Visiting Altea’s Old Town: Hotels and the best tour on foot
Walking along Altea Old Town is one of the best things to do in Costa Blanca, Spain.
The town, located on top of a hill, is one of the most photogenic places we’ve seen in a long time. There are buildings that date from the time it was founded, in the 17th century, that are still standing and you can see architecture that dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries.
White houses, narrow streets, a church at the top with blue domes, bougainvilleas and corners from where to see the Mediterranean Sea. A hypnotic combo!
Since we know that you don’t always have the time to wander these towns and see everything, and that you’ll only visit Altea in one day, we bring you this article where we’ll recommend a trail on foot through the Old Town of Altea so that you can visit the most important spots but also see pretty and less touristy parts.
Are you staying several days in Altea? Don’t worry! We will also recommend other places worth visiting in the old town and hotels that are well located for you to see everything. Let ‘s go!
Hotels in Altea Old Town
The old town is the most charming area to stay in Altea, without a doubt. Stone pavements with white houses, picturesque parts, views to the sea right around the corner, restaurants with great food.
But, if you’re looking for a hotel in the old town of Altea, you’ll have to bear in mind two important details: the accessibility (since some of the prettiest streets have stairs) and if you’re traveling by car, since you’ll most probably have to leave it on the street due to the fact that most accommodation in this area of Altea do not have their own parking lot.
Taking this into consideration, you should know that some of the best and most charming hotels are in Altea, so you’ll spend the night in places decorated with great taste.
We recommend checking these out:
Where does this trail on foot start and end?
This trail on foot around the Altea old town starts at Plaza del Convento, 100 meters from Altea’s beach.
It ends at that exact same spot, so it is a circular trail. However, you could also adapt it to end at the beach.
Altea’s Old Town on foot: 10 places to see in Altea in one day
1. Plaza del Convento
This trail starts at Plaza del Convento, where you can find the San Francisco church, which used to be a Franciscan convent built in the mid 18th century and demolished in the 60s.
A fun fact of this square is that there are many specimens of old olive trees.
From here, you’re going to go straight through Pont de Montcau street, on the left if you’re facing the church.
You’re going to find Casa de la Cultura, or Cultural Center, located in an 1886 building, and right in front you’ll see a long staircase, which will be our next point in this travel guide.
👉 Two possible detours in this trail
- Before heading to the stairs, you can detour through a small tunnel next to the Cultural Center to access a small square called Francisco Perez Devesa.
- Before reaching the Cultural Center, if you turn right on Raspall street, one of the most important streets in Altea, and walk about 50 meters, you’re going to see the municipal market of Altea. It is pretty small, but if you have time, it could interest you.
2. Costera del Mestre la Musica stairs
This traditional street of steps is one of the most beautiful ways to ascend to the old town.
Halfway through, you can detour a couple of meters on the right to observe the Moli de Bellaguarda, an old medieval watermill that ran between the 14th and the 16th centuries.
On the next detour of the stairway, you’ll turn left to reach the next destination.
👉 Alternative: If you continue through the detour of the watermill, you’ll get to Plaza del Agua, with some stairs you can take to go up and enjoy beautiful views and from there go back to the Mestre Musica stairs to keep going up.
3. Glorieta del Maño
Finally, after so much climbing (according to what we were told at the tourist information center in Altea, there are 280 steps!) you reach the first viewpoint of Altea, Glorieta del Maño, former Bastion of Lordship’s House which was used for controlling the mouth of Algar River.
Here, you can access the Renaissance precinct, the old town of Altea.
If you continue on Portal Viejo street, you get to the following destination of this guide through Altea’s old quarter.
4. Portal Vell
The bastion keeps the original sketch of when it was founded in 1617 and you can even see two of the access gates to the fortified precinct. One of them is Portal Viejo or Portal Vell, Old Gate. The other one is Puerta Nueva or Portal Nou, New Gate.
5. Tonico Ferrer square
As soon as you go through Portal Viejo, you’ll come across this very picturesque square with bars and orange trees that give it a bit of color.
From here there are two pretty streets that can take you to the famous church. One of them is Calle Mayor street and the other one Calle Concepcion street. The former has the characteristic that as you go forward and look back, you’ll still be able to see Puerta Vieja.
👉 Alternative: Instead of going straight to the church, you could go to Salamanca street, which keeps several of the historical buildings intact. Then, you could walk by Consuelo street to get back to Tonico Ferrer Square through Calle Concepcion and in this way you’ll visit more streets of this area, or otherwise you could just go up straight to the church by the stairs of Santo Domingo street.
6. Plaza de la Iglesia square
In this square you find the Iglesia del Consuelo, or Church of Consolation. It has blue mosaics that can be seen in the distance from many places.
The current church was built at the end of the 19th century on the outline of the original church of the 17th century, and it is, without a doubt, one of the must-see places in Altea.
If from the church door you walk straight across the square, you’ll arrive at a small roundabout with a bench, offering beautiful views of the staircase on Jesus Street passing just below, the white houses, rooftops, and the sea in the background.
7. Cronistas de España viewpoint
Facing the church, if you walk about 100 meters to the left across the square, you’ll encounter this beautiful viewpoint. From here, besides the beaches of Altea, you’ll see the hills of the Serra Gelada Natural Park and in the distance, the buildings of Benidorm.
To leave the viewpoint, backtrack to the Church Square and then take Calle San Miguel on the left.
8. The typical postcard view of Altea’s Old Town
Now, this walking itinerary through the old town of Altea will take you to capture the most typical photo of Altea Old Town, which is obtained from San Miguel Street.
We recommend going to the end of this street, but halfway, look back to find the perfect angle for the photo.
Once you reach the end, turn right to return to the church via Fornet Street, known for its bars and for offering a beautiful view of the church dome.
Then return to the church and leave the old town, taking Santa Barbara Street.
9. Santa Barbara Street Staircase
You’ll descend from the old town of Altea via this staircase with large steps. There’s a house worth paying attention to, the Cervantes House.
And at the end of the staircase, you’ll pass by another of Altea’s most beautiful viewpoints, ideal for resting a bit after a couple of hours of walking through the Altea old town.
10. Portal Nou
Before continuing down, you’ll pass by another entrance to the old city: Portal Nou or New Gate.
Then from here, continue downhill without stopping along L’Empedrat Street, with a steep slope, until you reach the route that crosses the city of Altea.
You’ll have two alternatives, one is to go left to return to the starting point, located just 200 meters away. The other option is to go straight towards Bol Beach and the Mediterranean Promenade.
Recommendations for the walk through Altea Old Town
How many hours does this walking itinerary take?
This tour of the main places in Altea’s old town can be done in a minimum of two hours at a good pace. It would be ideal to allocate a little more time to enjoy the place, beyond taking the typical photographs.
If you’re going to be in Altea for more than a day, throughout the article, we’ve suggested possible modifications to the itinerary to visit other nearby points of interest.
A good option to see the main attractions, beyond this itinerary, is to book a free tour with a guide. That way, you won’t have to worry about anything and you’ll visit the best of the town, learning some curiosities.
Is it suitable for everyone?
Altea’s old town has many slopes and stairs as it’s located on a hill, so, unfortunately, this route is not suitable for those with mobility disabilities or needing wheelchairs for movement. It’s also not suitable for strollers.
Anyway, if any of these is your case, there are many other beautiful things to see in Altea, for which we recommend you to read the post we wrote about it.
Hope you enjoyed this walking tour along Altea Old Town! If you have any questions or think I should add another place to this itinerary through Altea in one day, I encourage you to leave a comment. See you next time!
