Spanish Steps IV

FURTHER along the coast from Benidorm is Altea, once a Greek colony but now a centre for tourism, thanks to its climate and picturesque old town.

Altea, like most of the rest of Alicante, was Republican in the Spanish Civil War, and its coast was blockaded by the Italian and German navies in support of Franco's Nationalists.

Miles of flat beaches were easily accessible from the sea

Eight machinegun pillboxes, called búnquers in Catalan (bunkers or búnkeres in Spanish) were built in the Altea area.

This pillbox near Cap Negret is one of three survivors, and only two of those are now above sea level

Another view - none saw action, but they are believed to have had a deterrent effect