Quaint Towns Of Javea And Moraira

Costa Blanca, or the White Coast, is renowned for its beautiful beaches that stretch on and on to its outskirts to Javea, Denia, Gandia and Torrevieja in the south, even spilling over to smaller-sized tourist spots, like Moraira, Altea and Calpe.

JAVEA

This little quaint town is situated at the Montgo Mountain foothills on the north side of Costa Blanca and has a good reputation as the region’s popular tourist resort. This tiny town attracted north European tourists as far back as 30 years ago and has become their second home today. Javea is an extremely charming and favored tourist spot that offers lots of activities and fun to its visitors on its golden beaches.

Javea is sectioned into the old town, Javea Pueblo, the busy port, Javea Puerto and the main beach, Playa de Arenal. The old town and port have been well linked for easier access while Playa de Arenal is barely 3 kilometers away on a rocky beach. The old town, Javea Pueblo, is very quaint with its Gothic buildings that are fully white washed, as well as its Gothic church known as San Bartolome. There is an interesting market that sells fresh fish, fruits and greens from around the region.

MORAIRA

Moraira is quite close to Javea, lying on the latter’s south; Benidorm is at a 30 minute drive to the south. The atmosphere is pleasant as this former fishing village continues to offer a picturesque view over the Calpe Rock, known locally as El Peñon de Ifach. The town’s main industry today is certainly tourism, although this town still holds the Spanish charm that endears it as a preferred port to many locals and tourists.

Although it is well known for its fish and chip delicacy, Moraira still can offer a wide selection of local fare in its numerous restaurants. There is a quaint location near the port where the fish market holds fish auctions every morning, except on Sundays, for the morning’s catch. It is quite an experience to observe the hive of activity at the fish auction early in the morning.

The main beach at Moraira is Platja de l’Ampolla, which is only 500 meters away from the fish market. There are a few attractive beach spots along the Moraira coastline that offer clean golden sands and crystal clear, turquoise waters with a splatter of bars at the beachfront.

Although the beaches south of Moraira are rather rocky, they still make a good choice for snorkeling. For the shopaholics, Moraira offers its faithful weekly Friday markets. Nearby Teulada offers a weekly Wednesday market. Teulada is an ancient Spanish village which was the ‘old Moraira’ and houses an ancient church and chapel.

Some of the region’s best wines can be tasted at San Vicente Ferrer, which houses a wide selection in its wine cellar. The best time to taste the local brew here is during the Moscatel Festival that takes place every September.

Although Moraira does not offer many hotels, it is easy enough to rent private apartments and villas and to enjoy your stay here.