![Towns near El Albir: Altea, Benidorm, Guadalest, Polop, Sella and Alfaz del Pi [Guide]](https://liveinalbir.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/pueblos-cerca-albir-hero-v2-1024x512.webp)
Reviewed by Daniel · El Albir resident since 2007 · Updated November 2026 · Write to meFrom El Albir you can reach some of the most charming villages in the Marina Baixain just a few minutes. Set between the Mediterranean and the inland mountains, it’s the perfect base for exploring places that are very different from one another.
A few kilometres away you’ll find well-known destinations such as Altea, with its famous old town of white houses, or Benidorm, with its urban beaches and seafront skyscrapers. You can also discover inland gems like Castell de Guadalest, one of the most visited villages in Alicante province, or quieter places such as Polop and Sella, surrounded by nature and mountains.
In this guide you’ll find what to see in each village, how to get there from El Albir and links to our full guides, so you can easily plan half-day trips or relaxed outings around the area. Whether you’re on holiday or already live here, these places are a natural part of any visit to El Albir and its surroundings.
Altea: the Mediterranean’s bohemian neighbour
Just a few minutes from El Albir, Altea is one of the prettiest and most photogenic towns on the Costa Blanca. Its white houses, cobbled streets and the iconic blue dome of the Church of Nuestra Señora del Consuelo have earned it the nickname “the dome of the Mediterranean”.
Altea’s old town invites you to stroll without hurrying, especially at sunset, when the narrow streets fill with artists, small galleries and terraces looking out over the bay. Its viewpoints offer one of the most recognisable panoramas on the Alicante coast.
What to see: the old town, the viewpoints in Church Square, the fishing port, and coves such as Mascarat and La Olla.
Fiestas: Moors and Christians (September), Castell de l’Olla (a musical fireworks show over the sea in August).
Getting there from El Albir: 3 km north · 8–10 min by car · 30–40 min on foot along the promenade.
If you want to plan your visit better, you can also check our full guide to visiting Altea, where you’ll find routes, viewpoints and practical tips for exploring the old town.
L’Alfàs del Pi: multicultural and full of history
L’Alfàs del Pi is the municipality that El Albirbelongs to, so the two places are closely linked. While El Albir looks out over the Mediterranean with its promenade and beach, L’Alfàs keeps a quieter inland feel with a very active international community.
The municipality combines historical heritage, nature and a busy cultural calendar, with a particular highlight being its L’Alfàs del Pi Film Festival, one of the best-known film events on the Costa Blanca.
What to see: Albir Beach, Albir Lighthouse, the Roman Villa, Torre Bombarda.
Events: Film Festival (July), L’Alfàs International Day (October), Cristo del Buen Acierto fiestas (November).
Getting there from El Albir: 3 km inland · 5–7 min by car · local bus or bike.
If you want to learn more about its history, its neighbourhoods and everything you can visit in the municipality, you can also check our full guide to L’Alfàs del Pi, with recommended places and tips for getting around the area.
Benidorm: beaches, nightlife and skyscrapers
A few minutes from El Albir, Benidorm is one of the best-known tourist destinations in the Mediterranean. Its famous Levante and Poniente beaches, the Balcón del Mediterráneo viewpoint and its impressive skyline of skyscrapers make it a city unlike any other on the Costa Blanca.
As well as sun and sand, Benidorm has theme parks such as Terra Mítica and Aqualandia, boat trips to Benidorm Island and one of the liveliest nightlife scenes in Spain.
What to see: the urban beaches of Levante and Poniente, the old town, the Balcón del Mediterráneo, Benidorm Island and the leisure parks.
Events: Benidorm Fest (January), Low Festival (July), Benidorm Pride (September), Patron Saint Festivities (November).
Getting there from El Albir: 5 km south · 10–15 min by car · 8–12 min by TRAM · bus 20–30 min.
If you want to find out in more detail what to see, where to walk and the best viewpoints in the city, you can also check our full guide to visiting Benidorm.
Guadalest: medieval castle and unusual museums
A few kilometres from the sea and surrounded by the inland mountains of the Marina Baixa, Castell de Guadalest is one of the most surprising villages you can visit from El Albir. Its medieval castle, built on a rock and reached through a tunnel carved into the mountain, overlooks a spectacular landscape with views of a turquoise reservoir.
Guadalest also stands out for its curious concentration of themed museums, some of the most original in the province: from micro-miniatures to ethnographic collections and historical exhibitions.
What to see: San José castle, Casa Orduña, viewpoints over the reservoir, themed museums.
Fiestas: Tourist Day (July, with a community paella), Virgin of the Assumption (15 August).
Getting there from El Albir: 21 km by mountain road · 35–40 min by car · organised trips from Benidorm or Albir itself.
If you want to prepare your visit better, you can also check our full guide to visiting Guadalest, where we explain what to see in the village and the best viewpoints over the reservoir.
Polop: fountains, viewpoints and Gabriel Miró
A few kilometres inland from El Albir, Polop is a quiet village surrounded by mountains and closely tied to the landscape of the Sierra de Aitana. Its old town rises on a small hill crowned by the ruins of its old castle, with lovely views over the Marina Baixa.
One of its best-known spots is the Fuente de los Chorros, with more than two hundred water spouts lined up next to the main square. The village is also linked to the writer Gabriel Miró, who spent long periods in Polop and captured the life of the place in several of his works.
What to see: the old town, the Fuente de los Chorros, the ruined castle, viewpoints, the Gabriel Miró House Museum.
Fiestas: Saint Francis of Assisi (October, with the traditional sung dawn processions), Fira del Porrat (August).
Getting there from El Albir: 11 km inland · 15–20 min by car · bus ~40 min with a change.
If you want to learn more about its history and the most interesting places in the municipality, you can also check our full guide to visiting Polop, with routes through the old town and tips for visiting its viewpoints.
Sella: nature and the water route
In the mountainous interior of the Marina Baixa, at the foot of the Sierra de Aitana, the small village of Sella keeps a strongly rural character. From El Albir, a visit to Sella lets you discover a landscape very different from the coast: mountains, ravines and old water routes used for centuries by the people of the valley.
One of its best-known walks is the Ruta del Agua (Water Route), a trail that crosses traditional orchards, fountains, old mills and small natural pools. Thanks to its setting and its closeness to the Sierra de Aitana, Sella is also a much-loved destination for hiking, mountain biking and climbing.
What to see: the Water Route, the Tower and Palace of the Barony, the hermitage of Santa Bárbara.
Fiestas: Virgen de las Nieves and San Antonio (October), Santa Bárbara pilgrimage (December), Setmana Cultural (August).
Getting there from El Albir: 25–30 km inland · 35–45 min by car.
If you want to prepare your trip and get to know its trails and viewpoints better, you can also check our full guide to visiting Sella, with recommendations for walking the Water Route and discovering the Sierra de Aitana area.
El Albir as a starting point
All these villages are a short drive away, and that’s the great advantage of staying or living here: in the morning you can be strolling through Altea’s old town or climbing up to Guadalest castle, and in the afternoon be back for a swim at the beach. When you’ve finished exploring the surroundings, go back to the El Albir guide written by a local to discover everything you have on your doorstep.
Frequently asked questions about villages near El Albir
Which villages are near El Albir?
The closest are L’Alfàs del Pi, Altea and Benidorm, on the coast and less than a quarter of an hour away. Inland are Polop, Castell de Guadalest and Sella, up in the Marina Baixa mountains at the foot of the Sierra de Aitana. Between them you have an old town, an urban beach, a medieval castle and mountain trails, all within three quarters of an hour.
Which village is closest to El Albir?
L’Alfàs del Pi and Altea, both about 3 km away. L’Alfàs is the municipality El Albir belongs to and takes 5–7 minutes by car. Altea is to the north, 8–10 minutes by car, and it’s the only one you can walk to along the promenade, in about 30–40 minutes.
Which villages can you reach from El Albir without a car?
Altea, walking along the promenade. Benidorm, by TRAM (8–12 minutes) or bus (20–30 minutes). L’Alfàs del Pi, by local bus or bike. You can also get to Polop by bus, although it’s about 40 minutes with a change. For Guadalest, the most practical option without a car is an organised trip, and Sella is really only accessible by car.
Which villages can you see in half a day?
Altea, L’Alfàs del Pi, Benidorm and Polop are 20 minutes or less away by car, so they easily fit into a morning or an afternoon. Guadalest and Sella are 35–45 minutes away by mountain road: you can do them in half a day, but you’ll enjoy them more if you give them a whole morning, especially if you want to walk the Water Route in Sella.
Which nearby villages are by the sea and which are in the mountains?
On the coast are Altea and Benidorm: the first with its old town and coves, the second with the Levante and Poniente beaches. Inland are Polop, Guadalest and Sella, with castles, viewpoints, fountains and trails. L’Alfàs del Pi is halfway between: its centre is inland and quiet, but the municipality reaches the sea at El Albir.
I'm Daniel and I've lived in El Albir since 2007. LiveinAlbir.com started because so many people would stop me in the street to ask where to eat, where to stay, which areas are worth it and what living here is really like.
Questions about El Albir? Write to me and I will get back to you.
