The 19-kilometre stretch of Mediterranean coastline between Benidorm and Altea has connected fishing villages and resort towns since Phoenician galleys first charted these waters.
Altea itself — perched on a hillside overlooking the Serra de Bernia mountain range — became a Moorish settlement in the 8th century, its name derived from the Arabic "Althaya," meaning health. By the 17th century, the town had grown around the blue-tiled dome of Nuestra Señora del Consuelo, a church whose cupola remains the visual anchor for every vessel approaching from the south.
The underwater vision boats departing Puerto de Benidorm trace a route that parallels the ancient coastal trade corridors. These glass-bottomed vessels, operating since the late 1990s, reveal the rocky seabed and Posidonia meadows that support the region's marine biodiversity. The 45-minute crossing passes the limestone cliffs of Sierra Helada Natural Park before rounding Punta de l'Albir, where the coastline shifts from high-rise towers to low-density villages. Altea's old quarter — Casco Antiguo — climbs steeply from the waterfront in a maze of whitewashed houses and cobblestone lanes, preserved under heritage protection since 1961.
Day trip excursions from Benidorm integrate Altea with inland destinations: Guadalest, a mountain village 25 kilometres north, and the Algar waterfalls, a spring-fed cascade system flowing year-round. These combined itineraries reflect the Costa Blanca's dual character — coastal and montane ecosystems separated by less than an hour's drive. The waterfalls, discovered by hikers in the 1960s, now draw visitors for their turquoise pools and native oleander groves. Guadalest, built into a rock face 595 metres above sea level, commands views across the Guadalest reservoir, a 13-million-cubic-metre supply completed in 1964.
Altea's economy shifted from fishing to arts and crafts in the 1960s, when European expatriates established galleries and workshops along Calle Mayor. Today the town supports 40 artist studios and a weekly artisan market beneath the palm-lined Paseo del Mediterráneo. The harbour accommodates recreational yachts and traditional llaüts, wooden fishing boats with origins in Catalan maritime tradition. Benidorm boat trips to Altea continue a pattern of coastal movement that predates modern tourism, linking settlements that have relied on the sea for transport, trade, and sustenance across two millennia.
9 hr
