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Buying property in Altea: what to check

By Daniel WhitcombeReviewed by Marta Calderón IbáñezPublished Updated Stage 3: Choose where and what

Quick answer

Altea is a hillside town of narrow streets with a church on top, apartments by the sea and villas inland. Steps, parking and access are the practical issues in the old town, and licence history deserves checking for villas. Confirm the Valencian resale tax rate, since official sources differ.

Applies toBuyers considering an old-town house, an apartment or a villa in Altea.

On this page: 10 sections
  1. The town
  2. The market
  3. Taxes
  4. The old town
  5. Apartments and the sea front
  6. Villas inland
  7. Tourist lets
  8. Who it may suit
  9. What we could not verify
  10. More on this topic
Checked 26 October 2026by Marta Calderón Ibáñez. Claims on this page are tied to the sources listed at the end.

§ 1The town

Altea lies on the Costa Blanca between Calpe and Benidorm, with an old town on a hill topped by a church, a seafront, a marina area and inland slopes with villas and urbanisations. This page belongs to the chapter on Costa Blanca step by step. It concentrates on what to check in a hillside town.

§ 2The market

The registry reports that foreigners made up 46.43% of home purchases in the province of Alicante in the second quarter of 2026. We found no official average for Altea, so we print none. Prices differ between the old town, the seafront and the inland slopes. Ask local agents for recent sales.

§ 3Taxes

Valencian law cut the general resale transfer tax to 9% for transfers from 1 June 2026, according to the Ministry of Finance table of September 2026, even though an undated regional agency page still shows ten per cent. Ask your adviser to confirm. The costs section explains.

§ 4The old town

Old houses in narrow streets bring steps, no parking, difficult deliveries and old structures with damp. A survey is essential. Ask about listed or protected status, which can limit changes, and about the cost of works on a hillside. The property types section explains renovation and the location checks section explains damp.

§ 5Apartments and the sea front

Apartments by the sea are in communities, so the statutes, accounts, minutes and reserve fund matter. Coastal homes are subject to the coastal law, which protects a zone inland from the shore, as the legal section explains.

§ 6Villas inland

Villas on the slopes bring checks on licences, pools, access, water and sewage, and fire risk. Parts of the Alicante countryside have a history of building without licence. Ask the town hall for the planning status in writing and let your lawyer check the title.

§ 7Tourist lets

Tourist lets in the Valencian Community need regional authorisation, regional registration and the community’s prior express approval. The regional FAQ lists an occupancy licence, liability insurance and a municipal report on urban compatibility. Old-town houses may be limited by municipal planning rules, which we did not read.

§ 8Who it may suit

It may suit buyers who value character and accept steps and parking limits. Homes in Calpe covers Calpe to the north and homes in Benidorm covers Benidorm to the south.

§ 9What we could not verify

We found no official average for Altea and did not read the municipal rules on the old town.

§ 10More on this topic

Buying in Alicante explains what to check when buying in Alicante city and homes in Torrevieja explains what to check when buying in Torrevieja.

Homes in Jávea explains what to check when buying in Jávea and homes in Dénia explains what to check when buying in Dénia.

Homes in Orihuela Costa explains what to check when buying in Orihuela Costa.

FAQRelated questions

What is living in the old town like?

Charming and demanding: narrow streets, steps, little parking and old buildings. Check how you get your shopping to the door, where you would park and what the building’s condition is before you fall for the view.

Is Altea quieter than Benidorm?

It is generally described as quieter and more village-like, though the two are close. Visit both in different seasons and at night to judge the difference for yourself.

Do villas inland raise special checks?

They do: whether extensions and pools were licensed, how vehicles reach the plot, where water arrives from, how waste is treated, and the wildfire exposure of wooded ground. The council can supply the planning position as a written statement.

Sources

About this page

Written by

Daniel Whitcombe

Writer, buying and living in Spain

Daniel writes the chapters on how a purchase runs, who can buy, where to buy and how to check a location. He writes for readers who are new to the Spanish system and prefers plain explanations that name the official source. He is not a lawyer or adviser.

Reviewed by Marta Calderón Ibáñez, chief editor and source editor, 26 October 2026. Checked: Figures and rules checked against the official texts listed below

Found an error? Report it. Each report gets a dated reply, and confirmed corrections are logged on the updates page.

General information only. This is not legal, tax or financial advice. Check your own situation with a qualified adviser.