The majority of Montgo is designated as a natural park and the undisturbed nature is home for a variety of rare fauna, interesting birds and other animals enjoying the peace of the mountainous terrain. Humans, tourists and residents alike have several options for taking part in the pleasures Montgo provides. There are plenty of viewing points and walking routes round the iconic mountain as well as caves to explore.

For a pleasant family picnic out in the magnificent nature of Jávea and some of the eye-catching views in all of Spain try heading up to Cabo San Antonio, the lighthouse at the end of the flat ridge of Montgo.

At the various viewing points round Cabo San Antonio there are plenty of perfect spots for picnics or chilling out with refreshments as you enjoy the unique nature and jaw-dropping panorama of the Jávea coastline and valley. The mountain top is narrow enough that you can easily nip from one side to the other to enjoy the views out over the Mediterranean as well – on clear days you can see Ibiza in the far distance.

Whilst up on Montgo you can stop for a walk round the old monastery, have some refreshing drinks at the excellent club La Hacienda or stop for a bite to eat at one of the Montgo restaurants.

Finding your way up to Montgo is quite easy. Follow the signs towards Denia up behind old town Javea, follow the narrow little mountain road and turn right when you see the signs for Cabo San Antoni. The natural park is entirely free to enjoy.

Fresh squeezed orange juice, boiling hot coffee brewed to perfection, maybe a bocadillo or a full English breakfast ? Never forget to enjoy the little things as well during your holiday breaks in Jávea.

Most places on the Arenal Beach serve breakfast from opening till early afternoon when they swap to the siesta menu. Most places will have their menus available in Spanish, English and maybe German, but should you stumble upon a purely Spanish menu, here´s a couple of breakfast essentials:

Desayunos = Breakfast
Café Americano = Regular black coffee
Café Con Leche = Coffee with milk
Tortilla = Omelet

So if you desire a full English breakfast you would for instance say: Desayunos Ingles con café americano, por favor … but of course, on the Arenal Beach speaking basic English at the very least is the standard for all waitresses, if you dont dare to venture into Spanish.

A few kilometers south of the main Jávea beach, Playa el Arenal, in the popular tourist area of Cumbre Del Sol we find one of the most eye catching beaches of the area – Playa El Moraig. The pebble and sand beach of El Moraig is surrounded by impressive rocks and cliffs on all sides.

The El Moraig beach features all necessary facilities such as a beach bar and sea view restaurant, easy parking and Red Cross lifeguard service. However, the truly spectacular characteristics of the Benitachell beach of El Moraig are the beauty of the cove and the limestone coastline transformed over centuries by the Mediterranean waters to peculiar geological formations and caves.

Speaking of caves, snorkling and scuba diving at El Moraig is ideal due to the clean waters and interesting shapes at the bottom of the sea. But further El Moraig holds the Cova Del Arcs which constitutes the entry to and beginning of the El Moraig underwater route. A spot to explore for cave divers at all levels of expertise.

Holiday rentals are available near El Moraig beach at the Cumbre Del Sol urbanization, which is also the place to go to find the beach if you simply fancy a picnic in jaw dropping surroundings whilst in vacation accommodation elsewhere in the Jávea area.

See more about the Spanish Beaches of Jávea or have a look at the Pictures from Javea to explore further on your own. The Xábia area is literally packed with small hidden coves and charming beaches surrounded by the iconic natural beauty of the Northern Costa Blanca.

An excellent spot for a picnic is found just off the Arenal Beach in the form of La Cala Blanca. The promenade of La Cala Blanca follows the rocky coast in a wild and rough looking sea side terrain with marvelous views towards Cabo San Antonio to the North and Portitxol to the South.

The coastline of La Cala Blanca is not ideal for traditional beach activities as it is rough and rocky all around, however it is perfect for tranquil picnics and has plenty of comfortable spots for setting up tables and chairs as well as pre-existing wooden benches.

As a picnic spot in Javea La Cala Blanca has become popular with local Spaniards and Expats alike, not least due to the wonderfully atmospheric promenade with palms, soft lighting and wooden boardwalks along the eye-catching rocky coves.

Tourists on the other hand rarely find their way to La Cala Blanca as the area has no particular facilities, restaurants or bars. Obviously, that means you can steal yourself a free little trip to a tranquil picnic spot, which is never overly crowded or busy. Load the car with refreshments and snacks, maybe a few games and go enjoy an afternoon or evening on the Cala Blanca Promenade.

In the hot summer months it is most pleasant to go on picnics outside on the hottest hours of the day. Starting out late afternoon or early evening makes good sense as the Spanish sun is less fierce.

To find La Cala Blanca, simply take the main road at The Arenal Beach in the southern direction. After a hundred meters running parallel to the coastline the road turns sharply inland. Thats we´re you turn left on the road that stays parallel with the sea, the turn is signposted to Cala Blanca. In all, La Cala Blanca is only around a kilometer from the Arenal and as such within walking distance if you fancy exercising your legs before the picnic.

Granadella beach you might ask? I thought the Arenal Beach was the main attraction of Jávea?

It is. The Arenal beach is the sandy beach with shallow waters to swim in, filled with happy tourists enjoying the many family friendly facilities and plenty of surrounding bars and restaurants. However, in terms of pure beauty and unique experiences La Granadella beach is outside comparison. The Arenal Beach is an excellent spot for classic beach holidays in Spain and a magnet for tourists from around the world. La Granadella beach is tiny, pebbled and much more tranquil, away from busy buzz of the Arenal.

However, La Granadella is your vacation destination of choice on the Costa Blanca if you want a breathtaking breakaway in a peaceful piece of paradise with sparkling clean water, surrounded by mountains leading up to ancient ruins and into undisturbed mountainous wilderness,

• Blue Flag Beach
• Red Cross Life Guard Cover
• Sun loungers, Shades, Toilets and Water-sports rentals

In terms of facilities you do find most things you need at Granadella cove. There are just a few but very nice restaurants with outdoor seating overlooking the glorious beach, the mountains and the sea. A small bar with basic outlet of necessities and other conveniences.

Using La Granadella beach as a base for your holidays is ideal if you want tranquil times by the sea, walks up in the undisturbed mountains to explore the ruins and beautiful views, the diving at Granadella is among the most interesting on the Costa Blanca and the caves makes for exciting adventures. If those types of holiday activities appeal to you, indeed La Granadella is a much more perfect choice of destination than the Arenal Beach area – however the beach at La Granadella is pebbled, not sand, but its tiny pleasant pebbles rather than rocky and makes for a nice place to chill out in gorgeous surroundings. You won´t find a wild night life, sandcastles are difficult to build in the pebbled stones and the choice of restaurants and bars are limited.

The Arenal Beach of Jávea will cater excellently to the majority of tourists visiting Costa Blanca, but the connoisseurs desiring unequaled beauty will agree with ABC.es that La Granadella beach is  indeed among the very best beaches in Spain.

Relaxing on the beach can be pure bliss in Spain. The hot sand and warm waters of the Mediterranean form the perfect surroundings for a pleasurable stay in Spain with your family.

Beach Holidays in Spain – What to look for ?
Spain is ready to fulfill the dream of a beach holiday for you and your family. Traveling to Spain can be done relatively cheaply using package deals or budget airlines from most of Europe, however be a bit cautious with the cheap deals to undisclosed hotels in big sea side resorts – you often get what you pay for.

Heres a few tips and tricks for an enjoyable family holiday in Spain:

• Find a nice family friendly resort such as Jávea, Moraira or Altea (our focus here is on Javea)
• Find a suitable holiday rental in Jávea using FB Groups or price comparison sites
• Get the exact location of your Jávea accommodation to ensure vicinity to the beach
• Cheap Airport transfers can be booked with Alsa or Beniconnect to Jávea

Booking a summer trip to Spain does not need to hideously expensive, but you do have avoid the pitfalls of discount products to avoid disappointments. Tailoring your own vacation in Jávea can be great fun and achieve exactly the type of beach holiday you are after without costing a fortune. It takes a bit of extra time to research the areas you prefer, ask around on facebook groups for Jávea accommodation options and specific activities of your preference. Book the flights and airport transfers yourself to get the best deals.

The Costa Blanca Beaches – Quality Matters in Spain
The beaches in Jávea have the Blue Flag and life guards securing the safety of your family. You basically just need to stroll to the beach, put out the beach towels and lay down for a relaxing day in the sun, everything else is taken care of in a pleasant way.

Basic features of the Jávea Arenal Beach area:

• Blue Flag Beach with full lifeguard monitoring
• Free sun loungers, shades and playground facilities
• Shallow bay with family friendly low waters for all ages to swim and enjoy
• Tourist Information center right on the beach
• Spanish is a plus but not a necessity
• Free parking right by the beach
• Crime is extremely low and a bit of common sense keeps your belongings safe

The surroundings are in place for perfect holidays, but of course it is up to you to make the most of them. There are plenty of activities to enjoy in the beach area ranging from salsa and zumba on the beach over Spanish fiestas and guided tours in the nature of Spain to live music and beach cinemas. Do not cheat yourself from a little stroll to the Jávea chirinquitos, the beach bars, either. Nothing is more pleasant than a drink and some lunch with your feet almost literally in the sea.

However, certain things can still be improved in terms of making visitors feel welcome, encourage them to explore and enjoy the Jávea area and assist them with any problems that may arise during their stay. The Jávea council and tourist organizations have made a renewed effort to push improvements in all of the tourism sector in Javea – here are a few current and upcoming results:

Improvements To The Arenal Beach Experience and Safety
The main tourist attraction of Jávea obviously is the sandy Arenal beach, that forms the center of the busy tourist resort part of Xabia. Naturally the importance of delivering a clean, safe and pleasant environment for visitors to Jávea main tourist area can´t be overemphasized.

The Arenal beach has been awarded the Blue Flag as usual and the family friendly shallow bay is guarded by the Red Cross life guards. Yet, the effort has been strengthened yet again this year to ensure that even families with young toddlers can have a safe and enjoyable time on the Xábia beaches.

Jávea is far from plagued by crime, street hustlers or other menaces sometimes ruining the experience at beach resorts. In fact it is perfectly safe to walk the streets alone at night in Jávea. However, to heighten safety further for tourists and give better coverage to the small cove beaches of Javea, extra police has been assigned all through the summer season to patrol on foot and in boats keeping an eye on the area from the sea.

Among other smaller improvements are new fresh palms being planted on the beach. There are no more smelly rubbish bins and dumpsters are found by the beach area. The rubbish is now all underground with just small nice looking bins above ground.

A bigger renovation of the Arenal beach with a more charming promenade is planned for just after the tourist season – to avoid building work disturbing the treasured visitors during their summer holidays in Spain. Come back to Jávea for a vacation in 2013 and you will be able to experience all the improvements to the Arenal beach and its surroundings.

New Arenal Beach Tourist Information Center
A new tourism information center has been setup right by the Arenal beach. To find it you simply follow the beach strip towards the canal / Parador Hotel and at the end the tourist information services are ready to help you in several languages.

The Arenal Beach tourism information center supplements the existing facilities in town with easy access for the thousands upon thousands of tourists having the Arenal Beach as their main base during their stay in Jávea.

If you need help or ideas for your holiday the tourism information center is open all day and capable of servicing you in several languages. Do not be afraid to drop in and see what is on offer, to ask your questions or have a little chat about the events in Jávea area – it has been put in place for you to use it!

The Miradors Of Jávea – Experience The Beauty of Javeas Nature
If you spend your entire holiday sunbathing on the beaches of Jávea you are missing out on the stunning beauty of the nature surrounding you.

Jávea have no less than 15 so-called Miradors for you to enjoy. These Miradors are essentially viewing points of particularly exceptional beauty. You can find the exact location of each Mirador on the city maps posted all over town or ask for a detailed map at the tourist info center. The nature surrounding each Mirador simply has to be seen and enjoyed. Recently an effort has been made to improve the facilities at the Miradors with extra benches, railings and tidying up of the areas having been done.

An entirely new Mirador – Caleta Del Port – has been established this year with spectacular views over the sea and the port of Jávea. The Caleta Del Port mirador is literally found right above the Port area of town with a short little stroll up to the visual wonders.

Each Mirador sports unique views of places like Granadella beach, Cap Negre and several others, every single one is worth a visit. Grab your family for a picnic in the nature of Jávea with one or more of the Miradors as your base.

Cinema On The Beach – Evening Sun and Classic Movies
The Javea beach cinema, Cine Vora La Mar, has returned for the 2012 tourist season with an actual cinema right on the main Arenal Beach showing mainly classic movies.

The idea of a cinema on the beach is incredibly appealing, just imagine chilling out with a great movie on the beach as night falls over the Costa Blanca with the Mediterranean as backdrop to the big screen.

Sadly, the beach cinema is mainly aimed at Spanish tourists in Jávea, or perhaps slightly misunderstood in its execution if intended for English or German speaking visitors, as the movies are all dubbed into Spanish with English subtitles. It still might be worth catching a film for the beach cinema experience but having Willem Dafoe, Scarlett Johanson and Matt Damon speak Spanish will most likely deter most foreign tourists.

The Jávea beach cinema shows a new film every Tuesday evening at 10pm starting now and with the last one showing on the 28th of August. The titles are among others I Dont Know How She Does It, John Carter, We Bought A Zoo and Super8 … but all dubbed into Spanish (Castellano).

The Roads To Jávea – Faster Routes To Paradise
Congestion on the roads leading into Jávea has been a problem during the summer months for numerous years. Finally work has been initiated to improve the situation with new asphalt, extra lanes and enhanced signposting. The work has started and in several places the new lanes are already open but more is to come to easy the roads to paradise. Easier access for cars (and bulls) to Xabia but with prettier views to behold whilst driving too.

The various roundabouts leading into Jávea has been generously decorated with plants from local garden centers and artworks from artists in the Xabia area. All of it vastly bettering the vital first impressions delivered to tourists coming by car to Jávea.

Summer Holidays In Javea – Dont Miss Out!
Visiting Javea for your summer breakaway in Spain has become even safer, the area is even prettier and the getting around is easier than ever before. Perfection rarely exists but Jávea strives to deliver the best possible experiences for tourists of all nationalities with enhanced and easily accessible help in the new information centers, more options to explore the gorgeous nature of the Jávea nature, even better police and sea rescue coverage and several other improvements to the tourism facilities, the decoration and atmosphere of the entire area and the ease of access.

Book your holiday in Jávea for 2012 – you will most definitely desire to be back in 2013 to encounter even more impressive progress in Jávea – all aimed at giving you and your family a dream vacation in Spain.

Sunday, 1st of July at 20.45 in the evening the final kicks off! But if you want to get secure a table anywhere in town, hurry on down and book it right now. Every bar in Javea will be showing the game, most places will be full to the brim of football fans and the real fun is experienced in their midst.

The recommendations for where to watch the EURO 2012 in Javea still stands. On the Arenal Beach of Jávea places like Platino, An Shebeen, Lancashire Bruja, Socco and Geographic will be bursting with activity and happy Spain supporters of all nationalities.

In the port, Duanes Al Mar, an outdoor seat at Cáfe Varadero is ideal. In old town of Xabia the entire area around the post office and church will be struck by football fever and places like Bar Jose or Cervezeria Imperial are guaranteed to give you a fun night with plenty of delicious tapas

A fantastic alternative for watching the EURO 2012 final in Javea is to head down to one of the chiringuitos, the beach bars between the port and the Arenal Beach. Each of them will have huge outdoor screens right by the sea and certainly at the well established ones like Mintt, Moskito and Montgo Di Bongo there will be a huge party arranged and usually a few specials on the menu.

The beach bar strip is also where the parade of cars full of celebrating Spaniards will kick of the party that normally involves fireworks, huge crowds dancing and singing, the round abouts towards the Arenal Beach being overrun by football fans and blocked from all traffic … that is if Spain wins the final of course.

A bit of advice:

• Book a table for the final TODAY, particularly if you want to eat or just a seat
• Wanna drive home anytime soon after the game? Park on the outskirts of town.
• Want a quiet romantic dinner in town? Choose another night!

Are you German? Well. We do not really want to help the away team against the heroic Spanish campeones … but should it be a game against Germany, you will find German bars in Javea Park area where the game can be enjoyed with fellow Alemania supporters – do not worry, its perfectly fine to dress up and support a team opposing Spain. You may get teased and have some jolly Spaniards sing at you, but there is never any malice or trouble involved.

However sometimes it is nice to add social activities to the days at the beach. Meeting new people and forming friendships adds entirely new dimensions to times by the beach – regardless if you live in Jávea, only just moved to Spain, spends the summers under the warm Spanish sun or if you´re having a holiday in Xabia by the beach.

There are plenty big and small events on the Jávea beaches aimed at bringing people together and setting a natural scene for socializing.

Serendipity Fun Days – Jávea Beach Socializers
One such recurring event is the Serendipity Fun Day events. They are set right on the Arenal Beach at the end towards the canal and Parador Hotel. Serendipity fun days are informal and relaxing social events … some play sports, some play games, some make new friends and chit chat and others just chill in the sun on the gorgeous beach.

The Serendipity fun days on the beach have a bit of a beach hippie camp vibe to them but in fact you have the chance to meet all kinds of people in all trades, at all ages. Free and fun, every summer month in Javea – to find out more about the next Serendipity Fun Days coming up, hit up Amanda O Shea on facebook or call Serendipity Holistic Services at
646 816 625 for more info.

You can see a few more photos from Serendipity Fun at the Jávea Beach here.

The Beach is Yours – Use it!
The Javea beaches are all free to use and enjoy. The Arenal Beach has plenty of facilities to use such as beach volleyball, a kids playground, sun loungers and a variety of other things to keep you, your kids and your family entertained whilst enjoying the sunshine.

If you feel like socializing and making new friends whilst on your beach holiday in Jávea, try joining one of the events by the sea though. You will be amazed at how easy it is to meet new sun addicts for a chat, make friends, play a few games or arrange to meet for lunch in a local restaurant later. The beach belongs to everyone – make the most of it!

This is one of those events you can head up to Javea old town to watch, simply to enjoy the uncompromising madness. Though, if you want one of the most unique experiences of your life to spice up your holiday in Spain – participate in the Nit De Focs Xabia instead, you might regret it but you will never forget it!

Jumping Bonfires In The Street
Burning fires (and sometimes witches) is a known tradition in Northern Europe at midsummer. However, the Spanish have a rather more action based approach to the concept with the Crema Dels Focs De Sant Joan parade, or fire jumping in plain words.

The night of Correcs in Javea starts out with fire jumping. Big live fires are lit in the streets of the historic center. A parade of all the citizens roam through the streets to catch the good luck and safety from spirits that jumping over the fires provide. Be careful, if you are in fact a demon, word is the fire will expose you and set you ablaze! Of course, that might happen anyway – bring your best jumping shoes!

Is it stunt men, actors or acrobats jumping? No! Its everyone in town, old and young. You will see pensioners, young parents with kids on their arms and quite young children jumping the live bonfires in the street. Trick is: If you want to show bravery and take the challenge head on, stay up front of the parade. The fires start out tall, boisterous and scary. If you prefer a more symbolic jump over a relatively small fire, stay towards the middle of the procession – the very back wont get to the fires till they’ve started smoking madly.

Dancing With Bonfires – De Trastos Valls
The fire jumping parade ends in a square where a huge bonfire is lit in the street (this part of the celebrations is called Crema De La Foguera De Trastos Valls).

The relatively small square basically has a huge bonfire in the middle and everyone gathers around it to sing and dance. Those closest to the huge fire, people and houses, gets hosed down by the local fire brigade to avoid catching fire.

Once the flames of the bonfire starts dying down, the dancing round the fire slowly stops and the anticipation for the grand finale starts to build up. The complete and utter madness about to start for real.

Correfocs – Chased With Live Fireworks By Demons
The highlight of the nit de focs, Correfocs of Javea, starts right where the bonfire ends. The demons come out dressed in white hoods, much like Ku Klux Klan outfits. They start lighting fireworks and the craziness begins!

The crowds heads on the parade back up towards the Javea main square, plaza de la constitucion, but this time they will be chased with live fireworks by demons coming out from everywhere. It is an inferno of fireworks shot directly at everyone, exploding from wired cables above, rammed through the crowds attached to pretend bulls on wheels … it is udder madness!

Are the fireworks for real? Yes! Do they hurt and burn? Yes! But? I know, it goes against any health and safety precautions you may have ever learned, but such is the nature of Spanish fiestas. It is an experience, it isnt as such safe in any way but you have a fair chance of surviving with just minor burns! On the upside, its an adrenaline kick beyond believe and just such an amazingly outrageous experience that no words really cover it.

Go On The Parade – Correcfocs in Javea
Dare to give Correfocs in Javea a go? Wear some old clothes you are not precious about, they will get burned and covered in little holes. Wear a hat or cab. Consider a bandanna or similar to cover your face. And then … Go for it with all your crazy heart!

The fire jumping starts at around midnight Portal Del Clot – but heading up to Javea old town well in advance to soak in the atmosphere, get in the mood and find your place in the parade is highly recommended. The correfocs part follows the fire jumping and dancing round giant bonfires, whenever those things end. The official start of Correfocs is 2am (from Raval Del Baix), but that is never gonna be a precise time and if you fancy joining the Javea fiesta, go for the complete package!

Nit De Focs in Jávea is as far from a package deal tourist event as its possible to get. Attending and participating will be welcomed with open arms, hugs and fireworks in your face. Do not expect any special treatment. This is a genuine Spanish fiesta – not an event happening mainly to entertain tourists. Take part if you dare and get an experience for life!