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ARCHIVED - 5 best towns and villages to visit in Alicante
Alicante province is home to 141 municipalities, and here are five of the most charming and picturesque
Considered one of the most beautiful provinces in Spain, Alicante is a hugely popular destination with tourists, offering 244km of stunning coastline and a wealth of quaint, traditional and bustling towns and villages.
Located in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, being the southernmost province in the Valencia region, Alicante has 141 municipalities, 26 of which have more than 20,000 inhabitants.
Here are a handful of the province’s jewels that are truly worth a visit.
1. Calpe
Located on the north coast of the province of Alicante, in the Marina Alta area, Calpe is famous for its emblematic Peñón de Ifach, an enormous rock over 300 metres high declared a natural park in 1987.
The coastal town has become synonymous with seasonal and residential tourism in the Costa Blanca and is among the most attractive in south-eastern Spain. It’s also home to around 1,670 expats.
Alongside numerous beaches, such as the Playa del Arenal, the old town centre of Calpe retains a charming atmosphere, with narrow streets and staircases.
2. Altea
Characterised by its white houses and natural quaintness thanks to its traditional buildings and homes, Altea in the Marina Baixa area of the province offers a fantastic opportunity to experience the delights of an authentic Mediterranean coastal town, with incredible restaurants, beautiful beaches, lined with chiringuitos (Spanish beach bars), a bustling port and cobbled streets. And a stroll up the steep streets leading to a church provides breathtaking views over the town.
3. Denia
Denia is the capital of the Marina Alta and home to around 45,000 people, 900 of them expats who have understandably chosen to settle in the coastal town which boasts 20 km of fine, sandy beaches and the clearest water on the Costa Blanca.
Denia is also “extremely environmentally rich” and home to the Montgó Natural Park, which has made the town a tourist reference point in the Spanish Levante region. It’s coastline is an extremely popular destination for scuba divers (although permission to dive is required), and for animal lovers hoping to catch a glimpse of migrating whales and dolphins.
4. Guadalest
This very pretty and historic small town which sits on the top of a mountain is undoubtedly best known for its impressive ancient castle, Castell de Guadalest, which can only be accessed by walking through a 15-foot-long cobbled tunnel carved out of the rock, known as the Portal de San Jose. Visitors are then treated to amazing panoramic views as they stroll past old village houses, a school and railhouse, transported back to ancient times.
Guadalest, 22km from Benidorm, is also renowned for its white bell tower of Penon de la Alcala, which rises up seemingly precariously perched on the mountainside, and to the right of the town is the Embalse de Guadalest (dam and reservoir), built between 1953 and 1963.
5. Villajoyosa
Villajoyosa, the capital of the Marina Baixa area, is an old fishing village, characterised by its colourful and picturesque houses. The historical-artistic old town, which is a Site of Cultural Interest, is popular with tourists looking for a more relaxed experience.
A walk through the streets offers a chance to visit the Catalan Gothic-style Nuestra Señora de la Asunción church, one of only three church fortresses in Alicante province, as well as the Torre de Sant Josep, the largest of the three best-preserved Roman funerary towers in Spain; and the 16th century Watch Towers. Foodies will not want to miss out on a visit to Villajoyosa to sample its gastronomical delights including red prawns, cuttlefish, crayfish and tuna.
Images: Turismo Denia/Ayuntamiento de Calpe/Ayuntamento de Guadalest/Comunitat Valenciana
