Spain Property Guide Spring 2021

DISCOVERING
JÁVEA
Perhaps better known as a stylishly relaxed
Mediterranean resort destination on Spain’s eastern
seaboard, the little town of Jávea is at heart a classic
Spanish country town overlooking a landscape of cliffs wealthy merchant class whose elegant Baroque style
enveloping a bright blue bay and mountains surrounding country estates and town houses add lustre to the rural
a deep green valley.
cottages and tightly packed homes of the area.
In reality the municipal area of Jávea is divided into
three distinct parts. Most familiar to outside visitors is the
coastal resort, tucked into a corner of a large bay. Here,
luxurious apartments surround a coastal village that looks
out at a fishing harbour and marina that eventually gives
way to the resort hotels that dot the long sandy beaches
of El Arenal. At the far end of this the coast rises to the
spectacular cliffs that mark the Cap de la Nao area. It
is here, within the pine-covered slopes overlooking the
bays and coves, that a collection of luxurious residential
area provides a privileged setting for a lifestyle that has
been drawing people for many decades now.
At the heart of it all, though, is the historic town of
Jávea – the original country village that grew into a
prosperous town thanks to its position dominating a large
and fertile valley. Largely level, this agricultural area
stretches for kilometres inland, and has long formed the
basis for wealth in the area, producing a range of export
products that has included olive oil, raisins and oranges.
Famous throughout Europe for these products, the region
also benefitted from the bounty of the sea, creating a
The epicentre of the old town is the Church of Sant
Bartomeu, an imposing structure that originally dates
back to early medieval times. Like most of the historic
quarter it is built mainly from local Tosca stone hewn
for centuries from the coastal cliffs, and still bears the
pockmarks of warfare sustained during the civil war.
Today, however, the only invaders are the small groups of
tourists drinking in the sights or relaxing in a quaint square
as village life goes on around them. This is a town of
cobbled streets, picturesque archways, historic buildings
that reveal bewildering layers of successive cultures, and
above all a mesmerising ambience.
Get a glimpse of what life was like here not so very
long ago at the Museo Soler Blasco, set within the
Palace of Antoni Banyuls, experience the lively and
quintessentially Mediterranean atmosphere of the
municipal market – or simply wander through peaceful
cobbled backstreets and lively squares, eventually
finding your way to one of the many quaint cafés and
restaurants – and you will get an idea of what a true
Spanish country town is all about.
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