Jávea/Xábia
The
town of Jávea (in the Valencian language “Xábia”) has a population of
22.000 and is in the province of Alicante. It is more or less equidistant from
Valencia and Alicante airports with a journey time of just one an hour. From
Alicante there is a slow rail connection to Gata de Gorgos or Denia,
respectively south and north of Jávea. In addition there are buses from
Valencia and Alicante. However, in view of our country location and in order to
take advantage of the many local tourist sites it is recommended that you rent a
car.
Carjet.com covers both airports and usually offers very competitive prices.
At
the foot of the Sierra de Montgó, on whose northern slopes Denia is located , Jávea
encompasses the area between Cape San Antonio and Cape San Martín with a large
bay between these two points. Jávea benefits from an above overage mild climate
with the temperature rarely falling below 11°C during the day even in the
middle of winter, and with an average of 2.900 hours of sunshine during the year.
It really has one of the best Mediterranean climates in Spain, let alone on the
Costa Blanca. The World Heath Organisation has declared Jávea to have one of
the healthiest climates in the world.
The
small bathing beaches in Jávea have fortunately been spared from the mass
tourism which affects other parts of the Costa Blanca. Rocky promontories reach
out into the sea, like Cape de la Nao whose headland is covered with many
varieties of Mediterranean wild flowers and plants.
The
town Jávea consists of three sections: the old town, the port and the beach
area (the Arenal).
The
centre of the old town is characterised by its old buildings with curved portals
and gothic windows with iron grills. To enjoy the old town at its best, you
should see it on foot. Soak up the atmosphere as you stroll around the narrow
streets and admire located on the walls of many old buildings, the many
monuments dedicated to local saints. But the most characteristic is without
doubt the tosca stone which frames doors and windows. Jávea was in former times
a town surrounded with strong city walls. The constant threat from the sea and
the countryside over many centuries led the citizens to develop their own way of
life and influenced the architectural structure of some private and public
buildings.
The port area, the Adunas del Mar, is a small town in its own right. A former fishing port, it grew with the development of its fishing fleet and the trade which came with it. There is still a thriving fishing industry with its depots and fishing huts. The port grew in importance because it is one of the most active in the Costa Blanca and the harbour is home to many private yachts and boats large and small. Adunas del Mar adapted itself to cope with the tourist trade so there are now many different shops, local restaurants and bars with tapas and, of course, fish as specialities. Why not go along and be a spectator at one of the daily fish auctions.
Finally, there is the beach, the Arenal, in the centre of the large sandy bay of Jávea. It is a very pleasant bathing beach with fine sand and safe shallow water. All along the promenade there are restaurants, bars and cafés.
