Jávea — Xàbia in Valencian — is a coastal town on the northern Costa Blanca, set between Dénia and Moraira at the foot of the Montgó massif. It has three distinct hearts: the historic old town, the working port, and the long sandy sweep of the Arenal.
The old town is built of honey-coloured tosca sandstone around the fortified 14th-century church of San Bartolomé, its lanes full of shaded plazas and small shops. Down at the port a real fishing-village feel remains, with a daily catch and seafront seafood restaurants.
The Arenal is Jávea's main beach — soft sand, a palm-lined promenade, and calm water that suits families. For something wilder, Cala Granadella is a pine-framed pebble cove regularly ranked among Spain's most beautiful, while the capes of Sant Antoni and La Nau give dramatic clifftop views over the sea.
Behind the town, the Montgó Natural Park rises to 753 metres, with marked trails and panoramic ridgelines. The local microclimate is famously mild and has long been cited as one of the healthiest in the Mediterranean.
Jávea rewards a slow visit: a morning on the Arenal, an afternoon on the Montgó, and an evening of fresh seafood at the port.