Altea is a picturesque town located close to Benidorm in Spain, although it has almost the opposite atmosphere. Rather than being a hot spot for nightlife, Altea is a thoughtful and relaxing location. You’ll still find bars to visit and culinary excellence, but this town situation running down a cliff to the coast is a better place for seeing the culture Spain and the relaxing way of life.
Looking at Altea from the cost, it is easy to see why it is such a special town. The church is located on top of the large cliff; from which you’ll enjoy some breath-taking views. As the rest of the historic settlement surrounds this building, you get the sense of how the building was the centre of the community in the town’s past.
The culmination of this way of life is the frequent festivals held in the city.
The L’Abert
The L’Abert is a unique tradition to Altea. It is one of the few places you’ll find which has residents that still uphold these unique local rituals.
In accordance with their old ways, residents meet during the fiestas of San Juan. An ancient tree is carried from the base of the town up to the clifftop by the Church. It is planted here, with the assistance of some topes from the church building itself. This makes the churchyard a permanent reminder of the event you experienced. It is a magical process that you’ll want to return to watch every time.
Other festivals
While the L’Abert is something really unique, Altea takes the same interesting approach to more widely celebrated festivals too. If you manage to time your visit right, you can join in with their celebrations of the Moors and Christians, Holy Week, the Castell de l’Olla, and the night of San Juan.
While proceedings vary depending on the festival, each is a village-wide celebration. You may not get the scale of celebrations that you’ll find in a big city. However, spending these special times in Altea lets you see how an authentic Spanish village celebrates the big occasions in Spanish cultural life.
Living in Altea
Altea might offer special events at certain times of the year, but the town itself is worth visiting year-round. The medieval buildings are fantastic to walk around; the entire town can give you the type of idyllic experience that you’ll struggle to find at the more tourist-focused destinations.
If you are looking for a beautiful property for sale in Altea it will allow you to visit these festivals every year if you want to. Although most of the town is built on the hill, the amount of property for sale in Altea will give you lots of choice of whereabouts you’d want to set up shop or buy a holiday home. While the L’Abret and fiestas De Moros y Cristianos are major draws, the celebrations for the Holy Week in Altea aren’t to be missed either.
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