The best dog-friendly hikes and walks around Central

The Origin of the Continents Besides the beauty of Cap Negret's landscape, this enclave has significant geological significance. Along with the Columbretes and Cofrents Islands, Cap Negret is one of three volcanic landscapes in the Valencian Community. These volcanic rocks, which give the area its name, belong to the neck of an ancient submarine volcano that erupted some 220 million years ago. At that time, the Earth still consisted of a single supercontinent, Pangaea, but it then began to fracture in a tectonic process that would lead to the formation of the present-day continents. These enormous fractures released large quantities of magma, and this volcanic outcrop is a beautiful testament to the beginning of that rifting. During this process, the African and Eurasian plates enclosed part of the ancient Tethys Sea to form the Mediterranean Sea. The fluctuations in the water level have remained constant throughout the area's existence. Evidence of this is the Tyrrhenian fossil beach, approximately 100,000 years old and located north and south of the harbor. These highly fossilized marine deposits exhibit an extraordinary wealth of fossil species, and in particular, the highest concentration of specimens of the gastropod mollusk species Strombus bubonius found anywhere on the peninsula's coastline. The presence of these fossils, characteristic of warmer climates, indicates that sea temperatures, and thus global temperatures, were higher than they are now, which also meant higher sea levels due to melting ice. The geological transformation of the area continues today with marine erosion, which is gradually eroding the coastline.

Búnquer de la Platja de l'Olla On the beaches of L'Olla and Cap Negret in Altea are located the last two remaining machine gun bunkers in Altea. These bunkers, built in 1937 by the Republican Army during the Spanish Civil War, are an important part of the region's history and a tourist attraction for visitors. Originally, up to 8 of these bunkers were built, designed to protect the entire coast of Altea (beaches of L'Albir, Altea, and Mascarat) from possible sea attacks by fascist allies, whether Spanish, Italian, or German. According to anecdote, they were never used and were simply abandoned. In military terminology, this type of defensive installation is called a casemate. They were built of concrete, and some of them were the work of Mateu Signes, a builder from Altea. The dimensions of these machine gun nests are 5 m long and 4 m wide. The height of the bunkers is 1.85 m, with walls about 70 cm wide, although there are differences between individual bunkers. Inside the bunkers, the machine guns (which were never installed) protrude through windows or loopholes. With the restoration of the bunkers on the beach of Altea, there are already many historical monuments that the Altea City Council has valued and restored in recent years, such as the Molí dels Moros, the old washhouse of Altea, the Portal Nou, or the Municipal Historical Archive.

Right along the promenade...

Fantastically beautiful there, a place to linger, with benches and a great view of the rocky coast. Many cyclists take a break here. Very close to the harbor, so you can drive from there via the parking lot along the harbor wall or directly to the harbor basin.

Small (rocky) island off the coast of Altea or in the Bahia de Altea. The path there runs directly by the sea. It's worth it!

It is fantastically beautiful there, a place to linger, with benches and a great view of the rocky coast. Many cyclists take a break here. Very close to the harbor, so that from there you can cycle along the harbor wall via the parking lot or directly along the harbor basin. Illeta dels Banyets is the name given to the offshore "old" peninsula, which was separated from the mainland by an earthquake in earlier times. In 1943 it was reconnected to the mainland to form a natural breakwater. Remains from prehistoric times, the Bronze Age and the Middle Ages have been found here and excavations are still ongoing. Many school classes visit this place, you can take a tour yourself.

A very beautiful harbor, which you can reach from one side directly from the promenade or via the parking lot past the barrier. You can drive right along the harbor basin, and there are restaurants where you can take a break. Along the harbor wall, you come to a viewing point, where there is a small pier. Beautiful!

PortoSenso marina in Altea, a quiet place with a good restaurant.