Roaming Rogue

One of my days in Costa Blanca was filled with trains- nearly four hours of them! I don’t know that I would do it again in a single day (the train back to Alicante felt like it took FOREVER and I was sweaty from the beach), but I highly recommend one of the cities I visited, Altea. I would just recommend more time. 

I started the day off bright and early to catch a 7am train from Alicante to Altea. The train was pretty empty, which was nice. It ran right along the coast, so I had views of the Mediterranean for a portion of the ride. About an hour and half into the journey, I had to take a transfer to a new train at Benidorm. It was thankfully easy. The train station is very small, so the transfer was just the next platform over. 

I arrived in Altea about fifteen minutes after the transfer. I did not have breakfast before the train, so I stopped at a restaurant on the beach and had an espresso and some bread with jam. The city itself is just over 20,000 people, but at least while I was there, the city center was very quiet and sleepy. The beach was incredibly peaceful, the crash of the waves on the white pebbly beach and the chirping of birds filling the air. I could have spent all afternoon there, but I had a packed agenda for the day, so it was onto my next stop. 

I headed up to the old town which rests on a hill overlooking the city. The old town is known for its bleached white buildings and beautiful white church with bright blue ceramic roof. Photos I had seen online were the reason I put this small city on my list of places to visit on my sabbatical. Walking through the town transports you to one of the Greek islands, without the annoying tourist shops lining the streets. The views are spectacular, with panoramic sights of the nearby mountains, white buildings, and aqua colored sea. I could have spent hours on a bench enjoying the view. 

Once I was near the top of the old town, I visited the famous Catholic church, La Mare de Deu del Consol. It was only recently built in the 1900s (I say recently because many of the churches I’ve seen on this trip date back to the sixteenth and seventeenth century), but its contrasting colors is what draws tourists to this city. Stepping inside, I was surprised the interior was not nearly as drab as similar churches. 

After the church, I walked around a bit more and then made my way back to the train station. The trains back to Benidorm only run every hour, so I had to be diligent about timing. After a group of unhelpful Irish men told me and another lady the wrong direction of the train, I made my way back to Benidorm and  departed the train there. 

Benidorm was the second city on my stop for the day. It was not originally on my plans, and honestly I had never heard of it before; however, in doing some research, I came across photos of the skyline and beaches and was intrigued. It is known as Spain’s Manhattan. Surprisingly, it has the third most skyscrapers in Europe, behind London and Milan. There are over 300 high rises in Benidorm. Just under 70,000 people live there, but the city gets over 2.5 million visitors a year. I had to see what the fuss was about. 

In all of my reading about Benidorm, a viewpoint in the center of the city was recommended as a must see, called Balco del Mediterrani. The advice was not wrong- it offers sweeping views of the city skyline and seemingly endless beaches. It was quite incredible to see. Many of the buildings remind me of something you’d see in Dubai (Google “Intempo Building”) which I did not expect. It was pretty cool. 

Leaving the viewpoint, I walked around the old section of the city. The vibes are really strange. It reminded me of Florida if you picked it up, dropped it in Europe, and made it 100% Spanish. There were a  huge number of what seemed like retirees (mostly old men) who walked around shirtless everywhere and I feel like just kept patting their bellies. Every corner you turned, you ran into go carts or scooters. Apart from that, it was a lot of drunk bachelor parties. Everyone seemed in good spirits but it seemed like the main reason to go was to party. 

I had a quick lunch and then went to the beach for a bit. After I felt toasted, it was time to head back to Alicante to freshen up and make it in time for a dinner reservation. The train back was hell. It was nearly a two hour ride and I was all nice and sweaty after laying out for a few hours. A woman with broad shoulders sat next to me and I was jammed against the window. Not the most pleasurable experience. 

Overall, I absolutely loved Altea and would recommend a visit. If you plan to go, I’d make a full day of it or plan to spend the night. It seemed too nice to rush through. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Benidorm, though I could see the appeal if you want to have a good time and go to great beaches. Or pick up an older man.