Da vedere nei dintorni Comunità Valenciana

The old town of Altea remains one of the most beautiful in the Valencia region. Cobbled streets and the many white-washed, 18th century houses are now home to craft workshops, shops, galleries and restaurants, all exuding an indisputable charm. Enter this part of the city through the old gate, an arch inserted into the original medieval wall. During your stroll around the town stop to admire the Church of Our Lady of Consolation, one of the city's major buildings with its striking blue-tiled dome.

At the top of Cerro Canfali in Benidorm, the Balcony of the Mediterranean, a splendid belvedere, provides a superb panorama over the sea. During the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the fortress served as a defence against incursions from Algerian and Berber pirates. It stands atop the great rock that separates the two main beaches, Levante and Poniente.

Over the centuries, the town of Calpe has passed through many different hands: Iberians, Phoenicians, and Romans, for starters. The town grew around the Peñón de Ifach. This is a fortified complex dating from the 15th century which protects the old town. You can see parts of the medieval fortified wall as well as the Peça Tower. Don't miss the parish church, the only existing church in the gothic-mudejar style in the Valencia region.

The Salt flats of Calpe are a naturally wet space. They are made up of a lagoon created by a double tongue of sand. The location of the Rock of Ifach, right nearby, played a decisive role in the formation of this area.
For a long time, this natural space remained an economic resource for the city because of the salt: it was used to store fish that was then offered for sale.
Today, the salt flats are a land-based maritime zone. In particular, it is home to many species of birds, especially the pink flamingo.

Especially popular for its vast coastline, Jávea (or Xàbia in Valencian) is a city which also contains a number of interesting monuments. The fortress church of San Bartolomé, for example, is a beautiful Isabelline building. Walking around the old town is a great way to discover its many buildings with their traditional architecture. Another curiosity: the Church of Nuestra Señora de Loreto, shaped like the keel of a boat.
And to learn all about the origins of the city, a visit to the archaeological and ethnographic museum is a must.