One of the best options for camping lovers is to discover the wonders offered by the Levante. This time we tell you everything there is in Alfaz del Pi to see and why this town deserves a place in your busy vacation schedule.
Very close to Benidorm, the tourist can get to know this historic village, whose past will take him to a time when the Romans and pirates ruled the lands of the area.
What to see in Alfaz del Pi? Where is it and how to get to the town from our location? How to turn the visit into an unforgettable experience?
We review the most important points of all these questions so that you can make an ideal excursion during your summer vacations or if you are in the area during the cold seasons of autumn and winter.
Where Alfaz del Pi is and how to get there
Twelve minutes on the GPS when asked for directions to Alfaz del Pi, one of the villages of the Marina Baja region, from the center of Benidorm. With such a short distance, it becomes one of the most interesting destinations to include in a series of excursions to the towns surrounding the great skyscraper city.
The municipality, which combines mountainous areas with plains next to the beach, borders Benidorm to the northeast, so it can be reached very easily by the A7, taking exit 65 or 64, which indicate to the driver the towns of Benidorm and Altea. And this second also has a border, this time to the north, with our protagonist municipality.
If you are in Benidorm and do not want to go out to the highway, you will have to take the N-332 road towards the CV-763. It is just 5 kilometers of road, almost in a straight line, leaving the Avenida de la Comunitat Valenciana, in the heart of the city.
What to see in Alfaz del Pi
Once there, you may wonder what to see in Alfaz del Pi. As in all the small towns in this area, you will have at your disposal from beach plans to cultural, historical or tourist options of great interest.
What does Alfaz mean? In Arabic terminology it means “sown field” and the part “Del Pi” is for the commemorative pine tree that was planted for its birth as a municipality in 1786 A.D..
In other words, what to do in Alfaz del Pi is a question with multiple answers that, in addition, are adapted to all types of travelers.
Meters and meters of dream beaches
In Alfaz del Pi tourism is not temporary and only a summer thing. The municipality has a percentage of permanent foreign inhabitants of more than 50 %… This gives a clue of how well it is lived in the area. And the main fault is the wonderful Mediterranean climate and the excellent four kilometers of beach that depend on the municipality.
The Albir beach is a pure spectacle. Before the visitor opens a sandy beach 500 meters long and up to 100 meters wide. Although it is a pebble beach, it is very comfortable for swimming and, above all, a treat for the eyes.
In the southern area, the beach is bordered by the Sierra Helada. At this point some coves are created between cliffs that offer landscapes typical of fiction movies. Its white, transparent waters hide a treasure trove of spectacular flora and fauna for snorkelers.
In addition to Albir, Alfaz del Pi has other beaches such as the Medico cove, the Amerador -exclusive for those arriving by boat, as it has no access from land- and the Mina cove.
All of them provide tourists with excellent gateways to the Mediterranean and are excellent areas for swimming.
Sierra Helada Natural Park
Nature lovers will not be able to take their eyes off the Sierra Helada. Its rugged cliffs, its combination of mountain and coast, its flora and fauna… All travelers who enjoy hiking in wild environments will have an unforgettable experience in any of the trails that cross its Natural Park, a protected area that reaches the borders of Benidorm and that will offer you unique views of the entire region.
In this area is another of the tourist attractions of Alfaz del Pi: the Albir lighthouse, now restored and converted into an interpretation center. The photographs at this point, the romanticism that gives off the construction… In short, it is an almost obligatory excursion for those looking for quality tourism in Alfaz del Pi and one of the most attractive and easy hiking routes to do.
Little Hollywood
Culture is indispensable for the multicultural population of Alfaz del Pi. And this is another attraction for travelers. In July, the city has hosted an International Film Festival for more than two decades. In these days of celebration of the seventh art, the Faro de Plata awards are delivered and the city is filled with great actors …. A real luxury!
The reflection of this passion for the big screen is in its walk of the stars that, in the Hollywood style, has tributes to important performers who have passed through the Festival galas and who have been highlighted for their performances.
A stroll through the old town
The old town of Alfaz del Pi is small, charming and full of history. Its main point of interest is a pine tree. Yes, you read that right, a pine tree that grows next to the church and was planted in 1786 to claim the independence of Alfaz from Polop de la Marina.
When half a century later, in 1836, this fact was consummated, the inhabitants of Alfaz named their town after the tree, pi (pine, in Valencian).
Full of small bars, stores and buildings from the last century, the most urban area of the municipality will allow you to take the pulse of a multicultural and very welcoming population.
Villa Romana
Like almost all the villages in the area, Alfaz del Pi also has a small Roman villa. It is very close to the beach and very well musealized. Here, visitors will discover thermal baths, dome constructions (houses) and, in addition, a large number of burials from the Late Roman period.
History lovers will be able to go back to the most legendary past of the Levant, when the men of one of the greatest empires in history decided to settle there due to the climatic and strategic advantages of the terrain.
Finally and as a curiosity, how many Norwegians are there in Alfaz del Pi? There are more than 3000 Scandinavians living in L’Alfàs, making it the second largest Norwegian colony in the world, behind NY. Watch out because you will see many Norwegian restaurants, dental clinics and stores.
These are some of the things to see in Alfaz del Pi in just one day. More info on the official website of the City Council of L’Alfàs del Pi. The visit is highly recommended, since the municipality hides many curiosities and is very close to large towns like Benidorm or even Alicante. Summer, spring, autumn or winter, any time is a good time to travel to what has been called Little Norway, since a large number of people from this country live here.
