Guide to Jàvea (Xàbia)
We’ve written a complete guide to the Javea area, and linked to helpful resources throughout to help you plan the trip of a lifetime.
Where is Jàvea (Xàbia)?
Jàvea (Xàbia) is a small, Spanish coastal town located in the province of Alicante, in the Comunidad Valenciana located in the east of Spain. Jàvea sits between Alicante and Valencia, and is one of the closest towns in Mainland Spain to see the island of Ibiza.
Jàvea is a popular destination for tourists who want a taste of Spanish lifestyle. Javea has a wide range of natural attractions and fun activities that can be enjoyed by visitors of all ages, making it a great place to visit with friends or family.
Jàvea is quite widespread and consists of 3 main parts: the Old Town, tthe Port, and the Arenal beach, where locals and visitors stay, which we cover below.
Jàvea Port
Jávea Port is a large fishing port with a bustling town nearby full of local restaurants, bars and shops. It is also home to the Playa de la Grava beach, and an expansive promenade that overlooks the sea.
The port of Jávea has a small yet sophisticated fishing fleet that operates during the week and sells its catches at the local fish market. Local restaurants and Jávea’s Michelin-star restaurants visit the fish market daily to serve up the latest catches of the day, and the market is also available later to the public.
If you’re looking for a quieter yet beautiful place to enjoy the sea, local restaurants, and bars, and even a cinema, you’ll love the port. The port is located literally in the heart of Jávea. It’s only a short drive, or a pleasant walk to both the Old Town and the Arenal beach.
Jàvea Old Town
Jávea’s Old Town is a historic centre of Jávea, dating back over seven centuries to the medieval era. Its winding alleys and tosca stone buildings retain their traditional architectural charm, even today, serving as remnants of Jávea’s Moorish past.
The Old Town is widely known for its San Bartolomé de Jávea Church, a beautiful Elizabethan Gothic 18th-century church located in the centre of the town. Surrounding the church is a charming, lively square called Plaça de l’Església, often filled with locals and tourists alike. Throughout the year, the square serves as a social hub, hosting various events from live music performances to festive gatherings.
The narrow streets mazing around the old town are lined with specialist, independent shops offering handmade goods, and many restaurants and bars. The Old Town also hosts the Thursday local produce market, as well as the daily Municipal market.
It also serves as a home to Jávea’s local festivals, from Semana Santa, San Sebastian, Carnaval and more, so there is always an event around the corner.
Jàvea Arenal
Jávea’s Playa del Arenal, or Arenal Beach, spans over 480 metres along the central bay. This beach is the only sandy beach in Jávea, featuring coarse golden sand and shallow waters. Its prime location and things to do makes Arenal the central tourist hub in the area, and one of the most popular beaches for swimmers and sunbathers in Jávea.
As the town’s main beach, restaurants, and source of nightlife, the Arenal sees large crowds of locals and tourists during the peak summer months.
Javea Transport
Public Transport
Javea has a local bus service that connects the main areas, including the Old Town, Arenal Beach, and the Port area.
Bus routes aren’t very frequent and run every hour, so we recommend to checking the timetable in advance to plan your journey.
Regional bus services can take you to nearby towns and cities like Denia, Moraira, and Benidorm, making it possible to explore the wider region without a car.
There is a bus station in the Javea Old Town (see address) and you can buy tickets when boarding the buses to visit other cities at a set price. City trips are usually provided through Alsa Bus services. You can also book tickets directly on their site.
Taxis
Taxis are available throughout Javea and can be a convenient option for short trips within the town or for travelling to destinations not easily reached by public transport.
Radio Taxi Javea operates as the main taxi service in Javea. You can download their app 1 TAXI through the iOS App Store and the Google Play App Store to easily book a taxi online, or call them on +34 96 579 11 70. Their taxi fares in Javea are metered, with reasonable rates.
During the day (7:00 – 21:00), Radio Taxi charge €1.07 per km within Javea.
At night (21:00 – 7:00), Radio Taxi charge €1.38 per km within Javea.
It’s customary to tip drivers for their service, but not mandatory!
For the taxi number in Javea to book a service, or a trip to the airport, see below:
Read more about Javea taxis here.
Moving to Javea
Over the years, Jàvea has become a very popular vacation and retirement destination for Europeans due to its scenic location, amazing weather and climate, and easygoing lifestyle.
Language
According to the Municipal registration review, half of the town’s permanent population are foreigners, while over two-thirds of the tourists who visit annually arrive from other countries. The area has a sizeable European/British expat population, though Spanish is still predominantly spoken by locals in town.
You can get by even if you don’t speak Spanish as usually English is well understood, but its always best to be prepared with basic Spanish. There a lots of language schools dedicated to help you learn Spanish at whatever pace you’re looking for.
Schools
There are many schools to choose from in Javea if you’re moving with children.
Public Schools
These are state-funded and follow the Spanish national curriculum. They are usually the default choice for residents and are well-regarded for providing a solid education. Classes are predominantly in Spanish, with Valencian also being a significant part of the curriculum due to the location in the Valencian Community.
Spanish public schools include CEIP Mediterranean and L’Arenal School
International Private Schools
Jávea is home to several international schools, which are popular among expatriate families. These schools offer curricula from different countries (like the International Baccalaureate, British GCSEs and A-Levels) and usually teach in English. They provide a multicultural environment, which can be beneficial for children from international backgrounds.
International private schools include Lady Elizabeth School and Xabia International College which are English-speaking.
Jàvea Weather & Climate
The weather in Jávea varies throughout the year, with hot summers and mild winters. The best time to visit for warm weather and swimming is June to September, while the cooler months of January to March are ideal for exploring the local area and avoiding the busy summer crowds. Even in winter, weather is usually warmer with temperatures averaging 12 degrees in January.
Jàvea does experience occasional extreme rain and storms called Gota Frias – however, these happen for a few days at a time and only appear 2-3 times a year. Gota frias mostly occur in winter and spring months, very rarely in the summer.
Jàvea is widely renowned for having one of the best microclimates in the world according to a study by the World Health Organisation in the 90s – ranking second place after Rio De Janeiro, making it a wonderful place to visit and live.
Jàvea’s Beaches
The main Jàvea beaches include the Arenal beach, La Platja de la Grava and El Granadella beach. We have a guide to Jàvea beaches which gives an in-depth overview to Jàvea’ scenic coastline and where you can find each beach.
There are plenty of fun activities available at the main beaches, including snorkelling, kayaking, paddle boarding, and jet skiing.
Read more about our guide to Javea beaches here, where we cover all of the best beaches in the area.
Jàvea Nightlife
Whether you want to relax with casual drinks and conversation with incredible views, or dance until 6am and watch the Arenal sunrise, Jávea’s nightlife has something to offer to suit all tastes.
In the historic centre and port area, we recommend a bar crawl between the local Spanish bars, for drinks and tapas.
For stunning sunset views with a cocktail in hand, you can choose from the numerous bars and ‘chiringuitos’ all with a sea view. Chiringuitos are The Arenal has the biggest nightlife scene in the area. You’re spoilt for choice with bars which accommodate plenty of different vibes.
These include Chabada, the place for live music with fantastic beach views and unique cocktails. For a club night out, local clubs include Achill, Moli Blanc, Socco and the Javea old town club La Llum.
If you’re looking for a ‘big’ night out with no end to clubs and bars, bigger cities including Benidorm, Valencia and Alicante might be more suitable to visit!
We cover local nightlife in depth in our guide to Javea nightlife.
Shopping & Marketplaces
Jávea is full of shops – from supermarkets, shopping streets, markets and larger shopping centres, there are plenty of places. Shops can be quite scattered all over so if you have a car you’ll easily be able to find the shops you need. We’ve written a larger guide on shopping in Javea with plenty of detail, and covered the main parts to know below.
Supermarkets
You can easily find supermarkets and food shops everywhere in Jávea, the main supermarkets include Mercadona and Masymas which contain all the foods and essentials you’d ever need to buy during your trip. These are located all over the port, old town and the Arenal, and are easy to find and get to.
Clothes Shopping
For clothes shops, we recommend visiting the Port, as well as The Old Town to explore. They have lots of boutique clothes and shoe shops with unique garments.
If you visit the Jávea Thursday Market, you’ll also find plenty of beautiful and traditional clothes.
Shopping Centres
There isn’t a shopping centre in Jàvea, but there is a large shopping centre around a 15-20 minute drive outside the town.
If you’d prefer a shopping day out, we recommend driving out to Ondara and visiting La Marina Shopping centre – this takes up to 20 minutes by car. La Marina has a lot of bigger brands all in one location, complete with a large food court and a cinema.
Food & Restaurants
Jàvea has plenty of restaurants scattered around the old town, the port and the arenal, and in between. There are many incredible places to choose from, from traditional Spanish dishes, or other types of cuisines if you want something different.
Find more in our guide to Javea restaurants, and if you’re looking for something a bit more fancy, we’ve written up about Michelin-star restaurants in Javea.
Jàvea Markets
As mentioned before, there are plenty of Jàvea markets to visit, which you can find on each day of the week.
These include the Thursday Javea market, the indoor market which runs every day, as well as the Sunday market at Jesus Pobre.
Sports in Jàvea
One of the top activities attracting visitors to Jàvea is the chance to get involved in a variety of thrilling and challenging sports. From hiking on the Montgó Mountain, to kayaking along the Cala en Caló, outdoor sports are a huge part of the local culture and tourism industry in Jàvea.
Racket Sports
Tennis is a huge part of Jàvea, with David Ferrer being the face of Javea tennis.
He grew up in Jávea and trained in the Club de Tenis, a fantastic tennis club located in the Arenal which offers a variety of racket sports including padel and squash. We’ve written a guide on where to find tennis courts and padel courts in Javea.
Golf
Javea’s excellent golf courses provide the perfect arenas to improve your handicap.
Local favourites include the Club De Golf Jávea, as well as La Sella Golf Resort based further afoot near to Jesus Pobre town.
Gyms
Looking for gyms in Javea? There are plenty to choose from, dotted around each area of Jàvea.
Local favourites include Planeta Fitness based in the Jávea Old Town, and Elite Gym Xabia based in the Arenal. These gyms offer pay per session and are relatively cheap, starting from 5 euros which is ideal if you’re staying for a short time and not looking to spend on a monthly membership.
Martial Arts Gyms
We’ve also written up a guide which shows the best martial arts gyms in Javea (or close to) which offer classes in BJJ, BJJ No-Gi Muay Thai, MMA, Karate etc.
Theme Parks & Water Parks
Jàvea has multiple theme parks and water parks about an hour’s drive away, which cater to both adults and children alike.
There is one main theme park which is Terra Mitica – inspired by the ancient European civilizations and cultures with thrilling, themed attractions to match. There aren’t other theme parks nearby, but we guarantee that Terra Mitica will be fun for any group regardless of age.
In terms of water parks to visit, the favourite local options are Aqualandia and Aqua Natura, both based in Benidorm. Aqualandia is one of the biggest waterparks in the area, known internationally for one of the fastest slides in Europe as well as multiple children’s adventure pools for everyone can enjoy.
Jàvea’s Nearest Airports
The closest airports to Jàvea are Alicante Airport and Valencia Airport, located around an hour away depending on the types of transport you take. These include renting a car, taking a private airport shuttle, using a public bus shuttle, a bus or a taxi service.
Where to Stay in Jàvea
If you’re looking to stay at an accommodation during your Jàvea stay, there are many places to choose from and cater to your requirements. If you’re visiting Jàvea by yourself or as a couple, staying at a hotel in Jàvea might be more suited for your budget, and allow you to easily travel around the town and beaches without needing a car. We’ve written a guide. to hotels in Javea, so do check it out.
If you’re in a larger group or with a family, you would benefit from renting your own villa or Airbnb during your Jàvea stay.
For those wanting the very best Javea has to offer, we’ve compiled the most luxury villas to rent in Javea in our guide.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you might consider a camping holiday in Jàvea. There are a few campsites to choose from, and we’ve written up about them in our guide to camping in Jàvea.
Javea Phone Numbers
When traveling to Jávea, you should have the below list of important phone numbers for emergencies and other key services.
Click on each number to ring them directly:
Emergency Telephone Numbers
All emergency services (police, fire brigade, ambulances, accidents): 112
Police Local:+34 965 79 00 81
Guardia Civil: +34 965 79 10 85
Taxi Telephone Numbers
Radio Taxi (local taxi service): +34 96 579 11 70
Javea Old Town Taxi: +34 96 579 33 43
Javea Port Taxi: +34 96 579 17 03
Useful Telephone Numbers
Javea Tourist Information: +34 96 579 0736