Cap de la Nau (Cabo de la Nao)

Cap de la Nau (Cabo de la Nao) is the easternmost point of the Valencian coast, a 13-minute drive from Jávea old town. Come for the cliff-top lookouts, the 1928 lighthouse and, on very clear days, a glimpse of Ibiza 85 km away. It suits anyone with a car and a camera; skip it if you want a beach. The lookouts are a short walk from parking, so 30–45 minutes is enough unless you stay for a meal or the sunrise.

Quick facts

• Also called: Cabo de la Nao, Cape Nao, La Nao (Jávea).
• Where: Xàbia/Jávea, Marina Alta, Alicante. It marks the border between the gulfs of Valencia and Alicante.
• Coordinates: 38.73367, 0.22974 (Xàbia town hall).
• Drive: 10.7 km and 13 minutes from the old town, 12.1 km and 16 minutes from the port.
• Walk from parking: 80–115 m to the main lookout.
• Ibiza: about 85 km of open sea away, the closest point on the mainland.
• Lighthouse: Faro del Cabo de la Nao, lit on 26 May 1928. The tower is 20 m tall; the light sits about 122 m above the sea and reaches 23 nautical miles.
• Entry: free. The lighthouse interior is closed to visitors.
• Protected: the headland is a plant micro-reserve.

Access and parking

By car: from Jávea follow the signs for Cala Granadella and stay on the Carretera del Cabo de la Nao. The turn-off for Granadella comes about 2 km before the cape (Xàbia town hall); keep straight on and the road ends at the lighthouse. The drive is 10.7 km (13 minutes) from the old town, 12.1 km (16 minutes) from the port and 8.2 km (10 minutes) from the Arenal, on free-flowing roads (OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap); allow more time in summer traffic.

Parking: three small parking areas sit 80–115 m from the main lookout; one belongs to the restaurant and is for customers. Another row of parking lies about 400 m back along the road, by the Mirador Les Pesqueres (OpenStreetMap). Visitors report that parking is free and fills up early in summer (Find de Valencia). Jávea’s summer barriers and paid car parks in 2026 apply to Granadella and Portitxol, not to the cape (Xàbia summer access rules).

Without a car: there is no bus stop at the cape. The nearest stop is the summer tourist train stop 1.6 km away on the Granadella road, so a taxi or a bike is the practical option.

What to expect

The main lookout sits on the tip of the cape, above cliffs that drop more than 100 m into the sea. Steps lead to smaller lookouts within 150 m of it, and the lighthouse stands just to the south. To the north you see Moraira; to the south the Isla del Descubridor and the cliffs towards Benitatxell. On very clear days the outline of Ibiza and the Peñón de Ifach show on the horizon (Valencia Bonita).

Below the lighthouse, at sea level, is the Cova dels Orguens, a sea cave described by the naturalist Cavanilles in the late 18th century. It and its neighbours (Cova del Llop Marí, Els Orons, Cova del Tabac) can only be reached from the water, usually by kayak. In 2016 Jávea restricted motor boats from entering Cova dels Orguens and Llop Marí (Javea.com); ask your kayak operator whether this still applies.

The cape has radio history too: on 29 December 1902 Julio Cervera ran the first wireless telegraph tests between the mainland and Ibiza from here.

Practical details

• Food: Restaurante El Mirador de Jávea stands 125 m from the lookout. Restaurante Cabo la Nao, right by the lighthouse, is listed as closed on OpenStreetMap, so confirm before you plan a meal there.
• Toilets: none are marked at the cape. Plan for the restaurant or for Jávea.
• Cost: the lookouts and parking are free.

Accessibility and safety

Best time to visit

As the easternmost point of the coast, the cape faces the sunrise over open sea, which makes early morning the best time for light and quiet. Sunset lights up the cliffs from the west. Ibiza only shows on very clear days. In July and August arrive early to find parking, as the traffic to Granadella uses the same road.

Nearby alternatives

• Mirador Les Pesqueres, 400 m back along the road: a second lookout with its own parking, useful when the cape is full.
• Cala Granadella (Jávea), 3 km away: a pine-framed pebble cove south of Jávea with clear, turquoise water.
• Cala del Moraig (El Poble Nou de Benitatxell), 6.1 km away: a pebble cove between high cliffs near Benitatxell, with a sea cave.
• Cap de Sant Antoni (Jávea), 8.2 km away: a second cape and lighthouse, between Jávea and Dénia, with views over Xàbia’s bay.
• Cova Tallada (Dénia), 10.8 km away: a large sea cave between Dénia and Jávea, reached along the coast.
• Cala Les Rotes (Dénia), 11.6 km away: a rocky cove and snorkelling spot on Dénia’s Les Rotes coast.
• For where to stay and eat, see our guides to Jávea and Moraira.

Distances are in a straight line from the lookout.

FAQ

How do you get to Cabo de la Nao?

Drive from Jávea on the Carretera del Cabo de la Nao and follow it to the lighthouse at the end: about 10.7 km and 13 minutes from the old town, 12.1 km and 16 minutes from the port, or 8.2 km and 10 minutes from the Arenal. There is no bus stop at the cape.

Can you see Ibiza from Cap de la Nau?

Sometimes. Ibiza is about 85 km away, and its outline appears on the horizon only on very clear days.

Can you visit the lighthouse?

You can walk up to it and the lookouts next to it, but the interior is not open to the public.

Is there parking at Cap de la Nau?

Yes. Three small parking areas lie 80 to 115 metres from the main lookout, one of them for restaurant customers. Visitors report that parking is free, and it fills early in summer.

Sources and freshness

Checked 28 September 2026. Official: Xàbia town hall, Cap de la Nau (location, coordinates, lighthouse, cave, micro-reserve, 1902 telegraph); Xàbia summer access rules 2026; Xàbia pages for Granadella, Portitxol and Cala Blanca. Parking, lookouts, restaurants, bus stops and walking distances: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Driving distances: OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap. Visitor reports: Valencia Bonita, Find de Valencia, Olea Home, Javea.com. Photos: Wikimedia Commons, licences as credited.