The Best Day Trips from Altea: 10 Essential Excursions on the Costa Blanca

Altea is one of those rare places you could happily never leave — but after a few days gazing at that blue-domed church and watching the sea change colour at sunset, you start wondering what else the Costa Blanca has to offer within an easy drive. Having spent ten years living here, I can tell you: quite a lot. The best day trips from Altea range from dramatic mountain villages to buzzing city markets, from hidden coves to UNESCO-listed landscapes — and most are within 90 minutes of your front door.

September is actually the perfect month to explore. The summer crowds have thinned, temperatures are a very manageable 26–28°C, and everywhere from Guadalest to Dénia has that golden, unhurried quality that makes you want to linger over a late lunch. Here's my personal shortlist.

1. Guadalest — 35 Minutes Inland

If you only do one day trip from Altea, make it Guadalest. This fortified mountain village sits on a rocky spike above a turquoise reservoir and looks almost too dramatic to be real. In July and August it heaves with tourists; in September, you can actually hear your own footsteps on the cobblestones. Walk up through the castle gate (carved into the rock itself), peer down at the Embalse de Guadalest, and visit the surprisingly good municipal museum. Budget €3–5 for entry to the castle complex. Stop at one of the honey and almond stalls on the way back — the local turron is exceptional and you can buy it vacuum-packed to take home.

Practical tip: Leave before 10am to beat the tour buses. Free parking just below the village entrance.

2. Dénia — 45 Minutes North

Dénia has everything: a proper working fishing port, a 12th-century Moorish castle overlooking the town, excellent tapas bars in the old quarter, and Las Rotas — a series of rocky coves with some of the clearest water on the coast. It's also the departure point for ferries to Ibiza and Formentera if you fancy a spontaneous island detour. The Tuesday and Saturday market is one of the best on the Costa Blanca for fresh produce, leather goods and ceramics. Park near the port and walk everywhere.

3. Calpe & the Peñón de Ifach — 20 Minutes South

You can see the Peñón de Ifach — Calpe's extraordinary 332-metre limestone monolith — from the beach in Altea on a clear day. Up close, it's even more impressive. The hike to the summit takes about two hours return and involves a short tunnel through the rock face; the views from the top stretch to Ibiza on clear autumn days. Calpe's fish market (lonja) operates Tuesday to Saturday mornings and you can often watch the boats unload. The old town is small but charming, and the seafront promenade lined with chiringuitos is perfect for a post-hike beer.

4. Polop de la Marina — 20 Minutes West

Most visitors drive straight past Polop on the way to Guadalest, and that's a shame. This tiny hilltop village has a beautiful old font (fountain) with 221 spouts — each representing a family that originally settled the village — and views across the Guadalest valley that are genuinely jaw-dropping. There are only a handful of restaurants but the food is honest and cheap. Park outside the village and walk in; the streets are impossibly narrow.

5. Villajoyosa (La Vila Joiosa) — 20 Minutes South

Villajoyosa is famous for two things: its brightly painted fishermen's houses along the seafront (best photographed from the road just north of town) and its chocolate. The Valor chocolate factory offers guided tours and a tasting room — book ahead in September as they're popular. The Thursday market in the old town is excellent, and the beach, Playa del Paraíso, is sandier and less crowded than many on this stretch of coast.

6. Benidorm — 25 Minutes South

I know, I know — but hear me out. Whatever you think of Benidorm from a distance, it earns your respect up close. The old town (Casco Antiguo) is genuinely lovely, with a mirador offering one of the best coastal panoramas on the entire Costa Blanca. Levante and Poniente beaches are world-class stretches of sand. In September, the hordes have thinned considerably and you can actually enjoy the place. We've written a full Altea vs Benidorm comparison if you want to dig deeper.

7. Jávea (Xàbia) — 55 Minutes North

Jávea is perhaps the most complete package on the Costa Blanca: a charming Gothic old town set a kilometre back from the sea, a working port with excellent fish restaurants, and a string of beaches and coves including the famous Cala del Portitxol. Cap de la Nau — Jávea's dramatic headland — offers vertiginous sea views and short walking trails. In September, the tourist season is winding down and the town reverts to something close to its authentic self.

8. Alcoy (Alcoi) — 50 Minutes West

For something completely different, head inland to Alcoy — an industrial city in a spectacular mountain gorge that most tourists completely ignore. The Moros y Cristianos festival here (late April) is one of the most extraordinary in Spain, but in September it's just a city quietly going about its business, with a fine Art Nouveau building stock, a good municipal museum, and some seriously underrated restaurants. The drive through the mountains via the AP-7 and then the N-340 is beautiful.

9. Penyal d'Ifac Natural Park by Boat — From Altea Port

Several local operators run boat trips from Altea's marina up the coast to the Peñón de Ifach, with swimming stops in otherwise inaccessible coves along the way. This is genuinely one of my favourite ways to spend a September day — the sea is still warm (23–24°C), the light is magical in the afternoon, and you see the coastline from an angle no road can replicate. Trips typically cost €35–50 per person and run 4–5 hours. Book at the marina or through your accommodation.

10. Alicante City — 1 Hour South

Alicante deserves more than an afternoon but even a day trip rewards. The Santa Bárbara Castle — one of the largest medieval fortresses in Europe — sits directly above the city and offers staggering views. The Explanada de España promenade, the MARQ archaeology museum, the central market, and the Barrio de Santa Cruz old quarter could fill two days without effort. The AP-7 motorway makes the 80km drive straightforward; alternatively, take the TRAM from Altea — it's slower but more scenic and costs around €5.

Where to Stay for the Perfect Altea Base

All of these day trips work best when you have a comfortable, well-located base to return to — somewhere with a terrace for that end-of-day glass of wine and easy parking for the car. A holiday rental in Altea gives you exactly that, and booking direct through JV Properties saves you up to 18% compared to Airbnb, with no hidden fees and a team that actually lives here and can give you real local advice.

Browse holiday rentals in Altea — September still has availability and prices are excellent compared to peak summer.

Whether you're using Altea as a quiet retreat or an active base for exploring the Costa Blanca, you'll find it sits at almost exactly the right point geographically: close enough to Benidorm for a night out, close enough to Jávea for a lazy beach day, and close enough to the mountains for a morning hike. It's the Costa Blanca in miniature — which is exactly why people keep coming back.