has retained its Spanish identity and character. There are two primary districts, which include the largely commercial beachfront and the picturesque casco antiguo, or the original old town, with its labyrinthine cobblestone alleys and whitewashed houses.

• 38.59702-0.049921 Oficina de Turismo (Tourism Office), Carrer Sant Pere, 14, ☎+34 965 844 114, e-mail: altea@touristinfo.net. M-F 10:00-14:00 16:30-19:00, Sa 10:00-14:00. Offers free town maps, hiking maps, and brochures, and can book walking tours and other excursions. (updated Jun 2017)

. . . Altea . . .

. . . Altea . . .