Altea, a White Wonderland — A Delightful Artistic Getaway with a Blue-Roofed Church

Text and Photos /Yu Tian

A Spanish friend told me that his favorite Mediterranean town is Altea. The entire town is white, with ups and downs along the slopes—you can stroll up toward the hilltop. There’s an iconic building with a blue roof, and in the square by its entrance, many hipsters, artists, and designers set up stalls to sell their crafts in the evening. When I first arrived at the seaside of the small town of Altea, I naively thought it was within walking distance!

Before setting off, I was curious about how beautiful Altea was, as my friend had described. The night before, I went online and googled Altea, finding pictures of the blue-roofed building. It was truly stunning, and I looked forward eagerly to seeing the church with such a charming roof in person.

▲ Contours of a Dream (Painting: Yu Tian / Acrylic on Canvas)

As we were approaching Altea, I actually spotted the very same roof as in the photos—so happy it wasn’t hard to find. It was right there, on the hilltop to the left up ahead. I excitedly parked the car and started walking up toward the hilltop. Walking up the stone steps among the residences, which were all white-walled, was just gorgeous. I kept admiring how beautiful the streets were—it felt like being in Greece. Spaniards really know how to play with colors. Although the homes mostly have white exteriors, they add little touches of color, potted plants, wall ornaments, and tiles that always include some colorful details.

The whole way were the kinds of white houses my friend had mentioned—I must be on the right track. But the more I walked, the more forks in the road appeared, and there were no signs. The embarrassing part was that I only knew what the destination building looked like. With only 3G and no idea what to search for on the map, I originally thought I’d just keep heading up the mountain, and that would be it. I walked until I was tired, sat down halfway to rest, but still hadn’t seen the blue dome.

▲ Traditional flowerpots all feature hand-painted patterns. The flowerpots hanging on railings serve not only as decoration but also create a bit of privacy.

▲ Walking up the stone steps past white-walled residences, I couldn’t stop praising how beautiful the streets were—it felt like Greece.

▲ I’m lost… Left or right? I have no idea.

▲ Lost (Painting: Yu Tian / Acrylic on Canvas). Even while lost, I was amazed by the beauty of this white town.

I saw the blue roof—but why is it only edged in white? No lace edge? Not only did I misidentify it, but another group of passersby also walked up to it. This blue-domed church in Altea is a major landmark, so this one is just a private residence built to look very similar. The town’s signs even use a painted version of this church as their logo. Following the signs is too misleading!

I got back in the car, used 3G to look up the name of the blue-roofed building on Wikipedia—“La Mare de Déu del Consol.” I quickly entered it into the navigation. No more wasting time on wrong paths; driving is less tiring. After two wrong turns, I now roughly knew the direction. Deciding to head toward where I had seen the church earlier, I drove while holding the picture and asking for directions. Finally, I followed the right car and found “La Mare de Déu del Consol”!

▲ The path to the church is lined with small white buildings—shops and restaurants. Though the road is narrow, many restaurants have outdoor seating, making it really pleasant to dine here.

▲ Finally, I saw the round blue roof, resembling delicate white lace. What an adorable church.

▲ The crafts sold by vendors in the church square all have their own unique character, and many make use of the square to add stylish outdoor seating. On the square’s stepped seating, I took a break when tired. The elderly man next to me immediately stood up and left...

▲ There’s a viewing platform on the square with an amazing vantage point to admire the Mediterranean scenery.

▲ My favorite is this rooftop restaurant—so cute. You really do dine on the roof.

▲ The alleys around the square have small shops worth slowly exploring—you could wander for an entire afternoon.

The square gathers hipster designers selling clothes, accessories, and handicrafts—all unique handmade items with distinct personal styles. The stepped alleys leading out from the square are full of hidden gems in small shops, offering a dazzling variety of items. With their clever designs and unique cultural flair, you could walk, shop, and eat here from afternoon till after dinner before heading home. Don’t forget to check out the viewing stand at dusk to see the colorful sunset—the sky changes in the most vibrant ways in Spain!

The author of this piece, Yu Tian, is a European travel expert and an art-loving painter. She holds an intermediate WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) certification, graduated from Taiwan Tech’s Department of Industrial Design, and earned an MBA from Brunel University London. She previously taught at Fuhsing Arts School. She worked in marketing at agnis.b in the UK, lived in London for three years, spent a year studying and writing in Spain, returned to Taiwan in 2012, and currently works as a consultant in European trade and marketing management in addition to her creative work. She has published books such as "Yu Tian’s Private Spain" and "Mediterranean Road Diary."

For detailed travel content, please refer to the book 【Mediterranean Road Diary】.
http://www.books.com.tw/products/0010655187
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