Altea la Vella: Living in Altea's Quiet Inland Village

Altea la Vella is the inland village of Altea, about five kilometres from the town and the beach. Here the municipality changes character completely: large plots, a rural feel and far fewer neighbours than in any other part of Altea.

For buyers from Britain, Ireland or Scandinavia who picture a Spanish country house with fruit trees and a private pool, Altea la Vella is the part of the municipality built that way. It also asks the most of your car.

What kind of homes will you find in Altea la Vella?

Altea la Vella is made up almost entirely of detached villas and country houses on their own plots, often with an orchard, fruit trees and room for a private pool with no shared community. The properties range from renovated traditional houses to more recent villas, built as second homes or as main homes with plenty of outdoor space.

You will not find flats or apartment blocks here. It is a detached housing area almost from end to end, which shapes everything else in this guide: space, privacy, maintenance and the drive to the coast. To compare what is on the market now, see the villas and houses for sale in Altea.

Why are plots in Altea la Vella so much larger than elsewhere in Altea?

Plots in Altea la Vella are larger because the village grew from farmland, so plots of several thousand square metres are common. The coastal urbanisations were designed to fit in as many plots as possible. Altea la Vella followed the old pattern of country houses and orchards. In Altea Hills or the old town, plots of that size simply do not exist.

For anyone who wants real space, a vegetable garden of their own, or simply physical distance from the neighbours, Altea la Vella is the only part of the municipality that offers it as a matter of course. The flip side is upkeep: a large garden and orchard need watering, pruning and time, or a paid gardener.

How far is Altea la Vella from the beach and services?

Altea la Vella is about 5 kilometres from the sea and from Altea town, 8 to 12 minutes by car depending on traffic on the N-332 or the access road. The village has a public infant and primary school, the CEIP Altea la Vella, and a pharmacy. The distance to these services changes a lot between the village core and the surrounding urbanisations.

Check the route from the specific house, and check that the services you need for your routine are within reach. Buyers who put peace above being close to services come out ahead. Buyers who want to walk to the bakery every morning will struggle here.

Is Altea la Vella a real village community?

Altea la Vella keeps much of its farming character: cultivated fields, some orchards still in production and a different kind of neighbourliness from the coast, where international owners change more often. Buyers here usually want exactly that: a more stable community and a pace of life closer to inland Valencia than to the tourist coast.

That has a less favourable side for anyone who wants an active social life or events. Leisure, restaurants and shops are minimal inside the village itself. To socialise or go out for dinner, you drive to Altea town or to La Nucía.

What should you check on a large plot in Altea la Vella?

On a large plot in Altea la Vella, check the legal status of wells, water storage ponds and outbuildings before you buy, because not all of them are legalised or included in the registered built area. These elements rarely appear in a standard urbanisation home. Irrigation wells, storage ponds (balsas) and outbuildings such as stores or tool sheds are common here.

Their status directly affects the cadastral value of the property and, in some cases, whether you can extend or change those buildings later. The cadastral value is the administrative value recorded for the property in the Catastro, on which IBI, the annual property tax, is calculated. Always ask for the full cadastral certificate of the plot, as well as the one for the main house.

Who does Altea la Vella suit, and who should look elsewhere?

Altea la Vella suits buyers who want genuine village life, space for an orchard or animals, and who do not mind depending on the car for everything. It is also worth a look if you want more plot for the same budget as on the coast.

It does not suit buyers who want to walk to the beach, buyers who need services at hand without a car, or families who want the full range of schools within the area. In Altea Pueblo or the old town, that closeness is settled from day one.

From the homes we market, Altea la Vella tends to suit clients who already know the town, who have lived in the old town or a coastal urbanisation, and who now want more space and less street life. It is rarely the first choice for someone buying in Altea for the first time. If that is your case, visit the old town and Altea Pueblo first, so you can compare with real knowledge of the alternatives.

What does daily life with children look like in Altea la Vella?

With school age children in Altea la Vella, plan for daily drives: beyond the village's own infant and primary school, the other schools are in Altea town or in La Nucía. Add that daily journey to the advantages of space and quiet before you decide.

For families who already drive every day for work, the extra trip usually fits into the routine without friction. For families who want to keep travel time to a minimum, Altea Pueblo or the old town, with a school close by, fit better. Our guide to schools in and around Altea lists the international schools in La Nucía, Alfaz del Pi and Benidorm.

What tax do you pay when buying in Altea la Vella?

As of November 2026, Altea la Vella has the same purchase taxes as the rest of the Valencian Community: 9 % ITP on a resale home, or 11 % on the whole taxable base when the property is worth more than 1,000,000 EUR, under Ley 13/1997, article 13 (BOE). Homes above that value are uncommon here. A new build pays 10 % VAT plus 1.4 % AJD, the stamp duty on the deed, or 0.1 % AJD if it will be the buyer's main home, under Ley 13/1997, article 14 (BOE).

Purchase taxes and costs come to 9.4 % to 10.1 % of the price for a resale home up to 1,000,000 EUR, and 11.1 % to 11.3 % above that. For a new build they come to 11.8 % to 12.5 % as a second home and 10.5 % to 11.2 % as your main home. The tax is exact; the notary, Land Registry and gestoría part is an estimate, and it does not include a lawyer or mortgage costs. The ITP taxable base can be higher than the agreed price, so check the reference value and the applicable rules before you calculate the tax. This is general guidance, not tax advice: confirm your case with a lawyer or adviser before signing, especially if the plot includes outbuildings that could affect its cadastral value.

How does Altea la Vella compare with the rest of Altea?

If the distance from the sea worries you but a gated urbanisation does not appeal either, compare every option in our guide to Altea's neighbourhoods. If you end up preferring to be close to the centre and its services, look at Altea Pueblo in the same comparison, or at Altea old town.

See what is available now in homes for sale in Altea, or contact us and we will show you the Altea la Vella plots that best fit what you are looking for.