Thursday Doors: Altea
Posted on: May 1, 2025
- In: Doors | Spain | Travel
- 104 Comments
One of my favourite spots on the Costa Blanca in Spain is Altea, a charming fishing village north of Alicante with a blue-domed church overlooking the harbour.
A close-up of Our Lady of Solace, with its picturesque blue and white domes, tiled with glazed ceramics.
The front door of the church, Our Lady of Solace.
The church square with cafes and outdoor seating
It’s fun to take a stroll through the picturesque maze of steep medieval cobblestone streets lined with shops
I love the whitewashed houses with blue doors.
A stepped street going up to the church. I find the wrought iron window coverings appealing.
An enclosed yard with a rooster on guard
The promenade along the waterfront is lined with fabulous restaurants and comfortable outdoor seating overlooking the Mediterranean.
My favourite is the Opera. We eat here every time we visit. They have the best salads! I wrote about it here.
A great view of the Mediterranean, looking over the clay-shingled roofs. I just love this place.
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104 Responses to "Thursday Doors: Altea"
May 1, 2025 at 10:28 pm
Such a beautiful and lovely place Darlene.😍
May 1, 2025 at 10:38 pm
It is, Arlene. One of my favourites.
May 1, 2025 at 10:44 pm
At the start of the post, I was about to say, there’s that Mediterranean look, not having read yet that it is truly Mediterranean.😍
May 1, 2025 at 11:47 pm
Altea is gorgeous! Great photo and descriptions, Darlene!
May 1, 2025 at 11:53 pm
What a lovely city, Darlene. There is something so attractive about bright blue doors on a while house. Also, the bright blue sea in the distance and the blue domes of the church. I can see why you love it there. I can’t get over the patterns in the lanes. Thanks for sharing these photos.
May 2, 2025 at 2:53 am
The blue certainly makes a splash. You can see the domes from quite a distance too.
May 2, 2025 at 12:17 am
Love the images, and the look of the town…curious: do they dislike tourists as much as some of the larger cities in Spain? We love exploring a country, but sad to see locals abusing them…I understand the issues involved, and would hope that something is done to curb short and long term local house rentals, which are what drives up prices, NOT hotel stays.
May 2, 2025 at 2:56 am
The smaller towns and villages do not dislike tourists. Without them, they would be ghost towns.
May 2, 2025 at 3:37 am
Good to know, and again, the issue is rising prices for housing due to the market being used for air b’n’b’s….there are ways to address it without spraying tourists with water guns
May 2, 2025 at 12:22 am
Lovely doors as usual.
May 2, 2025 at 2:56 am
Thanks, Jacqui. I thought I should share the doors and windows of my favourite town.
May 2, 2025 at 12:22 am
Every picture is just beautiful, Darlene! I’m in awe of the blue tiles on the church towers, and oh my goodness… that VIEW of the ocean!!!
May 2, 2025 at 3:09 am
The sea view is amazing and the water is always that brilliant blue. Thanks for commenting Terrie!
May 2, 2025 at 1:14 am
It looks charming, maybe we’ll see it on our next trip to Spain 😊 Maggie
May 2, 2025 at 1:48 am
Looks lovely. I remember villages like this on previous visits to Spain, and also the heat!
May 2, 2025 at 3:12 am
It does get very hot from mid June to mid September and I always caution people not to come during that time. All other times it is quite pleasant and actually chilly in the winter months. But just about always sunny! I love all the fishing villages but this one is my favourite.
May 2, 2025 at 2:45 am
Lovely spot with even lovelier doors
May 2, 2025 at 3:49 am
I love that they kept the old part of town intact and didn’t try to modernize it.
May 2, 2025 at 2:51 am
Gorgeous, gorgeous! 🥰
May 2, 2025 at 3:27 am
I love the whitewashed houses with the blue doors too. So beautiful!
May 2, 2025 at 3:29 am
So white! Beautiful😊
May 2, 2025 at 3:51 am
We have been there many times over the past fifteen years and never tire of it!
May 2, 2025 at 4:00 am
I love all of these photos! Everything looks so clean and pristine! But those cobblestone walkways!! Love them! Thanks for sharing, Darlene!
May 2, 2025 at 4:02 am
I too love the Moorish designs on the walkways! Glad you enjoyed the pictures.
May 2, 2025 at 5:39 am
What a charming place. I love the white buildings, the tiled roofs, the iron balconies, the tile streets, and the blue-domed church. Spain seems to have a lot of blue-domed churches. Very eye-catching!
May 2, 2025 at 8:33 pm
The blue domes glisten in the sun and you can see them miles away. I to love them.
May 2, 2025 at 7:56 am
I love the blue-domes and that blue, blue Mediterranean!
May 2, 2025 at 12:27 pm
Thank you for featuring such a charming fishing village, Darlene!
May 2, 2025 at 5:53 pm
Great photos, Darlene. I love Altea too as it is such a charming little seaside town.
May 2, 2025 at 8:26 pm
We went there for lunch one day, didn’t we. A great day out it was too.
May 3, 2025 at 2:10 am
Those cobblestone streets are amazing! Thank you for sharing this incredible place, Darlene!
May 3, 2025 at 2:17 am
I love the Moorish designs on the streets. Glad you enjoyed the visit.
May 3, 2025 at 3:48 am
Amazing in so many ways, Darlene! Thanks for the tour! ❤️
May 3, 2025 at 3:51 am
You would love this place, Lauren. It would inspire your poetry!
May 3, 2025 at 3:53 am
I have no doubt, Darlene, and my bucket list is growing! 🥰
May 3, 2025 at 5:52 am
Lovely. A little reminiscent of the Greek islands, but a different version of Christianity, of course. The sea looks beautiful.
May 3, 2025 at 12:08 pm
I really do like the way the blue stands out with the whitewashed buildings – excellent post of dooors and the sea and love those domes
May 3, 2025 at 10:37 pm
The expanse of white buildings and patterned cobblestone streets and stairs are so beautiful!
May 4, 2025 at 8:46 am
So charming! I love the white washed buildings building’s, Darlene! 🙏🩷
May 4, 2025 at 4:41 pm
The white washed buildings certainly stand out as they glisten in the sun.
May 4, 2025 at 11:50 am
Altea looks like a lovely town to explore and enjoy. The white and blue houses are reminiscent of Greece.
May 4, 2025 at 4:43 pm
It is such a sweet place (if you can handle steep streets) Even just sitting and enjoying a coffee overlooking the Med is good for your soul.
May 4, 2025 at 12:27 pm
So beautiful! Reminds me of Portugal with its gorgeous roads designs and views! Thanks for sharing!
May 4, 2025 at 11:21 pm
Darlene, such beautiful photos of Altea. It feels as if I were in an art gallery and could sit with a cup of coffee to take it all in. So scenic and gorgeous. Lucky you! oxox
May 5, 2025 at 12:18 am
Visiting Altea is like being in an art gallery. Thanks so much. I’m delighted you enjoyed these pictures.
May 6, 2025 at 12:10 am
I love art galleries too. Did you lose power when portions of Spain and Portugal did? Have a good week. oxox
May 7, 2025 at 1:03 am
No, 7 hours was not long enough to thaw things out. The ice cream was a bit soft but we managed to eat it. The milk still felt cold. I lived without electricity for the first ten years of my life. This was no big deal. xo
May 5, 2025 at 6:29 am
I love those all the white houses and interesting little passage ways.
May 5, 2025 at 12:00 pm
Darlene, Altea looks like a lovely town. I’ll keep it in mind for places to visit next in Spain. Thank you for the tour and photos.
May 5, 2025 at 4:47 pm
There are some very nice places between Alicante and Valencia. You would enjoy them.
May 6, 2025 at 12:28 am
What an amazing town. I love these pictures. Reminds me of Tivoli when we went there last year — not the same decor, but just the intimateness of the neighborhood. Living in countryside Wisconsin, having moved from cityish Chicago, it’s a breath of fresh air.
May 6, 2025 at 12:40 am
I am delighted that you enjoyed these pictures. We enjoy living in our small beach town after living in Vancouver, BC so I know what you mean.
May 6, 2025 at 12:25 pm
I love your pics Darlene and disappearing and pretending to be there. I love the architecture. I will get there! ❤
May 6, 2025 at 4:21 pm
What a lovely tour of Altea! The charm of the whitewashed houses, blue doors, and those steep cobblestone streets really comes through in your words and photos. The blue-domed church is such an iconic centerpiece—so striking against the Mediterranean backdrop. And I love the little details you’ve captured, like the wrought iron windows and that proud rooster standing guard! Thanks for sharing a slice of this enchanting village—it’s definitely going on my travel list now.
May 7, 2025 at 4:17 am
Beautiful place, Darlene. I also love the blue doors against the whitewashed walls.
Whitewash reminds me of my grandparents’ house from many years ago. We don’t see too many whitewashed walls around here anymore.
May 7, 2025 at 4:26 am
Thanks, Gloria. There is something about whitewashed houses. They are still popular in Spain.
May 7, 2025 at 7:35 am
What a lovely town, and just look at that blue ocean in the background. Thanks for sharing the photos, Darlene!
May 7, 2025 at 4:54 pm
A lovely seaside town that has kept its charm. (no awful high rises and tacky shops)
May 12, 2025 at 2:04 am
The village does look very charming. Love all the white buildings with pops of blue from the doors, water and sky. Great set of shots.
May 12, 2025 at 11:05 am
Wow, it’s so picturesque — and clean looking. Thanks for this tour. Hugs.
May 12, 2025 at 4:57 pm
It is very clean. They must white wash their houses every year. Glad you enjoyed the tour.
May 18, 2025 at 3:31 am
Love this post! I thought I had left a comment earlier, but apparently not! Stunning captures of a stunning city! Love it!
May 18, 2025 at 9:28 pm
What a beautiful town, Darlene. If I ever get to visit Spain, I will have to get you to plan my Itinerary. 😁
May 18, 2025 at 10:43 pm
There are so many lovely little places in Spain. I do hope you get to visit one day. In the meantime you can travel with me on my blog! xo
Darlene Foster's Blog 
May 1, 2025 at 10:08 pm
Thanks for taking us on your adventure, Darlene 🩵🦋
May 1, 2025 at 10:18 pm
There are so many wonderful places not that far from us. Altea is only about 1.5 hours away. A nice drive for lunch on a sunny day.
May 2, 2025 at 4:47 am
💓🌈