Situated in the Spanish Costa Blanca, in between Valencia and Alicante, lies Altea, the village of artists and fishermen. This town in Alicante, a province in the south-eastern region of Spain borders the Mediterranean Sea and lies approximately 50 kilometres northeast of the city of Alicante and 130 kilometres south of Valencia. Altea offers a variety of residential areas where you can find luxurious holiday rental villas, houses, homes and holiday rental apartments.
Altea, with almost 20.000 inhabitants, stretches a surface of 34.4 square kilometres and is built on a hill of the Costa Blanca. The fabulous basilica with its resplendent blue domes, graciously crowns the top of the mountain. Built onto the hillside, the old town centre with its many narrow streets and alleys, has become home to many an artist and contains many cosy, characteristic restaurants and bistros.
Tourism, having increased significantly on the Costa Blanca from the 1950s onward because of Alteas Mediterranean climate, child-friendly beaches, and characteristic downtown area, is a main means of livelihood for the town and its people.
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Alteas history goes back many centuries and is characterised by the manifold civilisations that have passed Altea on their way along the course of time. Iberians, Fenicians, Muslims, Greeks, and Romans have all left their marks.
It appears that the name Altea is also of Greek origin, as it is thought to have come from the Greek word Altahia, meaning `I heal. Since the town is located at the mouth of the Algar river (meaning 'the river of health'), historians assume that in the old days Altea was a hamlet with strategic, medical, and beneficial value
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Cliffs and pebbled beaches vary each other along Alteas 6 kilometres long beach. Little bays and beaches follow in succession from the Barranco del Mascarat up to the pier marking the border with L'Alfs del Pi. Near the old town centre lies the Playa de la Roda beach, while the biggest beach, Cap Blanch, can be found a little further to the south, merging seamlessly with the Albir beach. Further north lies the Playa de Cap Negret beach, a pebble beach with at its end a small inlet with black rocks named Cala del Soio. Another beach favourite is L´Olla, situated right across from its namesake island. Altea's borders are marked by the mountain peak Mascarat and the Sierra de Bernia, where one will find inlets with small pebble beaches such as La Barreta, La Solsida, and La Galera
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Besides the previously mentioned church of Virgen del Consuelo with its magnificent blue domes, Altea offers a range of museums:
- Museo étnico de la Música (Ethnic museum of Music), with its collection of Carlos Blanco Fadol, is considered one of the worlds most important in its field. A fabulous concert hall offers a variety of drama and musical performances for your enjoyment.
- Museum Navarro Ramn
- Sala de Pinturas, the museum housing the art of painting
- Casa de Cultura, in which temporary collections are on display
In addition there are band competitions and festivals amongst which is the Vila d´Altea International Music Band Competition taking place in November or December and bringing together over 500 musicians.
A major fireworks display supported by a smashing show of sights and sounds takes place in the night of the second Saturday of August.
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Seaside restaurants always offer fish and shellfish on their menus. The countless (fish)restaurants in the harbour serve the most delicious local specialities on offer: Dorade, Lubina a la Sal (in a crust of salt) or grilled with a nip of olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice.
The cuisine the Costa Blanca also includes honey-sweet deserts, such as nougat and ice cream from Xixona, grapes, raisins, dates, almond pie, pastry drenched in sweet syrup accompanied by coffee licor from Alcoy and herb licor from the Sierra Mariola. The premium red, light red, and ros wines originate from the Alto Vinalop and Marina Alta districts
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