Javea is a town which is becoming increasingly popular with visitors to Spain, many new villas and houses have been built in recent years as these people have chosen to make Javea their home. Despite the increase in housing Javea is still a very picturesque town.The population of Javea changes quite dramatically between summer and winter when many of the tourists return home from their holiday villas and apartments.

The Town

The town has a varied landscape, both coastal and inland, the town council have conserved the town well and it still holds much of the charm of a small fishing town. It has a growing population of 22,000 inhabitants and a typical Mediterranean climate with warm summers and mild winters. The town is made up of the old town. an urban centre known as Aduanas del Mar and a summer fun area, El arenal The old town has a series of narrow streets and it is best to go on foot to appreciate the architecture and history of the area. The most noticeable characteristic being the rough stone which surrounds the doorways, windows and balconies
The Aduanas del Mar was an old fisherman's quarter has grown over the years, with many warehouses and fisherman's huts. The fishing port is one of the most active on the Costa Blanca and harbours a large number of boats. Mainly due to the tourism and fishing the area has become a town centre with a large variety of shops, restaurants and bars where you can sample the traditional food and tapas.

Historical Buildings

One of the most important buildings architecturally is the modern church of the Virgen del Loreto. It was inaugurated on 3rd June 1967 and financed by the tax office. On the outside you can see great pillars which appear to be holding up the church, these represent the 12 apostiles.
Back on the beach in the centre of the bay is the Arenal beach, a shell shaped inlet with shallow waters and fine sand. To the north there was an important Roman Settlement, where now stands the "Parador"

Fiestas

Javea like other Spanish towns enjoys celebrating and has a good many fiestas and carnivals. The fiesta in honour of the patron saint, Jesus Nazareno is held on 3rd May and in September fiestas are held in honour of Our Lady of Loreto. The Hogueros of San Juan take place on the 24th June with bonfires on the beach and then in late July, the procession of the Moors and the Christians Indeed all year round Javea is an exciting place to visit for the tourist.

Gastronomy

Javea has some fine restaurants offering a wide selection of traditional cuisine, you can chose from local paellas and rice dishes to typical seafood stews and grilled fish. If you prefer something less substantial why not visit one of the numerous bars and sample some of the local delicacies including, calamar a la Romana, and cuttlefish, and to wash it down, a glass or two of mistela or iced lemon.