Altea is a Valencian town and municipality located in the province of Altea, Spain, north of Benidorm on the section of Mediterranean coast called the Costa Blanca. It has an area of 34.4 km2 and, according to the 2002 census, a total population of 17,608 inhabitants.

At present, the economy of Altea is based on tourism, which started to grow in the 1950s because of its good weather, beaches and the beauty of its labyrinthine streets with whitewashed house-fronts. Altea is protected on the north by the bluffs of the Serra Bernia, creating an especially mild microclimate. Its seafront esplanade is planted with palms

source: wikipedia.org