A Private Day Trip from Valencia to Jávea

Why Jávea

Jávea, or Xàbia in Valencian, sits in a wide bay between two capes, with the Montgó rising behind it like a sleeping animal. A day trip from Valencia to Jávea is a day of light and water: limestone cliffs, coves of clear blue sea, pine-covered headlands and a small old town built in golden stone.

The town has three faces. The old town sits a little inland, as it was built to be safe from pirates. The port lies on the water, with its fishing boats and its morning catch. The Arenal is the sandy beach, lined with places to eat. Around them, the coast breaks into coves that are best seen early in the day, or from a boat.

How the day unfolds

Morning. Your driver collects you after breakfast. The road runs south past the orange groves of La Safor and into the Marina Alta, with the Montgó growing on the horizon.

Cap de la Nau. The first stop is the cape, the easternmost point of the Valencian coast, where the lighthouse stands above cliffs that drop straight into the sea. On a clear day you can see Ibiza. Below the cape, the road winds down to the coves: small, stony, and very clear.

A cove. Depending on the season, we choose one cove for a swim or a slow walk. In summer the most popular coves have limited access by car, which is one more reason to arrive early with a driver who knows the road.

The old town. Late in the morning, a walk through the historic center: the fortified Gothic church of Sant Bertomeu, the narrow streets of tosca stone, the windows with their iron grilles, and the municipal market if it is open. With a private guide, the walk becomes a story of farmers, sailors and the raisin trade that once made the town rich.

Lunch. A long lunch by the water, at the port or along the Arenal, with rice, fish from the morning boats or a plate of local red prawn. We choose the table for the day and the season, often a rice house by the port.

For a special occasion, the lunch can instead be at BonAmb, Alberto Ferruz’s Michelin-starred restaurant on the edge of town, where the menu is built on the produce and the sea of the Marina Alta. It is a long tasting-menu lunch, so we keep the morning light and book well ahead.

Afternoon. A coffee at the port, under the modern church of Nuestra Señora de Loreto, whose roof recalls the hull of a boat. Or simply time on the beach before the drive home.

Return. Back in Valencia in the early evening, in time to rest before dinner.

Jávea by sea

The finest way to understand this coast is from the water. We can arrange a private boat along the cliffs between Cap de Sant Antoni and Cap de la Nau, past sea caves and the islet of El Portitxol, with a swim in a cove you cannot reach on foot and lunch on board. From late spring to early autumn, this is often the highlight of the trip.

When to go

Jávea is at its best in May, June, September and October, when the sea is clear and warm enough for swimming but the coves are calm. In July and August the town is full and the coves crowded, so we start very early or go by boat. In winter it is quiet and green, better for walking the Montgó and long lunches than for swimming.

Combining Jávea with other places

Jávea and Dénia sit on either side of the Montgó, and a single day can include both: the cape and the coves in the morning, the fishing port of Dénia in the afternoon. For a slower pace, we can add a night on the coast and continue to Altea the next day.