Routes in Altea
BIC ROUTES
A nice way to get to know Altea is to forget the car and stroll leisurely through the town. This way you can get in direct contact with the place, discovering roundabouts, viewpoints and narrow streets.
To do this, you can follow one of the four signposted routes through the different historic quarters of Altea until you reach the Renaissance Bastion and Enclosure of Altea, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 2013.
Routes in Altea project CAMINS D’ALTEA
The rural landscape of Altea is the result of centuries of interaction between nature and human beings. Iberians, Romans and Andalusians have inhabited these lands for centuries, creating many of the elements of the landscape that have survived to the present day: paths, irrigation channels, mills, hermitages, threshing floors, vegetable gardens, terraces, …
Camins d’Altea is a project of five signposted routes that will allow you to enjoy and get to know better this rich rural landscape of Altea. On foot or by bicycle you will be able to visit hermitages, monumental trees, old flour mills, centenary irrigation channels, villas and farmhouses.
DISCOVER BERNIA
The first prehistoric settlers of the valley settled around this imposing massif with its sharp ridge. Walking its paths means entering an environment with more than 6,000 years of history, where you will walk along ancient cobbled paths used since the Neolithic and scenes of bandit legends.
Through interesting hiking trails such as the Camí de les Revoltes and the circular de Bernia (PR-CV 7) or the Camí de la Cova de la Serp (PR-CV 436), you will be able to know the variety of ecosystems that The mountain range houses, in addition to visiting such characteristic points as the Renaissance fortress of Fort de Bèrnia, the cave paintings of La Penya de l’Ermita del Vicari (UNESCO heritage) or the Forat (karst cave that crosses the mountain range).
ALGAR, SOURCE OF LIFE
400 years ago, the river Algar was the key to the development of agriculture thanks to the supply of the extensive network of irrigation channels that run through the Algarve countryside.
Nowadays, the mouth of the river Algar stands out as a natural area of great environmental value with birds as protagonists. The scarcity of wetlands in the area makes its mouth an area of special importance for migratory birds. Here you can observe a large number of species such as grey herons, coots, egrets, swallows and the multicoloured kingfisher.
There is a path that runs along its banks where you will find interpretative signage about its fauna and flora. There are also observation points.
GEOLOGICAL ITINERARIES
Volcanic outcrop and fossil beach of Cap Negret
The Cap Negret complex and its surroundings are of great geological value, as it is, together with the Columbretes Islands and the Cofrentes volcano, one of the three volcanic landscapes in Valencia.
The dark volcanic rocks that give it its name correspond to the neck of an ancient submarine volcano that erupted some 220 million years ago, at the beginning of the separation of the continents. Nearby we find a fossil beach, where the high presence of fossilised molluscs reveals the existence of a tropical climate some 100,000 years ago.
In 2020 the volcanic outcrop and the fossil beach of Cap Negret were declared a Natural Monument for their scientific, cultural and scenic interest.
The Mascarat geological path
The Bernia and Toix mountain ranges form an enormous natural border between the Les Marines region. Along its 12 km length, the sharp chalk of Bernia keeps its constant course perpendicular to the coast.
Interrupted only by the Strait of Mascarat, until submerged in the Mediterranean through the spectacular cliffs of the Morro de Toix. Likewise, the complex set of faults of the Mascarat, together with the action of erosive processes over thousands of years, offer us an abrupt relief and a geological landscape of imposing beauty that are well worth a visit.
CYCLE TOURING IN ALTEA
Altea: cycling paradise bathed by the Mediterranean! An idyllic location for cycling enthusiasts and every year it welcomes thousands of bike lovers looking to enjoy a dream holiday on the Costa Blanca.
If you choose this beautiful Cycling Friendly destination, you will ride along trails and roads that will require you to do your best on your bike, so don’t be overconfident.
ENJOY THE BAY
The sea offers an unbeatable setting for water sports, both on the surface and on the seabed, protected by the Serra Gelada Natural Park, with different routes for snorkelling and scuba diving.
