Historic Centre Altea - Explore the Old Town of Altea

Historic Centre - Old Town of Altea

The Historic Centre of Altea offers beautiful architecture from the 16th to 19th century - explore streets with white façades, arched doorways, gothic windows and ironworks, all finished with the areas´ characteristic “tosca” sandstone.

Discover the best of the Old Town of Altea with a walk through the narrow streets, visiting the many historic sights.

1) Start your walking tour at the Plaza del Convent, where you will find the Iglesia de San Francisco.

2) If you walk up from the Plaza del Convent, to the corner of the streets Calle Pont de Moncau and Calle La Sequia, you will find examples of two grand houses built for 19th century landowners - Casa Beneyto (casa de cultura) and the Pharmacy, which was the old chemist shop Farmacia Martinez.

3) Opposite are the pretty Escaleras del “Mestre de la Música”. This is where the climb really begins but it’s so beautiful to wander along the lovely cobbled street lined with whitewashed houses and shops with steps taking you up to the main square.

4) These steps are dedicated to the composer and musician Francisco Perez Devesa who directed many musical bands in Altea, Alfaz del Pi and Calpe. There are 255 wooden steps in the characteristic dark colours of Altea old town.

5) Before climbing the steps, go a little further up the road to the Barrio de Bellaguarda district to see where the defensive walls were built in the 14th century to protect the coast from marauding pirates.

6) A few more steps and you get to the Plaza de la Cruz which is another pictuesque little square.

7) Off this plaza, turn up the Calle Costeros del Matxos road for the Portal Vell gateway, providing further evidence of the old walled city.

8) Now we go through these charming streets to the beautiful Plaza de la Iglesia with its church, Virgen del Consuelo. This is a lovely, traditional Mediterranean square and it’s well worth grabbing a coffee in one of the bars so you can relax and take in the atmosphere.

9) Virgen del Consuelo a superb church at the highest point of Altea with its famous blue-and-white tiled dome. The church was built in the 19th century in the style of a Latin cross with a stunning interior of classic gold and floral motifs. Look out for the ceramic shapes and dragons sculpted within the church.

Although the church itself was built in the19th century with work being completed in 1910, there has been a place of worship here for more than 900 years. It also bears the battle scars of the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s when one of the bell towers was destroyed by Franco's men.

The Virgen del Consuelo church dominates over one of the most picturesque squares on the Costa Blanca. It's lined with bars, restaurants and shops so you can easily spend an afternoon here while enjoying the fabulous views over the Mediterranean and towards the hulking skyscrapers in Benidorm.

Look towards the sea from the square and you can see further evidence of the ancient walls which used to protect Altea.

In and around the square, you will find little shops selling crafts, jewellery and paintings so you can pick up a unique souvenir of your time in Altea.

Exploring the Historic Centre of Altea, you will also discover many shops, restaurants and bars which add to the wonderful charm of this area.

Images from @casacarpediem15