Altea

The small town of Altea on the north Costa Blanca spills down from the hills that shelter it towards the sea below. Its highest point and dominating feature is the stunning blue and white-tiled, domed church of the Nuestra Señora del Consuelo. The maze of narrow streets and alleys that make up the town are filled with quaint artisan shops, tempting boutiques and whitewashed little houses. Altea, which has not lost any of its traditional Spanish charm, is situated just 11km away from Costa Blanca’s biggest mass tourism resort, Benidorm, yet it is worlds apart from the bright lights, all-night bars and clubs and skyscraper hotels that cater to the package holiday tourist.