El Arenal beach (Xàbia/Jávea)

El Arenal beach (Platja de l’Arenal) is the town beach of Xàbia (Jávea) on the Costa Blanca: about 480 metres of sand in the middle of the bay, with shallow water, a promenade full of restaurants and the Montgó mountain behind. It lies in the Arenal district, about 3 km from Xàbia old town, with free car parks at both ends and bus stops a few minutes’ walk away. It is the only sandy beach in Xàbia, so it suits families with small children and anyone who wants services on hand; skip it in July and August if you want space or quiet.

Quick facts

• Names: Platja de l’Arenal in Valencian, Playa del Arenal in Spanish; the town is Xàbia in Valencian and Jávea in Spanish.
• Where: the Arenal district, in the centre of the bay of Xàbia, Marina Alta, Alicante.
• Coordinates: 38.7731, 0.1907 (middle of the beach).
• Length: about 480 m, according to both the town’s tourism portal and the regional tourist board.
• Sand: the town’s only sandy beach. The town portal calls it coarse sand, the regional board “quite coarse”; the water is shallow.
• Type: urban beach; the town portal rates its occupancy as high.
• Blue Flag: listed by the regional tourist board.
• Lifeguards: Red Cross, from Easter onwards, from several towers.
• Between: the Punta del Arenal and the Parador at the north end, and the Punta del Castell viewpoint at the south end.

Access and parking

By car: OpenStreetMap shows two free surface car parks close to the sand. One sits behind the south end, about 250 m from the middle of the beach; the other, run by the Ajuntament de Xàbia, is near the Parador at the north end, about 400 m away. There are also many street-side spaces in the streets behind the promenade. The car park next to the Parador is marked for customers only. In summer, expect the closest spaces to fill early.

By bus and taxi: the town portal lists a bus stop and a taxi rank among the beach’s services, and OpenStreetMap shows bus stops on the road behind the south end, about 300 m from the middle of the beach. We could not confirm timetables.

From further away: Alicante–Elche airport is about 85 km away and Valencia airport about 98 km, both in a straight line. The old town of Xàbia is about 3 km inland and the port district, Duanes de la Mar, is at the north end of the bay.

What to expect

This is the busy, easy beach of Xàbia. The rest of the town’s coast is gravel, pebbles, rock and coves under cliffs, so El Arenal is where families come when they want sand between their toes and shallow water. The regional tourist board describes the water as clean and shallow and suggests it for children’s swimming.

A promenade runs along the beach, and around it the town has built a leisure and shopping complex that the town portal calls the main focus of activity in the district all year. The same portal describes the Arenal as Xàbia’s most cosmopolitan district, with lively summer nights, bars and restaurants.

• Services listed by the town portal: lifeguards and a first-aid post, adapted access, footbaths, toilets, a playground, sports games, sunbeds and parasols, canoes and pedal boats, and buoy markers.
• Canal: next to the beach a canal, the Canal de la Fontana on OpenStreetMap, gives small boats access to the sea. OpenStreetMap marks boat and jet-ski rental near it.
• Roman remains: at the north end, where the Parador now stands, there was a major Roman settlement. Just beyond the point, on the rocky shore of the Primer Muntanyar, a cut basin called the Baños de la Reina (Queen’s Baths) belonged to a trading post of the second half of the 1st century BC where salted fish and fish sauce were made. Locals call that stretch the Cala del Ministre.
• Views: the Montgó rises behind the town to the north-west; from the south end, the Punta del Castell viewpoint looks over the bay.

Practical details

• Tourist office: Tourist Info Xàbia – Playa Arenal is on the beach front, about 230 m from the middle of the beach on OpenStreetMap. Xàbia tourism: +34 965 790 736, info@xabia.org.
• Health centre: a seasonal health centre one street back from the beach, on Avenida París, opens at Easter and in summer only, according to the regional tourist board.
• Sea conditions: the town portal links daily beach conditions from the Red Cross and AEMET, and runs a webcam of the Arenal.
• Market day: the weekly street market is held on Thursdays from about 8:30 to 14:00 in Plaza de la Constitución in the old town, not at the beach.
• Prices: we found no official prices for sunbeds or parasols; ask on the beach.

Accessibility and safety

Best time to visit

From Easter to the end of summer the beach has lifeguards and full services; July and August are the busiest months, and summer nights in the district are loud and lively. For a quieter swim, come early in the morning or in June and September. The regional tourist board notes that the mild climate stretches the swimming season well beyond summer, and in winter the promenade is a good walk with the Montgó in view.

Nearby alternatives

• Mirador de la Creu del Portitxol, 3.1 km: a cliff-top viewpoint over Cala Barraca and its island.
• Cap de Sant Antoni, 3.4 km: the lighthouse cape at the north end of the bay, with the La Plana windmills on the road up.
• Cala del Portitxol (Cala Barraca), 3.7 km: a pebble cove with fishermen’s houses; parking is regulated in summer.
• Cala Granadella, 5 km: Xàbia’s best-known cove, among pine woods.
• Montgó, 6.3 km: the mountain behind the beach, with hiking trails in its natural park.

Distances are in a straight line from the middle of the beach. More on the town in our Xàbia guide.

FAQ

Is El Arenal in Xàbia a sandy beach?

Yes. It is the only sandy beach in Xàbia, about 480 m long. The sand is fairly coarse, and the water is shallow.

Is there parking at El Arenal beach?

Yes. OpenStreetMap shows free surface car parks at the south end and near the Parador at the north end, plus street parking behind the promenade. Spaces fill early in summer.

Is El Arenal good for children?

Yes. The regional tourist board recommends it for children because of its clean, shallow water, and there are lifeguards from Easter, a playground and toilets.

Is El Arenal accessible for wheelchair users?

Yes. It has walkways and the only assisted bathing service in Xàbia, at the southern end of the beach.

How far is El Arenal from Xàbia old town?

About 3 km in a straight line. The town portal lists a bus stop and taxi rank at the beach.

Sources and freshness