Javea, or Xàbia, comes in three parts, a medieval old town inland, a working fishing port, and the sandy Arenal beach area, with the 753-metre Montgó standing over the lot (technically under 1000m so a tall hill rather than a mountain but if you're walking up it, it's tall enough).
Highlights of your Javea Holidays 2026/2027
Cala Granadella - A cove of clear water between two cliffs, regularly voted one of the best beaches in Spain, about fifteen minutes from town. Parking is limited and it fills early, so go before ten or take a boat.
A working fishing port - Not a marina dressed up as one. The fleet still lands here in the late afternoon and the restaurants along the quay buy from it.
Montgó - The 753-metre mountain (tall hill) between Javea and Dénia, a natural park since 1987, and known locally as the sleeping elephant. There is a summit route for people who want it and gentler trails through the windmills for people who do not.
Three towns in one - The medieval old town inland, the port on the water, and the sandy Arenal a couple of kilometres round the bay.
Good to Know - Holidays to Javea 2026/2027
☀️ Weather - Around 300 days of sunshine, with July and August highs of 30 to 32°C and a sea that reaches 26°C by August. Winters are mild rather than warm, 12 to 18°C, which makes them walking weather rather than beach weather.
💶 Money - Euros, and no tourist tax. The Valencian Community legislated for one and then repealed it in 2023 before it ever came into force, so unlike the Balearics or Catalonia there is nothing to settle at the desk when you check out. Reckon on €3 to €4 for a beer and €14 to €20 for a restaurant main, and look for the menú del día at lunch, a set two or three courses with a drink for around €15.
🐾 Fun fact - Montgó, the mountain behind the town, is known locally as the sleeping elephant. From the coast road the ridge reads as a head with a trunk running down into the sea, and once you have seen it you cannot unsee it.
Javea is perfect for you if...
You want the Costa Blanca without the bit of the Costa Blanca that put you off the Costa Blanca
You would rather eat where the fishing boats unload than where the menus have photographs
You are happy to hire a car, because half of what makes this place good is fifteen minutes away
You want a beach holiday with a mountain attached, and you intend to walk up at least part of it
You have done Benidorm with (or without) the kids and want somewhere with the same weather but a totally different vibe
Beaches in Javea
Javea has one proper sandy beach and a run of coves, and knowing which is which before you arrive saves a lot of driving.
Arenal beach - Playa del Arenal if you are reading a road sign. The main beach and the only large sandy one, backed by the promenade and most of the resort's bars and restaurants. Shallow, calm, lifeguarded through the season, with volleyball nets and play frames. This is the beach to book near if you have small children.
Cala Granadella - The famous one, fifteen minutes south, a horseshoe of clear water between pine cliffs. Shingle rather than sand, superb for snorkelling, and with two restaurants above it. The car park is small and it closes when full, so mornings or a boat.
Playa La Grava - The port beach, a short stretch of pebbles right in front of the harbour. Not the prettiest, but it is walkable from anywhere in the port, the water is calm, and you can be eating lunch two minutes after you get out.
Cala Portitxol - Also called Cala Barraca. Pebbles, exceptionally clear water, and the rock formations offshore that make it the best snorkelling spot in Javea. Steps down and no facilities to speak of, so take what you need.
Cala Blanca - A rocky cove on the road out to the Cabo de la Nao, with natural platforms rather than a beach. Divers and swimmers rather than sunbathers.
Cala Sardinera - The quiet one. A twenty-minute walk in from the road, which is exactly why it stays empty in August.
Top Hotels in Javea
Javea is a villa-and-apartment sort of place rather than a big-hotel one, and the choice reflects that. Three properties, all four-star, and the difference between them is really a difference of location.
Parador de Javea is the one on the beach, sitting directly behind Arenal beach in gardens of palm and bougainvillea, with the outdoor pool looking over the bay. Every room faces either the sea or the gardens. If you want to walk out of reception and onto the sand, this is the only one that does it.
El Rodat sits among the pines about four kilometres from the centre and a kilometre and a half from the water, and trades the beach for quiet, a spa, a heated outdoor pool and two à la carte restaurants. Every room has its own balcony or terrace. It suits people who want the coves and the walking rather than the promenade.
Pinosol is a four-star apartment complex a couple of kilometres back from the beach with three pools, a playground, a gym and a Mediterranean restaurant for the nights nobody wants to cook. Self-catering kitchens and separate living areas make it the practical pick for families and groups, and shops and bars are on the doorstep.
Local Lingo
Javea is bilingual. Spanish is understood everywhere, but the local language is Valencian, a form of Catalan, and it is what most of the signage is in. That is also why the town has two names rather than one: Xàbia in Valencian, Javea or Jávea in Spanish. Neither is a misspelling of the other.
Hola - oh-la - Hello. Works in both languages.
Bon dia - bon dee-ah - Good morning, in Valencian. Buenos días in Spanish.
Per favor - per fa-vor - Please, in Valencian. Por favor in Spanish, near enough identical.
Gràcies - grah-see-es - Thank you, in Valencian. Gracias in Spanish.
Adéu - ah-they-oo - Goodbye.
Quant costa? - kwant kos-ta - How much is it?
Una canya - oo-na kan-ya - A small draught beer, and the standard order at any bar along Arenal beach.
El compte, per favor - el kom-tuh per fa-vor - The bill, please.
Platja - plat-cha - Beach, in Valencian. Playa in Spanish, and you will see both on the road signs within a mile of each other.
Javea Holidays 2026/2027 - Travel Guide
🏖️ What are the best things to do in Javea for beach lovers?
Arenal beach - Sand, shallow water, volleyball nets and everything else within a hundred metres of the towel.
Cala Granadella - Fifteen minutes south and worth the early start. Clear water, pine cliffs and two restaurants above the cove.
Snorkelling at Cala Portitxol - Rock formations just offshore and visibility that makes them worth looking at.
Kayaking the coves - Operators run from the port and from Granadella, and the sea caves along this stretch are only reachable by water.
👨👩👧👦 What are the best things to do on a Javea family holiday?
Arenal beach - Calm shallow water and climbing frames right behind the sand.
The gentle side of Montgó - Skip the summit, which is a rocky three to five hour round trip. The Les Planes windmill trail and the walk to the Cova de l'Aigua are both short, well marked and manageable with children.
Dénia's castle - Twenty minutes up the coast, a proper hilltop fortress with a museum inside and the whole bay from the walls.
Boat trips from the port - Half-day runs down the coast to swim in coves you cannot drive to.
💑 What are the best things to do in Javea for couples?
Dinner on the port - The quay restaurants, the fleet tied up in front of you, and a walk along the harbour afterwards.
Sunset from the Cabo de la Nao - The lighthouse on the southern headland, and the drive out to it through the pines.
The old town in the evening - Small squares, the fortified church lit up, and tapas bars with no menu in English.
A boat to a cove you cannot drive to - Half-day trips run from the port, and the water is at its clearest in the morning.
🍽️ What are the best things to do in Javea for foodies?
The port fish market - Late afternoon, when the fleet comes in and the day's catch goes under the hammer.
Tapas in the old town - Cheaper than the seafront and considerably more Spanish.
Arroz a banda - The local rice dish, cooked in fish broth and served separately from the fish that made it. Every restaurant on the port does a version.
The Thursday market - Produce, cheese and cured meat in the old town, and it starts early.
🥾 What are the best things to do in Javea for adventurers?
The Montgó summit - The PR-CV 355 route, eight to nine kilometres round trip, three to five hours, and genuinely rocky and steep at the top. Boots, water and an early start.
Cova Tallada - A sea cave cut out of the cliff as a stone quarry, which you can walk to and swim into. From 15 June to 15 October you need a free advance booking through the Montgó Natural Park to go on foot, and people are turned away at the path without one. Kayak operators sort their own access.
The San Antonio marine reserve - Protected water off the cape, and the best diving and snorkelling in the area.
The Cabo de la Nao clifftops - Marked paths along the headland, with the drop on one side and the pines on the other.
🗓 When to visit Javea
June-September (Peak season sunshine)
There's a reason everyone flocks here in summer! Temperatures hit 28-32°C with barely a cloud in the sky. All beach facilities are open, water sports centres in full swing, and the town's buzzing with energy. The beaches get properly busy July-August, especially Granadella and Arenal, so arrive early for parking. Sea temperatures are gorgeous for swimming, reaching 26°C by August. Book hotels well ahead as it's the most popular time for jollies from the UK and Ireland.
April-May, October (Brilliant shoulder season)
Proper sweet spot for visiting. Spring (April-May) warms to comfortable 20-25°C, perfect for beach days without melting. The coves are quieter, parking's easier, and hotel prices drop. October stays warm at 22-27°C with calmer seas gorgeous for swimming. Many beach restaurants and facilities still open. You'll get authentic Spanish atmosphere as more locals are about and fewer tourists crowd the sights.
November-March (Mild and peaceful)
Don't write off winter! Temperatures stay mild at 12-18°C - chilly for swimming but brilliant for hiking Montgó and exploring the old town. The coastline's stunning and peaceful with dramatic waves and fewer crowds. Prices drop significantly, making it proper value. Just be aware many beach facilities close, and some restaurants have reduced hours. Perfect if you want walking holidays with gorgeous Mediterranean scenery.
More Destinations
Denia - The next town north, with a hilltop castle, a bigger port and the ferries out to Ibiza and Formentera.
Calpe - Two long sandy beaches either side of the Peñón de Ifach, the rock you can see from Javea on a clear day.
Altea - Whitewashed old town on a hill above a pebble bay, and the prettiest thing on this stretch of coast.
Alicante - The city, the castle above it and the Explanada. Also the airport most people fly into.
Benidorm - The other end of the scale entirely. Two enormous beaches, the theme parks and the biggest nightlife on the coast.
Albir - Quiet pebble bay and a flat seafront promenade under the Serra Gelada, popular with walkers.
Popular Javea hotels
More Javea hotelsWeather in Javea
JAN
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Javea gets around 300 days of sunshine a year and a climate that stays usable far longer than the school holidays.
July and August run 30 to 32°C with a sea at 26°C and almost no rain.
September holds high twenties and the water stays warm.
October is the one worth knowing about: daytime highs of 22 to 27°C, a sea still around 22°C and perfectly swimmable, and the coves quiet enough to park at, set against the fact that it is also the wettest month of the year, which here means a few heavy afternoons rather than a lost week.
November to March sits at 12 to 18°C, too cold for swimming and close to ideal for walking Montgó and the Cabo de la Nao paths.
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FAQs
What's the best beach in Javea?
What's the best beach in Javea?
Depends who is asking. Cala Granadella is the famous one and deserves the reputation, it's a cove of clear water between pine cliffs about fifteen minutes south, superb for snorkelling, with a car park that fills before ten in summer. Arenal beach is the better answer for families: it is the only large sandy beach, the water is shallow and calm, and everything you need is on the promenade behind it.
How do I get around Javea?
How do I get around Javea?
The three main areas (old town, port, Arenal beach) are quite spread out, so if you're up for driving, hiring a car's your best bet for proper flexibility. Local buses connect the areas but aren't very frequent and don't run late. Taxis are available but prices can add up if you're doing lots of hopping about. Many of our guests who prefer not to drive base themselves in one area and walk to nearby spots, then just plan a few day trips to the other areas.
Is Javea good for families?
Is Javea good for families?
Absolutely brilliant! Arenal Beach has shallow, calm waters perfect for young kids, plus climbing frames and play areas. The port's great for grabbing ice cream and watching boats. Loads of easy walking trails for family hikes, and boat trips let kids spot marine life. It's much quieter than Benidorm so you get authentic Spanish vibes without the chaos.
What's the nightlife like in Javea?
What's the nightlife like in Javea?
It's pretty chilled compared to Benidorm or other Costa Blanca party spots. You'll find beach bars, cocktail lounges, and traditional tavernas perfect for evening drinks and live music. A few clubs stay open late in peak season, but Javea's more about relaxed al fresco dining and sunset drinks than all-night raves.
Is it Javea or Xabia?
Is it Javea or Xabia?
They're the same place! Javea (pronounced ha-vee-a) is the Spanish name, while Xabia (pronounced sha-vee-a) is the local Valencian dialect. You'll see both used interchangeably, though Javea's more common in tourist areas like the Arenal. Signs often show both names, so don't worry - you're in the right spot!
How far is Javea from Alicante Airport?
How far is Javea from Alicante Airport?
About 90km - roughly 90 minutes by car. The drive's straightforward along the AP-7 motorway then coastal roads. We can arrange your airport transfers when you book your jollies with us or of course you can sort yourself if you prefer. Some visitors fly to Valencia Airport instead (about 100km north), which takes a similar amount of time.
Where is Javea?
Where is Javea?
Javea sits on the northern Costa Blanca, on the eastern coast of Spain, in the province of Alicante and the Valencian Community. It occupies the bay between two headlands, Cabo de San Antonio to the north and Cabo de la Nao to the south, with the 753-metre Montgó mountain behind it and Dénia on the other side of that. Alicante is about 98km south, Valencia about 119km north, and Ibiza is a couple of hours away by ferry from Dénia next door.
Do I have to pay a tourist tax in Javea?
Do I have to pay a tourist tax in Javea?
No. The Valencian Community, which covers Javea and the whole Costa Blanca, passed a tourist tax and then repealed it in November 2023 before it ever took effect, and there are no plans to bring it back. So unlike the Balearics or Catalonia, where a per-person nightly charge is settled at the accommodation, there is nothing extra to pay here when you check out. The only extras are the usual ones: the minibar, the spa, and anything you sign for.