Built in the style of a 17th-century Russian wooden church, the Iglesia Ortodoxa Rusa de San Miguel Arcángel sits in the Altea Hills urbanization a few kilometres north of the old town. It was the first Russian Orthodox church purpose-built in Spain, and every visible element — the painted icons, the carved wooden screen, the onion dome — was made in Russia and transported here.
The contrast with the surrounding Mediterranean landscape is startling in the best way. The church rises from a hillside of pines and villas, all dark timber and gilded domes against a blue Spanish sky. Services are held regularly and visitors are welcome outside of worship hours. The interior is intimate and richly decorated, lit by candles and hanging lanterns.