{"id":93141,"date":"2023-09-13T16:47:07","date_gmt":"2023-09-13T13:47:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alegria-realestate.com\/?p=93141"},"modified":"2025-08-14T19:52:30","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T16:52:30","slug":"javea-spain-what-to-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alegria-realestate.com\/en\/articles\/city-of-spain\/javea-spain-what-to-do","title":{"rendered":"Javea area guide: things to see and to do in Javea, Alicante"},"content":{"rendered":"

Javea is an incredibly beautiful city, located in the north of the Costa Blanca<\/a>, surrounded by mountains, forests, orange groves and olive groves. In addition, it has a wonderful climate. Javea has been recognized by the UN as one of the best places in the world to live.<\/p>\n

The population of Javea, according to 2018 data from the National Statistics Institute (INEC, for its acronym in Spanish), was 27 224 people.
\nJavea is located in a privileged area between the sea and the mountains. The city is protected from cold winds and rainfall by the capes of San Antonio and Nao, as well as by the mountain range Sierra del Montg\u00f3. Thanks to this, the climate in Javea is warm and sunny almost all year round.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, Javea has good transport connections with other cities of the Costa Blanca. Javea is 86 km from Alicante<\/a> (98 km from Alicante Elche airport); 113 km from Valencia; 46 km from Benidorm; 11 km from Denia; 14 km from Moraira; 38 km from Altea; and 155 km from Torrevieja<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The city is divided into three main parts: the old town, the port area and the Arenal beach area.<\/p>\n

Javea old town<\/h2>\n

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\nThe historic city centre is located some distance from the sea (about 3 km). The reason why the old town is so far from the sea<\/a> is that, in ancient times, the city was frequently attacked by pirate raids, forcing its residents to settle far from the coast, surrounded by a protective wall.
\nThe incredible atmosphere that this city once had has been preserved in the old town of Javea: narrow streets; whitewashed facades of traditional houses; bows; gothic windows with wrought iron bars; and rough stone decoration, typical of this area. A walk through the old town is a true journey back through time.<\/p>\n

Walking through the old town of Javea, you will see the St. Bartholomew Church-Fortress, from the XIV – XVI centuries, a wonderful example of Gothic architecture. There are nearby the beautiful buildings of great historical value: the Palau dels Sapena (XV century) and the Casa dels Bolufer (XVIII-XIX centuries); as well as the Abastos Municipal Market building (1946) and the Town Hall (18th century, rebuilt in the 20th century).<\/p>\n

From here, walking along Calle Primicies, you will find the Soler Blasco Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum, located inside the 17th century palace of Antoni Banyuls. If you continue down Major Street, you will see the Casa de Tena from 1867, where the CA Lambert exhibition hall is currently located. A few meters from here, on the d\u00b4Avall street, is the Capella de Santa Anna. Continuing along the Mayor street, you will reach Pl. Del Convent, where the Convento e Iglesia de Agustinas Descalzas.<\/p>\n

As you walk up Avenida Pr\u00edncep d\u00b4Asturies, you will come across a reconstructed fragment of an old fortified medieval wall. From here, you can go to Montaner Javea Park, where the Riurau dels Catal\u00e0 d\u00b4Arnauda historical monument is located, moved here from its original location, and which is evidence of the importance of the raisin trade in this area.<\/p>\n

In addition to the historical and architectural monuments, you will find many shops, bars and restaurants in the centre of Javea, many of which have a long history and have been passed down from generation to generation.<\/p>\n

At the Abastos Municipal Market, you can buy fresh local products. In addition, once a week (Thursdays, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.), an outlet market is held in the Plaza de la Constituci\u00f3n and the Placeta del Convent.<\/p>\n

Javea Port and the Duanes de la Mar neighbourhood<\/h2>\n

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\nProgressively, the threat of pirate attacks diminished, and in this way the city began to grow, expanding towards the sea.<\/p>\n

The port of Javea appeared in the fifteenth century, but until the sixteenth century did not play an important role in the life of the city. From the sixteenth century, the port began to develop rapidly thanks to the raisin trade, which peaked in the nineteenth century. In 1871, the first pier was built. In the late 19th century, the trade in raisins decreased and the port gradually began to become a fishing centre. In addition, a fishermen’s neighbourhood with narrow streets and typical fishermen’s houses grew near the port.<\/p>\n

There is a fish market and an auction exchange in the port of Javea, where you can buy fresh seafood and fish.
\nNot far from the port there is a yacht club that offers various water sports and lots of training.
\nThe area of \u200b\u200bthe port of Javea is the most prestigious and expensive to acquire homes.<\/p>\n

The Duanes de la Mar neighbourhood, located next to the port of Javea, is an interesting place to walk with an authentic atmosphere. One of the main attractions of the neighbourhood is the Church of Our Lady of Loreto (Parroquia del Mar), inaugurated in 1967. It is a magnificent example of avant-garde architecture.<\/p>\n

Another attraction of Duanes de la Mar is the restored Casa del Cable<\/a> building from 1860, which today houses the exhibition hall.
\nOver the years, this neighbourhood has developed without losing its originality and charm. Currently, it is one of the busiest places in the city, where you will find many bars, restaurants and shops.<\/p>\n

Also, throughout the year, the Duanes de la Mar neighbourhood becomes the venue for many parties. The most important are the festival of Moors and Christians in July and the festivities in honour of the Virgin of Loreto, the patron saint of the city, in early September.<\/p>\n

Arenal beach area in Javea<\/h2>\n

This is the most popular beach in Javea and the centre of the tourist life of the city. This sandy beach is located in the heart of the bay of Javea, near the port, a short distance from the city centre. This is an ideal place in order to relax with the whole family. It has a well-developed infrastructure, a wide gastronomic offer and plenty of entertainment. Along the beach is the promenade, which is very pleasant for walking. The nightlife is just as lively as the daytime in the summer. British people love the Arenal beach area.<\/p>\n

Javea history<\/h2>\n

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\nJavea is one of the oldest cities on the Costa Blanca, which has preserved vestiges of many cultures and bygone eras. Furthermore, Javea is an important strategic point due to its geographic location.<\/p>\n

The oldest findings that testify to the human presence in this area were discovered in the Cova Foradada cave, and date back to the Upper Palaeolithic era (approximately 30 000 years ago). In turn, in the Cova del Montg\u00f3 cave, ceramic remains, Neolithic burials and the first metal tools from the Bronze Age were found. Likewise, a collective Neolithic burial and religious wall paintings were discovered in the cave Cova del Barranc de Migd\u00eda.
\nInstead, the find called “The Iberian Treasure of Javea”, discovered in 1904, belongs to the era of the Iberians and consists of gold and silver jewellery dating from the IV-II century B.C.<\/p>\n

Likewise, the legacy of the Roman Empire is represented by the Necr\u00f3polis de Muntagnar and the ruins of a salt trading post.
\nThe era of Muslim rule is represented by many architectural and historical monuments. In addition, the memory of this time has been preserved through many geographical Arabic names of this area.<\/p>\n

Also, many architectural monuments have been preserved in Javea since the Middle Ages. Javea has recently experienced a significant increase in the active development of the raisin trade. The city grew significantly, and its infrastructure developed: a port, a theatre and the Bullring were built.<\/p>\n

Javea experienced an important demographic growth in the XV century. The city continued to grow while the local bourgeoisie preferred the area around the church of San Bartolom\u00e9. You can find Gothic houses from the XV – XVII centuries in the streets of Sor M\u00aa Gallart, Pl. de l\u2019Esgl\u00e9sia, Sta.Marta, Sor Catalina Bas, S. Pere Martir, Metge Gonz\u00e1lez, Major, i Estret. A striking example of civil Gothic style is the 15th-century Palau dels Sapena on Pla\u00e7a de l’Esgl\u00e9sia.<\/p>\n

From the end of the 18th century and throughout the 19th century, representatives of the bourgeoisie who were involved in the raisin trade, together with wealthy farmers, built luxury houses in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Church of Our Lady of Loreto, built in 1515 and destroyed in 1870. Here some examples of such houses: Casa dels Bolufer, Casa de les Prim\u00edcies, Casa Arnauda (or Casa de la Senyoreta Josefina), Casa Abad\u00eda, Casa de Montalb\u00e1n, Casa de Tena (now CA Lambert).<\/p>\n

The fortress walls around J\u00e1vea were completely demolished due to the expansion of the city, in the period between 1869-1874. This allowed the construction of wide routes for the delivery of goods from the Pl. Del Convento to the port. Currently, these are the avenues Pr\u00edncep d\u2019Ast\u00faries and Av.<\/p>\n

D\u2019Alacant. You can see the houses of the merchants who made a fortune through the raisin trade in these avenues. You can also see the building called Riurau de los Catal\u00e0 d\u00b4Arnauda<\/a> in the Montaner Park, which was moved here from its original location. This fact shows how important the raisin trade was for Javea. We are talking about one of the special facilities for drying grapes: Riurau.<\/p>\n

In addition, the Santa Anna chapel has been preserved since the Middle Ages, and it is located on d’Avall street, It used to belong to the hospital built in 1502, which was not preserved. The chapel is open to visitors from Monday to Friday, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.<\/p>\n

Those who are interested in the history of architecture, the Windmills of \u201cLa Plana<\/a>\u201d, from the XIV-XVIII centuries, and the watchtowers Torre Vig\u00eda de Ambolo<\/a> and Torre de Portitxol<\/a>, from the 16th century, are essential places to visit.<\/p>\n

You can get acquainted with the history of Javea, from ancient times to the present day, at the Soler Blasco Archaeological Museum<\/a>. It is located in the building of the Casa del Palacio Antoni Banyuls (palace-house of Antoni Banyuls).<\/p>\n

Javea: places of interest<\/h2>\n

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The best viewpoints of Javea<\/h3>\n

Lovers of the beautiful views and impressive photos, offered by the viewpoints of Javea, can fully enjoy the beauty of nature in this area. Below, you will find a list of the best viewpoints in Javea:<\/p>\n