All About - JAVEA

All about - JAVEA

Javea is a small, historic town, with no high rise buildings. The clean, warm, blue Mediterranean Sea laps the beautiful beaches and coves that Javea has to offer.

With a variety of landscape, ranging from sandy beaches to rugged mountains, Javea combines beauty and modern facilities with the charm of an ancient fishing village.

The town is situated between the San Antonio and La Nao points and enjoys the impressive and magnificent protection of Mount Montgó.

Approximately 50 minutes drive from Benidorm towards the north-eastern tip of the Costa Blanca.

History & Culture

Javea old town is steeped in history and it’s evident in the architecture, with its Tosca stone porticoes, gothic bay windows, wrought iron window bars and balcony railings.

The church of San Bartolemé in the town centre is an example of late gothic architecture with a defensive character. The "Soler Blasco" Archaeological Museum is close by in the narrow streets and offers a wealth of information about Iberian history.

This historic church can be found in the Plaza de la Iglesia and the oldest parts dates back to 1304, the bell tower which is 30 meters high and stands at 86m above sea level was also used as a watchtower to defend the town from the seafaring Berber pirates.

This building is of Elizabethan Gothic style. It has a large Gothic nave with three chapels on each side that are framed by buttresses.

This building is considered one of the best models of ogival art (an arch with a pointed apex) in the Valencian Community.

Opening Hours - Monday to Friday 10.30 - 12-30 and in the afternoons, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays it is open 30 minutes before Mass

Mass times - September 1st to June 30th, working days at 08:00 Tuesday to Friday 19:30 p.m., and holidays at 10:00 a.m, 12:00 p.m. and 19:00 p.m. July 1st to August 31st working days 08:00 am; Tuesday to Friday at 20:00 p.m., eve at 19:30 p.m. and holidays at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 19:00 p.m.

Shopping - Javea is a great place to shop with an excellent choice of shops and boutiques.

The train runs every day from from Monday to Sunday from 10:00 - 14:00 / 17:00 to 23:00

The price per round trip is: €4 euros for adults, €2,50 euros for children

TIMETABLE (times are approximate):

Avenida Jaime I (Aduanas de Mar) - 10.00 – 11.00 – 12.00 – 13.00 – 17.00 – 18.00 – 19.00 – 20.00 – 21.00 – 22.00 – 23.00

Avenida de Alicante (Historic Centre) – every hour from 10.20am until 11.20pm 10.20 – 11.20 – 12.20 – 13.20 – 17.20 – 18.20 – 19.20 – 20.20 – 21.20 – 22.20 – 23.20

Placeta del Convent (Historic Centre) 10.25 – 11.25 – 12.25 – 13.25 – 17.25 – 18.25 – 19.25 – 20.25 – 21.25 – 22.25 – 23.25

Playa del Arenal (Car Park) 10.40 – 11.40 – 12.40 – 13.40 – 17.40 – 18.40 – 19.40 – 20.40 – 21.40 – 22.40 – 23.40

Markets

In the centre of town the covered indoor market sells all sorts of fabulous fresh local produce: fruit, vegetables, meat and fresh fish are brought up from the port daily.

This market is located in Plaza Celestino Pons, and is generally open from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 14:00 / 17:00 to 21:00, & on Saturdays mornings from 08:00 to 14:00 hours

Market day in Jávea is Thursday, and can be found in the Plaza de la Constitución square.

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Javea Port & Marina

The importance of the town’s maritime activities is apparent in the port area; known as Aduanas de Mar, it boasts a lovely promenade and some excellent fish restaurants where you can enjoy the ‘catch of the day’.

The fishing harbour is situated next to a attractive marina full of interesting yachts, a lovely area for a morning or evening stroll, if you time it right you will catch the fisherman coming in with their daily catch, a daily fish auction is held, not open to the public, but you can stand outside and watch the proceedings.  You can of course grab yourself some fresh fish from the shop just outside the auction house, you will see the locals rush down to claim their dinner.

Church of Nuestra Señora de Loreto

Dominating the fishing port is the modern silhouette of the church of Nuestra Señora de Loreto, with its roof depicting a ships hull.  The Iglesia de la Virgen de Loreto (church) built in 1967 this is one of the most modern churches you’ll ever see, with fantastic avant-garde design which is based on a single ship with an oval plan this design is very unusual. The 12 slender pillars outside are an allegory to the 12 apostles. This is such a rare design for a religious building,

Address: Calle Pío X, 9, 03730 Jávea, Alicante, Spain, (situated in the district of Duanes de la Mar)

Opening Hours: 9:00 am until 8:00 pm, throughout the year, extended until 9:00 pm. during the summer months.

Cuisine
The local cuisine of Javea is typically that of the Costa Blanca, which combines delicacies from both land and the Mediterranean Sea. Many civilizations have lived in this area (Celts, Iberians, Greeks, Romans, Muslims), all of which have all left their mark on the gastronomy.

If you have a sweet tooth then you will love the homemade pastries and deserts the whole region is famous for Jijona ice-cream (Nougat), which is made with the almonds of the region.

Outside the town, following the road to the San Antonio cape are the architectural sites that include the monastery of Nuestra Señora de los Angeles, a series of small hermitages clutch the slopes of the mountain and ancient windmills dominate the landscape. 

JAVEA BEACHES - May 2022 Cigarettes banned from Jávea beaches

Jávea town hall has approved ‘various measures designed to improve environmental protection on the coast’ in a full council meeting, including a declaration that people cannot smoke on any beach in the municipality.

Javea has 20 kilometres of coastline, with a choice of beaches.  

The Arenal area offers a beautiful sandy bay with palm trees and play areas for children. The bay is framed by the promenade with its wonderful choice of bars and restaurants offering national and international specialties.

Granadella beach is a spectacular cove situated just South of Javia and is well known among diving enthusiasts.  Parking is a few meters from the beach, and it is recommended to arrive early in the morning as this is a popular beach with many locals.

Playa del Montañar, sits next to the harbour and is the beach used by the locals.

Bahia de Javea, also known as La Platja de la Grava’ or ‘The Gravel Beach’, is a 300m long, mostly pebble and gravel beach, located at the forefront of the Javea Port. 

This is the perfect spot if you are a water sports enthusiast. This rocky beach links El Arenal and the Marina. you will often see kite surfers, sailing boats and kayaks here, sunbeds and parasols are available for hire.

Cala Blanca, which means “White Beach”, also known as ‘La Caleta’.  This is a small pebble beach with crystal clear water, making it a perfect spot for snorkelling.  This beach is only accessible by foot through a narrow steps along the rocks, therefore it is a much quieter beach.

Cala Portitxol or Portitxol beach, also known as Cala de la Barraca or Barraca Beach, is a beautiful pebble beach, stretching approximately 900 meters with spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea and the Isla del Portitxol. The cove is bordered either side by the cliffs of Cap Negre and Cap Prim, only adding to the picturesque landscape.

La Cala Sardinera beach or Sardine Bay,. This is a 200m long, beautifully picturesque bay, situated on the north face of ‘Cap Prim’. this is generally a quiet beach, but tends to get quite a few boats mooring off shore.

Cala del Ministre or The Ministers Creek is the rock formation, located at the far end of the Arenal, behind the hotel Parador Hotel.

La Playa Primer Muntanyar, also known as ‘the Beach of the First Mountain’ is a rough stone beach, stretching for just under 2km.  Due to the usually calm waters located along the beach’s edge, it makes it a popular spot for surfers, paddleboarders and others to practice their water sports, sunbed and parasols are available for daily rental.

La Segon Muntanyar beach, also known as ‘the Beach of the Second Mountain’ is a rough stone beach stretching over 1.5km. Due to the vast size of the beach, you are almost guaranteed to find a quiet spot, even in the heights of summer. It is located southeast of the Arenal Beach.  The water here is normally very calm, making it perfect for snorkelling and observing the wildlife that lives amongst the rocks. 

Sports
Javea has an excellent choice of sea sport and fishing facilities. The modern yacht club at the sports marina has nearly 300 berths and offers all types of water sports: sailing, fishing, scuba diving, water skiing, and windsurfing.

Fiestas

As with any town there are lots of smaller fiestas but these are the main ones.

January, 19th - 21st dates may vary - San Sebastian · Bull Running -
San Sebastian has been the patron saint of Xàbia since medieval times when the terrified population of the village prayed to his image for special protection as the 'Black Plague' devastated Europe. Largely forgotten in recent years, the celebrations have been resurrected with bull-running around the church square.

February - CARNAVAL - Kids and Adults Procession through the Historic Centre of Xàbia

Semana Santa - Easter Fiesta, dates vary

From 28 April – 3 May Javea pays homage to Jesus the Nazarene

July 14th - 22nd, Moors & Christians parades.

September -  1 - 8th 1 –8, the town celebrates their patroness Our Lady of Loreto.

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PLACES TO VISIT NEARBY

The Ermita del Pòpul de Jávea

Another popular place to visit whilst here, this is situated on the road from Jávea to Jesús Pobre (CV-735), about 3kms from the center of Xàbia, (carrer Ermita 1), it sits on  the southern slope of the Montgó, formerly a rural area but now highly urbanized.

It is one of the oldest buildings in Xàbia.

Throughout its history it has been modified, especially in the XNUMXth century, when it was deeply re-modelled and various elements were added, despite the interventions, the original Gothic building is intact.

The Cape of San Antonio

Situated just to the North of Javea, this is a nature reserve that covers an area of 110 hectares situated between Mongo mountains and the sea, here you will get fantastic views of the surrounding area, there are 15 different look out points, on a clear day you can even see Ibiza, you will also find a light house which has been in use since 1855 the cliffs at this point are 175m high, so if you fancy some hiking this is the area to head to.

The Molinos de la Plana de Jávea.  These are situated on the same road to the Cap de Sant Antoni, the CV-7362 (the Cap de Sant Antoni road),turn right again onto the Camí de les Pedres. The parking area is about 200 meters from the mills.

These are a set of 11 flour mills and are considered to be the largest in the Valencian Community and unique in the territory.  These were built here because the llebeig wind (from the Southwest) blows almost constantly, some are in better condition than others, some are now privately owned and inhabited. 

There are 11 windmills, aligned from southwest to northwest at about 190 meters high on the Plana de Sant Jeroni. One of them is from the fourteenth century, and the others are from the eighteenth century. They are shaped like large cylinders approximately seven meters high and six meters in diameter. They consist of two floors.  Today Only one mill remains with blades. 

Cova Tallada (carved caves)

This is a cave excavated in the foothills of Cabo San Antonio above sea level, these served as a quarry to the Muslims and the excavated rock were used in the construction of some of the most unique buildings of Denia, including its castle, its shapes and its cavities make this cave a must see.

Go swimming at the cave (wear non slip shoes) and enjoy the crystal clear waters and enjoy looking at these spectacular rocks and the caves walls. There’s even a rock t0 stop the waves coming in so the water is very calm. If you want to go deeper into the cave make sure that you take a torch because its quite dark the further you go in, but there are a lot of interesting things deeper in to the cave.

Its about a 1km walk from the end of the road with lots of wooden steps and a rope to help you get to the bottom so not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties or young children. drive from Javea on route marked  PR-CV 355.

Due to how popular this area is and to help preserve its beauty from June 15th to September 30th, you must now make reservations which can be made online on the website of the Montgó Natural Park. or telephone 96 6467155 / 679196461, if visiting before 09:00 in the morning reservation is necessary.  From 09:00 in the morning until 19:00 appointments are available every two hours. This is at 9'00, 11'00, 13'00, 15'00, 17'00, 19'00.

Getting to Javea from Benidorm

By car, 57.3km via the AP-7 approximately 45 mins (tolls)

or take the scenic N332 coast road, approximately 1hr 10 mins, 46km

Public Transport

Javea itself does not have a tram station, you would need to to go to Denia or Gata da Gorgos which is the closest inland stop near to Javea (there is also a stop by La Sella Golf resort which is between Denia and Javea and then get a bus or taxi.

Taxi from Benidorm- cost approximately 55- 70€

ALSA bus, journey time around 1 hr 30 mins, buses run 3 times a day, cost approx 12€

Find other places to visit in on the Costa Blanca North

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