If you are a fan of pyrotechnics then make sure you head to Altea on Saturday. The Bay of Altea has been the venue of the Castell de L'Olla since 1988 - a spectacular firework display close to the beach of La Olla.
This year the breathtaking display will take place on Saturday 8th August, starting at Midnight - so make sure you get your afternoon siesta in! Altea Town Hall have allocated a budget of €70,000 for this annual event which attracts in the region of 50,000 visitors so a very important investment for the town!
The firework display marks the end of the week long San Lorenzo fiesta and restaurants in the area - especially those with views of the bay are booked up months in advance for this particular night.
The fireworks are let off from floating pontoons and many boats arrive throughout the day, docking in the bay to watch from the sea - you can see them bobbing up and down. The pontoons were being delivered over the weekend – quite a logistical achievement, ready to be towed out and positioned in place before the technical team set to work.
The beach of La Olla starts to get crowded early in the afternoon with people bringing picnics and staking their places for a front line view on the beach. I attended last years display and was astounded by the volume of people that come to witness the event.
The atmosphere is electric and the excitement of the crowds captivates you. It is all very well organised by the local police. Barriers are erected along the pavement on the N332 to protect the deluge of visitors heading towards the bay. You are literally carried along by the crowds... so even if you are not 100% sure where you are suppose to be heading, just follow the masses.
Parking is a major problem and you will probably end up parking some way off and walking. La Olla is situated after the main bit of Altea and heading towards the Villa Gadea hotel/Altea Hills (just before the A7 motorway slip). Alternatively and probably a much better idea, is to hop onto the No 9 tram to Olla de Altea - they put on extra trains throughout the early hours to ferry people back to Benidorm. It is certainly worth the effort if you are here.
