A SMALL coastal town right by Benidorm has been compared to Santorini because of its blue-domed houses.

Altea in Costa Blanca is just 20 minutes by car from the famous Brit-loved resort.

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However, it is far removed from the town known for its huge bars and clubs.

Altea is often visited more by locals than tourists, with the laid-back town being much quieter.

It’s nickname of the Santorini of Spain is partly because of the white-washed houses lining the narrow roads.

One of the more famous views is of the two bright blue roofed towers overlooking the streets, part of the town’s church.

The best place to head to is the Old Town, which has amazing views over the beach and of the huge mountain in the distance – part of Parc Natural de la Serra Gelada.

The impressive Plaza de la Iglesia, with the church at its heart, is lined with bars and restaurants, market stalls dot the cobbled streets at weekends and in the summer festivals engulf the whole area.

Along the way are a number of small shops sunken into the buildings, which sell local gifts such as trinkets and clothes.

Otherwise outside of the historic centre is the seaside, with the 500 metre beach being made up of both pebbles and sand.

The promenade was revamped last year, after a £3.3million renovation.

This included new recreational areas with seats, parks and wildlife.

A kids playground, cycle lanes and new beach called El Bol also opened as part of the revamp.

Previous tourists have raved about the town.

One said: “Altea is so lovely. White washed streets; oranges growing on trees; little artist shops; cute little cafes.”

Another said: “Definitely worth a visit – a quaint village with fantastic views that stretch all the way to Benidorm.”

To get to Altea, you can drive in just 20 minutes, or get a train or tram for just a few euros, although this takes slightly longer.

if you want to stay, there are a range of choices such as Hotel Cap Negret, from £80 a night and with private access to the beach.

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For something fancier, there is the adults-only Porta Nova Suites from £291 a night.

Brits can fly directly to Alicante for as little as £14.99 with easyJet, flying from London airports as well as Manchester, Newcaslte, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

it’s not the only place in Spain that has been compared to Santorini.

Binibeca Vell, on the island of Menorca, is often compared to the

Greek island as well with its bright white houses lining the coast.

Here another Spanish island Brits often overlook despite having quiet beaches and cheap beers.

Don’t want to leave the UK? A seaside town has even been compared to Santorini – here’s how to find it.

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A TINY English train station that is barely used is like something Harry Potter.

Chappel & Wakes Colne railway station in Colchester is around an hour from London, travelling to Liverpool Street station.

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Just over 28,000 people use it a year, working out to around 77 passengers a day.

However, the train station is right next to the Chappel Viaduct, a huge brick structure measuring 1,066ft.

Built in the 1840s, trains run over the top of the viaduct, which is above a field of blue linseed oil bearing flowers during the summer.

Costing more than £2million to build in today’s money, it is one of the UK’s largest brick-built structures still standing.

Many may see the resemblance to the Glenfinnan Viaduct in Scotland, made famous for featuring in the Harry Potter films when used by the Hogwarts Express.

And the Essex viaduct has boomed in popularity by social media users who take pictures in one of the 32 arches, stretching 30ft tall.

Earlier this year, the viaduct celebrated its 175th anniversary of train routes, which launched in 1849.

Otherwise there is nearby The Swan Inn pub right on the river, whose beer garden is right underneath the viaduct.

One previous tourist wrote: “The location is beautiful and we had a short walk afterwards under the viaduct – a hidden gem of Victorian Essex.”

If you fancy visiting, the station has just one platform with a single track.

Thankfully, just one train runs an hour in each direction so there is rarely a battle for the track.

Platforms two and three are home to the East Anglian Railway Museum.

The attraction has themed events including Thomas the Tank Engine day outs as well as Steam train days.

Sun Travel’s favourite train journeys in the world

Sun Travel’s journalists have taken their fare share of train journeys on their travels and here they share their most memorable rail experiences.

Davos to Geneva, Switzerland

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“After a ski holiday in Davos, I took the scenic train back to Geneva Airport. The snow-covered mountains and tiny alpine villages that we passed were so beautiful that it felt like a moving picture was playing beyond the glass.” – Caroline McGuire

Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen

“Nothing quite beats the Shinkansen bullet train, one of the fastest in the world. It hardly feels like you’re whizzing along at speed until you look outside and see the trees a green blur. Make sure to book seat D or E too – as you’ll have the best view of Mount Fuji along the way.” Kara Godfrey

London to Paris by Eurostar

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“Those who have never travelled on the Eurostar may wonder what’s so special about a seemingly ordinary train that takes you across the channel. You won’t have to waste a moment and can tick off all the top attractions from the Louvre to the Champs-Élysées which are both less than five kilometres from the Gare du Nord.” – Sophie Swietochowski

Glasgow to Fort William by Scotrail

“From mountain landscapes and serene lochs to the wistful moors, I spent my three-hour journey from Glasgow to Fort William gazing out the window. Sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views overlooking Loch Lomond.” – Hope Brotherton

Beijing to Ulaanbatar

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“The Trans-Mongolian Express is truly a train journey like no other. It starts amid the chaos of central Beijing before the city’s high-rises give way to crumbling ancient villages and eventually the vast vacant plains of Mongolia, via the Gobi desert. The deep orange sunset seen in the middle of the desert is among the best I’ve witnessed anywhere.” – Ryan Gray

Also in the UK is the Knaresborough Viaduct, built in 1851 that is often compared to a fairytale.

And here is the new scenic train that launched across the north of the UK this year.

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A BRIT holidaymaker who booked a budget break in Valencia was left in fits of giggles, when she discovered her hotel room resembled a 13-year-old boy’s bedroom.

Martha Mills paid £115 for two nights as part of a special deal for the ‘interior facing single room,’ at Casual Vintage hotel in the Spanish city.

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In a video tour she filmed of her digs, which can be played above, she shows off the bathroom and the decoration of the bedroom.

The room is the size of an average British boxroom, with two toy Ferrari cars stuck on the wall alongside a chequered flag.

Inside the bathroom was a half-sized bath that she was unable to squeeze her legs into, along with a shower curtain that said: ‘God Save The Queen.’

On the morning after her first night’s stay, she pulled back the window curtain to reveal the view of a wall.

Martha told Sun Online Travel:  “The website did say the room was small and “interior” so the general size of the sleeping area was no huge surprise, but the decor and the hilarious mini-bath were definitely not what I anticipated.

“And they didn’t specify that “interior” would be a window a few feet from a brick wall.

“In general, the aspirational images that were presented to me on the website of the hotel were not what I ended up with.

“The rest of the hotel was also very small and quite tired looking in comparison to the photo gallery. The front desk staff and cleaners were all friendly and the location was great for seeing the sites on foot.”

When asked if felt like she had paid over the odds for the small room, Martha conceded that the price point was unsatisfying because she got neither comfort or a bargain.

She said: “I don’t feel I was robbed, but I do think I could have paid a few pounds more for a far superior hotel room elsewhere – or paid a couple pounds less and used a youth hostel where I would have been fully prepared for the lower-budget product.

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“When I walked in, I had to laugh, as the first thing I saw was the droopy chequered flag on the wall, the naff woodchip wall paper and the toy cars stuck over the bed – it was NOTHING like the photos on the website.

“It felt like I was visiting an aunt for Christmas and had been given her young son’s bedroom to sleep in.”

“However , the wifi and air con worked, which made it bearable, and I had great fun updating my friends on all the hilarious things I found, like the bath for ants.”

Sun Online Travel have contacted the Casual Vintage hotel for a comment.

This isn’t the first time a holidaymaker has booked into a hotel to be faced with a different aspect to what appeared in the brochures.

One tourist booked into a Vietnam hotel to discover her infinity pool was actually more like a hot tub.

In another instance, a social media influencer claimed to have paid for sea views, only to check in and realise the window was lined with a poster.

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