La Vila Joiosa — Villajoyosa — is a seaside town between Benidorm and Alicante best known for its astonishing wall of brightly coloured houses, painted in reds, blues, yellows and greens, lining the seafront and the mouth of the river. Tradition holds the colours helped fishermen pick out their homes from the sea.
Behind the painted façades is a genuine old town of narrow streets and a long history, with sandy beaches and a palm-lined promenade along the front. The town is also famous for chocolate — the Valor company has made it here for generations, and there is a chocolate museum to visit.
It makes an easy, photogenic stop on the coast, quieter and more authentic than its big neighbour Benidorm, and a favourite with cyclists who ride the coast road through it.