Hola! Are you looking for the perfect Costa Blanca getaway? Look no more! Javea is an amazing destination whether you plan typical beach holidays, a day trip from any nearby city, or a longer stay. It’s a coastal paradise with amazing beaches, crystal-clear waters, a charming old town, breathtaking viewpoints, scenic hiking trails, and delicious cuisine. For sure this town has something for every traveler! Vamos, let us show you things to do in Javea, Spain.
Interesting fact. Javea and Xabia are two names for the same town! Javea is the town’s Spanish name, and Xabia is its official name in Valencian dialect. Both versions are used interchangeably on signs, maps, and websites so don’t be surprised!
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Javea, Spain FAQ
Javea is a Spanish coastal town located in the Province of Alicante on the Mediterranean coast known as Costa Blanca. It’s midway between Alicante and Valencia, and directly opposite Ibiza and other Balearic Islands.
Yes! Javea is a destination that has it all – a beautiful historic center, amazing beaches, breathtaking viewpoints, scenic hiking trails, a pleasant climate, and plenty of sites to explore. What’s more, Javea is not as popular as nearby Costa Blanca towns yet, so if you are looking for a slightly quieter destination this one will do.
Javea is best known for its amazing beaches and coves, crystal-clear waters which are a diver’s paradise, magnificent viewpoints, and well-preserved old town area full of traditional whitewashed houses decorated with flowers.
Both are nice coastal towns on Costa Blanca but they offer different vibes. Denia is bigger and offers more activities so we think it’ll be great for those looking for a mix of relaxation, fun, history, and vibrant local life. Javea is more relaxed, perfect for those looking for a quiet escape. For us, Denia is a better fit, but it’s best to visit both towns and form your own opinion.
Javea is pronounced [ˈxaβea]. Still don’t know how to read it? Here’s a YouTube video where you can listen to correct pronunciation.
Things to do in Javea, Spain
Javea Old Town
One of the top things to do in Javea is to explore its charming old town. It’s fairly small and there’s no better way than just getting lost in a maze of its streets and slowly exploring every corner. Quaint whitewashed houses finished with the local golden “tosca” sandstone, nice squares, some historical landmarks, religious buildings, restaurants, cafes, small shops… Wherever you turn, you’ll find something interesting among the streets of Javea’s old town.
In Javea Old Town, you’ll find points of interest like:
- Church of San Bartolome (es. Iglesia de San Bartolomé) – a unique-looking fortress church built between the 14th and 16th centuries, mostly made of local rock from Cabo San Antonio. For hundreds of years, it served not only as a religious building but also as a defense against various attacks. Be sure to search for bullet holes, openings for guns, and cannons surrounding the church! You can visit the Church of San Bartolome during opening hours for free – its interior is simple yet truly beautiful.
- Javea Town Hall – located on the same square as a church, it’s a beautiful example of an 18th-century building.
- Javea Market (es. Mercat Municipal) – a small market located behind the church where you’ll find a great selection of products like fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, bread, or seafood. You can also enjoy a drink or snack from one of several bars inside.
- Remains of city walls – since the 13th century, Javea has been enclosed by walls and nowadays you can admire some of its remains on Avenida Princep d’Asturies.
- Javea historic riurau (a raisin drying facility) – it’s a long rectangular building that represents the rural architecture of the town where grapes were dried, protected, and stored.
- Soler Blasco Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum – a museum located in the Palace of Antoni Banyuls, one of the town’s most important historical buildings featuring an impressive Tosca stone facade. If you want to learn more about Javea’s past – that’s a place for you. In the museum, you’ll also find a terrace with amazing views of the town! Entrance is free during opening hours – to learn more visit xabia.org website.
The Javea Tourist Office is located right in square Plaça de l’Església, next to the Church of San Bartolome.
Beaches in Javea
We think that no one needs to be convinced that Costa Blanca is a beach paradise and that one of the best things to do in Javea includes hitting one of its beaches.
Along the Javea 25-kilometer-long coastline, you’ll find nice beaches, perfect for soaking up the sun and taking a refreshing dip in Mediterranean waters. The choice is wide – from sandy beaches to rocky sections and hidden coves.
The most popular beaches in Javea include:
Arenal Beach
Arenal Beach (es. Platja de l’Arenal) is the Javea’s main beach, located about 3km from the old town or port. It’s sandy, half a kilometer long, and very lively during the summer months.
It features calm clear waters, and many amenities like toilets, showers, lifeguards, children’s playgrounds, and a volleyball pitch. And it got a Blue Flag award! Behind the beach, there’s also a nice promenade full of restaurants, bars, and small shops. Parking lots can be found on both sides, but are quite limited so be sure to arrive early.
Close to the beach, you’ll also find Banys de la Reina Xàbia, a nice place for a walk when you need to stretch your legs. Its name “Queen’s Baths” is quite misleading as in the past it served as… Roman fish farms! A short trail starts behind the Parador Hotel, next to Aparcament del Muntanyar.
Granadella Beach
Granadella Beach (es. Platja de la Granadella) is located on the outskirts of Javea, around 10 kilometers from the old town. It’s a small, remote, and pebbly/rocky beach with beautiful blue crystal clear waters, surrounded by small hills.
During warm months be sure to arrive early as a parking lot is limited and fills quickly (and it costs around €10 per day). There you’ll find amenities like toilets, lifeguards, restaurants, beach bars, and also kayak rentals/tours. Granadella Beach is also the perfect location for snorkeling lovers!
La Grava Beach
La Grava Beach (es. Platja de la Grava) is a small pebbly beach located right next to Javea Port, and not far from the old town. It’s more peaceful than Arenal Beach and offers calm waters perfect for swimming. Behind it, you’ll find a promenade with some restaurants and bars. Also, there are many parking lots and spaces close to the beach.
Other nice beaches in Javea include: Cala del Portixol Beach, Cala Blanca Beach, and Playa de Cala Ambolo. As you can see, the choice is wide so we’re sure you’ll find the perfect beach for yourself.
Javea Port seaside area
Only about 2.5 kilometres from the Old Town you’ll find a lovely seaside area, perfect for relaxing holidays. What’s waiting there?
A lovely promenade perfect for relaxing walks, one of Javea’s beaches – La Grava, the uniquely looking Church of Our Lady of Loreto, and Javea Port (which also still operates as a fishing port) with Fish Market if you’re up for buying some fresh fish. And of course, plenty of restaurants, bars, cafes, small shops, and nice views of the bay are there too!
In the Port area, you’ll also find a second Javea Tourist Office – it’s located right on the promenade.
Church of Our Lady of Loreto
If you’re looking for a unique thing to do in Javea, you can’t skip visiting the Church of Our Lady of Loreto (es. Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Loreto). What can we say – it’s some kind of a piece of art and one of the most interesting churches we’ve ever seen.
The Church of Our Lady of Loreto was built in the 1960s in a bold, avant-garde design. Outside 12 concrete arches are supporting the main structure, one for each of the apostles. Inside, be sure to gaze up at the ceiling, which is made with strips of red pine and resembles the ship’s hull. The church can be visited for free during opening hours.
Cap de Sant Antoni
Cap de Sant Antoni is located between Javea and Denia and it’s a must-see place while in the area. It’s a marine reserve that offers magnificent viewpoints, hiking trails, as well as diving and other water sports opportunities.
For the spectacular views of the Javea coast, cliffs, Montgó Natural Park, and the town head to the Sant Antoni Lighthouse area where you’ll find 3 viewpoints. You can either drive there or go on a hike that starts close to the town’s port. Lighthouse can’t be visited but it makes a nice background for photos.
You can also combine your visit with a short hike to Javea windmills (es. Los Molinos). In their heyday, they were used as grain mills and they date back to the 14th and 18th centuries. We skipped this as they didn’t look like something worth seeing.
Montgó Natural Park
Montgó Natural Park (es. Parque Natural del Montgó) is one of Javea’s most beautiful natural sites, dominated by Montgó Mountain with an altitude of 753m a.s.l. It creates a natural border between Denia and Xabia.
There you’ll find many hiking trails and countless breathtaking views. No matter if you’re up for a challenging hike or just want to enjoy a peaceful time among nature – there’s something for everyone in Montgó Natural Park.
To find hiking routes from Javea that might interest you visit alltrails.com website.
How to get to Javea, Spain?
Javea is located about 10km from Denia, 30km from Calpe, 45km from Benidorm, 90km from Alicante, and 115km from Valencia. The most convenient way to get to Javea is by car or bus.
Where to park in Denia?
If you’re traveling by car you can choose from many parking lots in the area. In the old town, we recommend leaving the car in this parking lot and close to the port you can choose this parking lot or try to find a spot along the streets.
Airports near Javea
The closest airports to Javea are located in Alicante (105km away) and in Valencia (115km away). Each airport offers bus connections to Javea. You can check them on rome2rio.com website. At each airport, you can also rent a car.
To Javea by tram/train
Unfortunately, there is no tram or train station in Javea. But from some places like Benidorm, Calpe or Altea you can reach Denia by tram and then continue to Javea by bus. To learn more about connections that might interest you, plan your journey, and see tram maps visit tramalacant.es website.
To Javea by bus
You can quite easily get to Javea by bus. For example, the trip from Alicante will take about 1.5 hours, 2.5 hours from Valencia, and 35 minutes from Denia. To learn more about bus connections that might interest you visit rome2rio.com website. ALSA bus service operates most routes, so you can also check available connections on ALSA website.
Camping in Javea
If you’re traveling by camper, places like Camping Jávea, Camping Los Pinos, or Camping El Naranjal might interest you. They are located in or close to Javea.
Explore local attractions
Things to do in Javea, Spain – Summing up
Javea is such a beautiful place on Costa Blanca, isn’t it? Whether you’re looking for the views, natural beauty, beaches, hiking trails, charming old town, history, or food – Javea won’t disappoint you. There is something for everyone! We hope you like our ideas of things to do in Javea and you’ll have a wonderful time in town!
Our video from Javea
Our opinion about Javea
For us, a visit to Javea was a day trip from Benidorm where we lived for a few weeks. We visited the town in early February and during that time there weren’t many tourists – in the old town we came across just a few but the Port and Arenal Beach areas were a little bit busier (but probably mostly with locals just spending a nice afternoon out).
Overall, we enjoyed our day in Javea, but it didn’t resonate with us like nearby Denia. What we liked most was wandering around its old town – it felt very clean, safe, and well-preserved. And Cap de Sant Antoni was just magnificent – we spent an hour there just sitting and enjoying the views. Just wow! Exploring everything we wanted in Javea took us about 6 or 7 hours.
Restaurants, accommodations, and map
Check out various recommended places below.
Where to eat in Javea?
Here are your best, high-rated options in Javea:
Where to sleep in Javea?
Hotel Jávea
Hotel Jávea is a stylish and cozy hotel located just steps from the beautiful coastline. It features modern, comfortable rooms, some with stunning sea views, and an on-site restaurant serving delicious local cuisine. With its prime location near the beach, marina, and charming old town, it’s a perfect choice for a relaxing coastal getaway.
Aparthotel Bahia Pinosol
Aparthotel Bahía Pinosol is a comfortable and family-friendly accommodation in Javea surrounded by lush gardens and just a short drive from the beach. The spacious apartments come with fully equipped kitchens, private terraces, and access to outdoor pools, making it an ideal choice for both short and long stays. With its peaceful setting and proximity to Javea’s attractions, it offers a relaxing retreat on the Costa Blanca.
Villa Dora (Only Adults)
Villa Dora is a charming holiday home in Javea offering a private pool, lush garden, and stunning mountain views. The villa features spacious, well-equipped interiors, including a modern kitchen and comfortable living areas, perfect for a relaxing getaway. Located close to the beach and local attractions, it provides an ideal blend of tranquility and convenience for visitors.
