The Coast

Caserío del Mirador is in the centre of a peninsular with an attractive coastline half an hour’s drive to the north, east and south. There are a variety of resorts with good facilities, interesting coastal walks, and a number of ports and marinas to visit. A day out at the coast can include a scenic drive, finding new play areas, an enjoyable lunch and of course splashing around on the beach. Most resorts have good shopping facilities and there is the opportunity to wander around and discover the old parts of these traditional towns.

Oliva – the least built up of all the resorts, its 10km beach runs towards Denia and is often deserted although it can be exposed to the prevailing winds and rip currents, be sure to stay near a lifeguard if you want to go swimming. The beach is popular with kite surfers and other water sports due to the wind and waves, fun at the weekend when you can look down the beach at all the activity.

Denia - the most established town in the area, founded by the Romans, Denia was an important port up to the beginning of the 20th century exporting citrus fruit and raisons to the UK. The remnant of this bustling port is the regular ferry service to the Balearic Islands and the town is slightly smarter than the resorts with a more sophisticated restaurant scene. To the north is Las Marinas, a resort of low rise apartments with restaurants on the beach. To the south of the port a more interesting coastline with coves and more protected beaches from the wind.

   

Javea / Xabia – a popular and attractive resort with a large bay separated from Denia by the Montgo mountain, a 600 meter peak surrounded by natural park. Javea is framed to the south by the Cap de Nao, the rugged cape and the most eastern point of the coast of Valencia. Here there are a variety of hidden coves, beaches, cliff walks and lookout points.

The main beach is Arenal with its long promenade, lots of restaurants and a wide sandy beach. Away from traffic, children can roam freely and enjoy the climbing frames on the sand while parents can watch from a neighbouring bar or from the shade of one of the palms.

On the other side of the Parador towards the port, there are some popular chiringuitos, or beach bars. The port is home to a small fishing fleet where it is still possible to watch nets being repaired in the streets. The port area has its own promenade and is popular for eating out, boutique shopping and dramatic villas looking south across the bay.

The old town is attractive with a historic church and tosca stone townhouses. It was sited a couple kilometres inland to save the townspeople from pirate raids from the sea.

   

Moraira - south of the Cap de Nao is the resort of Moraira. Originally a fishing village, the square has a small church as well as an assortment of cafes, shops and restaurants. The town has an attractive marina with a portside restaurant, a thriving market on a Friday and the restaurant bar on L'Ampolla beach does excellent paella. 2km north is the small El Portet bay, a small beach surrounded by cafes, restaurants and glamorous villas. Often yachts will be anchored in the bay adding to the view out to sea. Well worth a visit.

Heading out of Moraira is a winding road taking you to Calpe through the heart of some of the most attractive scenery along coast. Villas with beautiful gardens, high up in the hills above and right down below among the small hidden beach coves all looking out across the sparkling Mediterranean.

   

Calpe - further to the south is Calpe, another former fishing village that has grown out of all recognition in the past 20 years. The town has two long sandy beaches separated by a 332 meter high rock, the famous Penon de Ifach – another challenging climb. Behind the Penon is the fishing port and close by is Las Salinas, an inland lagoon where flamingos are often seen.