Altea
The town of Altea is situated in the Alicante region of the “Marina Baixa” and forms part of the area known as the “Costa Blanca”. Altea overlooks a bay of the same name which opens its arms wide to the Meditteranean. The “Sierra Bernia” arises in the north, its hard-edged profile reaches 1.129m at its highest point. Altea is a protegée of this mountain. It acts as a shield of solid rock, preventing cold winds and exterior influence to penetrate into the bay, thus creating a magical micro-climate.
The maze of cobbled narrow and crooked streets with glimpses of the bay is one of the better features of the town. Other sights include the church of La Mare de Déu del Consol (“Our Lady of Solace”), easily identifiable by its picturesque blue and white domes, tiled with glazed ceramics. There are numerous quaint restaurants near the church, some with a view over the Mediterranean.
Situated at the foot of the Sierra Bernia, beside the estuary of the River algar, the history of Altea has been marked by the presence of many civilisations: iberians, Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans and Arabs all left their mark and influence here. Apparently the name of ALTEA comes from the Greek name ALTHAIA which means “I Cure” and from the River algar which means ” River of Health”.