Jenny and I were first introduced to the area when a friend of ours had bought a Villa at Benitachell and asked us over to stay.
Benitachell is a lovely area and particularly so in March and April when spring has arrived so early compared with the UK.
The villa where we stayed was just on the edge of the urbanisation overlooking a
small farm.
There were fields of vines, almonds, and other crops typical of this fertile
area and it is a delight to wonder along the country paths which surround these fields
where you will find many things of natural beauty and interest which are such a contrast
with my working life in IT in the UK.
These include succulent Aloe Vera cacti growing
along the roadside with many other native plants, the peasants collecting snails
from the crumbling stonewalls and fields full of carefully trimmed vines.
In other
parts of the area closer to Javea itself you will also find orange groves although
many of these fields have been abandoned and allowed to run wild possibly because
a more intensive Type of farming in the flat and irrigated areas south of Valencia
and around Murcia are now more competitive. A few km further inland is the town of
Teulada still famous for the sticky and sweet white Moscatel which is produced there.
Still further inland the Jalon valley is another rural wine making area. We visited
a Bodega and saw the way wine was produced before tasting some of it.
Over two or three such visits we went into Javea on many occasions mainly to the
Arenal but also to the port as well where there are several very good restaurants
where you can sit and enjoy your meal in the street on a summers evening true Alfresco
style.
My favourite time to visit Javea is June. The evenings are really long and
warm to sit out but the days are not quite as hot as July and August.
In 2000 we bought our own apartment close to our favourite beach the Javea Arenal.
We have visited twice a year most years since. Visits are quite busy, there are always
jobs to do or organise around the apartment. Several pieces of new furniture have
been bought, kitchen refurbishment arranged, floor tiling renewed to say nothing
of the many odd jobs which have been undertaken.
The apartment now has air conditioning in the main living area and master bedroom.
Holiday Rental Apartment Javea Arenal Beach Costa Blanca
We have now travelled to quite a variety of places during our stays in Javea.
Places
which we have enjoyed include Terra Mitica, Aqualandia and Mundomar in Benidorme,
also Benidorme town.
Further South is the old city of Alicante which has some larger
shops, EL Corte Anglais is well worth a visit as also are some of the Tapas bars
around the centre of the city.
Travelling further South several kilometres beyond
the airport at El Altet you will come to the town of Elche, a university town in
a pine forested area with beautiful parkland and bird sanctuaries, well worth a visit
and in many ways quite different to other parts of the Costa Blanca although strictly
speaking not on the Costa as it is several kilometres inland.
Places to visit North
of our apartment include Denia with its large port and miles of sandy beaches, behind
Denia close to Ondara is the Vergil Safari Park where we were chased by an Ostrich
and saw a fantastic Dolphin display.
On a couple of occasions with a little more time
we made up to Valencia, We found it enjoyable not to drive the whole way taking the
hire car as far as Xativa where you can pick up a train which will take you to the
old fashioned Valencia Nord station in less than an hour.
Travelling through the fields
they become noticeably greener with each mile that passes, the trains on this route
are electric stock which run quietly and smoothly often to the sound of of piped
classical music.
Valencia itself is a fantastic city a mixture of old and new artistic
and architectural on the one hand but with a science park on the other.
Last year
for a change we flew in via Barcelona and stayed there for a few days before taking
the train back South picking up the high speed Montpelier -
Even in Javea they have managed to drop a modern and brand new church in between
old fishermans’ cottages behind the port.
Another thing which the Spanish are good at is putting on a Fiesta and in Javea they have plenty of practice. We found the burning of Falles in the Javea Old town during the Javea June Fiesta a fantastic spectacle, we probably would not allow it on Health and Safety grounds but it was an incredible experience.
