The heart of Javea, where all real adventures begin
Javea, also known as Xàbia in the local Spanish dialect valenciano, is one of the most charming and spectacular towns on the Costa Blanca. Javea is renowned for its beautiful beaches, incredible lifestyle, and sunny days (over 330 of them a year!). It is a dream destination for those who are searching for some peace and quite, but also for those who crave activity and adventure. It is located directly between Valencia and Alicante, positioning it exactly an hour away from either airport of your choice! Javea is located in the Valencian Municipality and has two official languages: Spanish and valenciano. Nonetheless, don’t worry, English is the most widely spoken foreign language in the area, thus you’ll be able to get by without any issue even without any Spanish knowledge! But here’s one to remember: “una cerveza por favor!”.
Javea is divided into three main areas. First, we have the Arenal beach, the focal point of this page. It is considered to be the heart of Javea, with an abundance of restaurants, shops and an incredible pearl shaped beach big enough for everyone! Second, we also have the Javea Port area, a region that we will cover in a lot more detail on our San Antonio page! And finally, we have the historic center, also known as the Javea Old Town. It is architecturally beautiful representing a pocket Spanish history at its finest, with little traditional restaurants scattered around the maze-like streets. If tapas is your thing, well, so is the old town!
Due it its incredible versatility, Javea is for absolutely perfect for everyone. Do you want to perhaps come to Javea with your family and children to enjoy the protected and lifeguard-secure sandy beaches? Or are you maybe seeking a little bit more adventure, seeking abandoned bays and beaches like those found near Granadella and Portixol? Perhaps you’re the type who wants to relax and enjoy the tranquility of the sunrise or the sunset... or the type who stays out partying between the sunset until the sunrise! Well luckily for you, Javea has something in store for absolutely everyone!
The Arenal, located at the heart of Javea, is by far one of the most popular, accessible, and event-packed beaches on the entire Spanish coastline. In fact, the Arenal, much like Granadella beach, has been awarded of the prestigious Bandera Azul (Blue Flag) award multiple times over the years, meaning that the Arenal adheres to an abundant amount of quality standards regarding safety, information, and quality assurance. Just a little fun fact, since the awards began in 1987, Spain has had more blue flags than any other country, the Arenal playing a significant part in them!
What is the best beach in Javea? Is it perhaps Granadella due to its incredible landscape, or is it Portixol due to its magnificent marine flora and fauna? Or could it be San Antonio, renowned for combining the best of both worlds? Well... all these beaches do have their merits, but when it comes to life and vibrancy, the Arenal is by far the best beach in Javea! Being absolutely jam-packed with wonderful restaurants, bars, stores and other convenient businesses that you’d expect to find in a popular touristic location, the Arenal is by far the best choice if you seek to experience something fun and eventful! If I still haven't convinced you, just keep reading!
On top of all the mentioned services, the Arenal has an incredibly sophisticated lifeguard service covering the entire beach! This makes the Arenal beach one of the best and safest choices for families with young children, having the assurance of dozens of lifeguards surveilling and monitoring every part of the beach for most of the day. Equally, the Arenal beach is uniquely pearl shaped, meaning that strong waves and currents don’t tend to affect the beach as it is sheltered by the outer rim of the coastline!
The Arenal beach is the only beach in Javea that is entirely sandy, a place where you don’t have to worry about uncomfortable pebbles digging into your feet when you walk across it! Instead, you can lay down your towels and sun umbrellas and enjoy the sun on your skin, the delicate sea breeze across your skin, and the refreshing Mediterranean salty air around you! On the Arenal beach you can find almost every service you’d expect from a popular beach, from children’s playgrounds, beach volleyball nets, sun umbrellas and sunbeds, every types of restaurant, pharmacies, supermarkets and recycling bins!
As the Arenal is considered to be the heart of Javea, it only makes sense that it is action-packed and filled with activities for absolutely everyone! Now, I could go on and bore you with the details of all the restaurants, and how one serves paella and the other some pizza... but you’re here to have some real fun, and after over a decade of experience, we really do know how to have fun!
One of the best ways to experience all of Javea is on two wheels! Not only will you be able to cruise down the incredible Primer Montañar coastal road of Javea especially designed for cyclists, but you’ll also be able to visit all three parts of Javea, the Arenal, the Port and the Old Town! Luckily for you, Siesta Advisor has a bike in store for all ages and skills, but here are two of my favorite bikes that I would recommend!
If you are a beginner and wanting to experience everything that Javea has to offer, I would recommend an electric bike (ebike) that will allow you to get extra miles in with no effort at all. With an electric bike in Javea, no hill is too steep, and no distance is too great, allowing for a perfect expedition during your holidays! You could even take the incredible coastal Cabo de la Nao Road, arriving at destinations such as Portixol or Granadella!
However, if you’re looking for a nice and easy ride around the town or along Javea’s long coastal promenade, combined with some style, comfort and elegance, our brand-new city cruiser bikes could be the perfect answer for you. It’s double-padded and wide saddle provides extreme comfort to every user, allowing for slow and gentle cruising for extended periods of time either down the incredible coastline of Javea or up in the historic and ancient Old Town!
Having the privilege of having a world-class athlete leading our paddle boarding activities, I say we trust James Van Drunen when he says that Javea is one of the best places he’s ever been to when it comes to paddle boarding! Here are some of our absolute favorite activities that’ll help you understand just why Javea is so special.
If you’re an early bird, or perhaps a late bloomer, I personally recommend our incredible sunrise or sunset paddle board excursions where you’ll be able to experience the spectacle that Javea’s horizon puts on display every single day. What makes this even better is that you will be accompanied by the man, the myth, the legend, James himself, who will teach you the basics of paddle boarding and share his vast amounts of experience and stories with you!
However, if you simply want to take a board out on your own, or with a group of friends, and explore the incredible coastline of Javea yourself, we can also arrange that with our paddle board rentals. And don’t worry, paddle boards are for all ages and skill levels, allowing the activity to be experienced by virtually all! And as always, our experienced and world-class instructors are always there to help teach you the right technique and help you in any way you may need before you hit the water!
So how do you get to Javea? Well, for those coming from abroad, it is fairly simple! Javea is perfectly positioned between two incredibly useful airports: Alicante-Elche airport, and Valencia airport. The one located in Alicante is perfect for Western European groups and families, as there is a significant influx of flights there from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, etc. On the other end of the spectrum, Valencia airport is perfect for those coming from further East, from countries like Italy, Hungary, Romania, etc. Nonetheless, the most important thing to note is that no matter which airport you fly to, you’ll be within an hour’s reach of Javea, and its heart, the Arenal!
Luckily for you, out of all the beaches that Siesta Advisor covers and that Javea has, the Arenal is by far the most easily accessible and convenient when it comes to wanting to spend the day at the beach! Due to its extensive size, just under half a kilometer long, there is parking for absolutely everyone! Be it behind a residential urbanization, or in one of the allocated parking zones next to the Arenal, you’ll always be able to find parking. Worst comes to worse, you’ll simple have to park a little bit further away than usual and walk a few minutes. But when you get to the beach, the few minute walk will have been absolutely worth it!
Unlike Granadella and Portixol, there is also no limitations on how many people can enter the beach during the summer months, and the Arenal will never be subject to a control limiting access when the beach starts getting busy! This means that if you’re planning a late night out partying away with the gang, or perhaps you want some quality family time in the morning with your children, you’ll not have to worry about getting up before the sun is even up to guarantee yourself a spot on the beach! Don’t worry, you can thank me later for that extra hour or two of sleep you can get after reading this!
How do you get to the Arenal? Well, that’s a simple one! As it resides at the heart of Javea, it is very easy to access from almost anywhere & everywhere in town. Obviously one of the simplest ways to get down to this beach would be with a car. However, strangely enough, there are countless other ways to get to the Arenal that might actually be easier and more pleasurable!
For example, regardless of parking being easier on this beach due to its size, that still does not mean that you won’t have any difficulties finding a spot, something that could easily be avoided by using one of our Vespas! There is always reserved motorbike spaces on the Arenal, meaning you’ll never have to worry about parking far away.
If you fancy something a little bit more active and adventurous, you could equally cycle down to the Arenal, there being designated cycling paths from almost every part of Javea. For example, the most famous one is the Primer Montañar road, stretching all the way from the Port of Javea to the Arenal! And what’s even better, if you have had enough of the Arenal, you can always switch things up and go to the Port beach called La Grava.
And if neither of these options take your fancy, you could always consider walking! That’s right! You could walk to the Arenal from almost any part of Javea, and I can promise you that it’ll be a very memorable one. Nonetheless, if you’re still hesitating regarding how to get to the Arenal, just give us a ring on +34 639 908 367 or email on info@siestaadvisor.com and we’ll be more than happy to help!
As the Arenal is the biggest beach in Javea, it should come as no surprise that it is absolutely jam-packed with wonderful restaurants, bars, stores and other convenient businesses that you’d expect to find in a popular touristic location. However, here’s a few things you should take advantage of!
From the Arenal’s wide variety of restaurant, we strongly recommend Chabada which offers a wide range of international and national dishes and has an amazing nocturnal environment for those looking to experience Javea’s party life! For those looking for more of a cozy environment with some TV’s showcasing the most popular sporting events, Geographic is the right choice for you! But if you’re looking for some of the best coffee and breakfast around Javea, Nostro is the best place in town! They source and make their own coffee, making it perfect for those who are looking to support local businesses with a sustainable agenda!
As we've previously mentioned, the Arenal is arguably the safest beach in Javea, having dozens of lifeguards (also known as the Cruz Roja) stationed along the entirety of the 480 meter long beach! The presence of the Cruz Roja makes the Arenal a very safe beach, as it has maritime emergency services in case anything happens, as well as two seperate huts on each side of the Arenal where you can be treated for possible injuries, anything from a little cut to some more serious injuries. Additionally, it is important to stay aware of Granadella’s beach flag system which informs people about the conditions of the sea, so, if you plan to go to the Arenal, it will be of great use to know the differences between them:
•. Red flag : you will find this kind of flag on situations where it is forbidden to swim due to dangerous sea conditions.
• Yellow flag : indicates the need to be careful when swimming as the sea conditions are not the best.
• Green flag : shows that it is safe to swim on the beach.
• Jellyfish flag : a white flag with two jellyfish that serves to warn of the high presence of these animals in the water.
Just above the Arenal, heading towards the Port, you will be walking on Javea’s Primer Montañar road, a coastal path that is littered with small little beaches and bays called (also known as Benissero beach), perhaps a little bit quieter than the Arenal beach. It is true that all these beaches have pebbles rather than sand, but that doesn’t take away from how beautiful this stretch of Javea’s coastline is. For those wanting the assurance of lifeguards nearby, there is a Cruz Roja station in the middle of this beach!
Equally, just below the Arenal, you can reach another one of Javea’s little treasures, Cala Blanca beach. This beach is very popular with tourists and locals alike for it’s accessibility, as well as its beauty. It has some magnificent sandstone tunnels, perfect for photos and shelter from the sun if you don’t happen to have a sun umbrella! From Cala Blanca you can also paddle board to close by beaches, such as the Cala del Francés or Cala Sardinera. Do not worry, if you do not own a paddle board but you are up for an adventure, you can always count on Siesta Advisor to organize one for you!
