Javea

No Rain in Spain: Three Reasons to Journey to Javea
By Donald Miller, Staff Writer

January 2007

The beautiful horseshoe shaped beach is just one of the many reasons to make the trip out to Javea.

When planning a trip to the Spanish Mediterranean most people’s initial impulse is to find a resort on the Costa del Sol. That would be a huge mistake. The Costa del Sol is overrun by massive hordes of invading Northern European tourists, has crowded beaches and numerous high rise condos with very little Spanish ambience. In fact, one guide book calls it the “Costa del Ugly”. Instead, we would recommend a small coastal town which lies halfway between France and Portugal in the area referred to as the Costa Blanca. Without a major airport or train station nearby, Javea may seem somewhat off-the-beaten-path. Nevertheless, Javea’s uncrowded, horseshoe shaped beach and unique accommodation called paradores make the trip well worth it.

Our motley crew arrived in Javea around 11 p.m. exhausted and starving after a 36 hour odyssey across Europe. I have frequently heard the expression “Life is a journey, not a destination”. To paraphrase that, getting to Javea was a memorable journey as well as a worthwhile destination. We had left Namur in Eastern Belgium the previous morning and traveled to Brussels by train. Taking advantage of a two hour wait before going to Paris, we indulged ourselves by gorging on Belgium waffles. On the train to Paris, we met a charming French gentlemen (is that an oxymoron?), who was an official of the European Union. He graciously assisted us in transferring to the appropriate train station in Paris from which we would leave for Spain. His helpfulness was appreciated but his sage advice will always be remembered. He informed us we would have a couple of hours wait before our sleeper train left so go to a sidewalk café, buy a couple bottles of wine and relax. Furthermore, before the train departs, purchase some bread, cheese, meats and more wine for your trip. We have followed those suggestions like religious zealots many times over the last six years and it always creates a The many restuarants along the boardwalk made it easy to enjoy lunch and a drink while still basking in the sunshine. festive mood and camaraderie among the group. We awoke the next morning at the French-Spanish border, continued to Barcelona where caught another train to Valencia, rented a car, somehow managed to negotiate the labyrinth of streets to actually get out of town and finally arrived in Javea. Such a trip sounds like an ordeal but in reality the people you meet, the decisions you are forced to make and the things you see become a satisfying adventure with a sense of accomplishment.

Arriving at our hotel at such a late hour, we would have been ecstatic to eat anything. After checking into our rooms, we asked the hotel if there was a remote possibility of finding food somewhere. The receptionist gave us a disbelieving look, pointed out the front door and indicated we should turn left. Within one hundred yards, we walked into the beach-boardwalk-restaurant area which is one of the three reasons you should visit Javea.

We could not believe our eyes and our good fortune. Kids, families, couples and tourists were all out on the town. When do these people sleep? The promenade was lined with numerous restaurants. Two of them became our favorites. The first served paellas which is a rice based dish often covered with meats, fish and various vegetables. It reminded us of a pizza parlor because of the circular platters on which it was served and the variety of toppings available. Our other favorite was sort of a Tex-Mex (Span-Mex) place which had food that must have been shipped over from Texas. The coup de grace, however, was their White Russian drink. They made it frozen with ice cream and when they saw us coming, the blender was already running by the time we sat down. It was the best and most refreshing drink I have ever had anywhere.

The refreshing water of the pool was a welcome break from the beach.

The beach area is shaped like a crescent and is about one half mile long. The sand was a whitish-brown. Instead of being warm, the water is refreshingly cool (some might say cold). Consequently, most people enjoyed the picture perfect weather by sunbathing but should you choose to swim, you will not encounter a crowd. The greatest asset of the beach is the proximity to the restaurants. Along the boardwalk showers are provided so you can rinse off your feet, throw on a shirt and have lunch, dinner or a drink. You literally can spend your entire day relaxing, sunning and swimming without the hassle of constantly running back to your hotel.

Spain has a group of luxury hotels called paradores. Frequently located in historic areas or buildings, this paradore was located in Javea because of the scenic location near the beach and Mediterranean Sea. This would be your second reason to visit Javea.

After staying in the rather Spartan atmosphere of hostels for over a week, it was a shock to enter the bathroom. It had more marble than a quarry. The floors were also marble and covered with hand made rugs. The bedrooms were spacious and comfortable but our favorite was the balcony overlooking the ocean. After a day in the sun, it was a treat watching the sun set, a soft breeze blowing in from the sea and just relaxing. The hotel also has a small but refreshing pool and beautiful grounds.

The final reason to visit Javea are the miradores. Our hotel lobby had a sign with a listing of the various miradores (approximately ten) but being unfamiliar with the word it took us two days to ask what it meant. Miradores are scenic natural areas which may include panoramic vistas overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, hiking areas to the water, or unique picturesque beach areas. Due to time limitations we only had the opportunity to visit a couple of the miradores. A rental car would be a necessity. The most distant (30 minutes) is Playa La Barraca. It consists of a narrow cove surrounded by cliffs on both sides and a small, rocky beach. It is absolutely beautiful, had a small restaurant and was a great place to spend the day. Another miradore is Playa de Ambolo (clothes optional) which is located below an extremely high cliff. A steep switchback road leads to the water and perhaps due to the difficulty of the drive, there were so few people bathing in their optional attire it should not present a problem for most people.

The beach, the food, the lodging, the scenic areas and the sunshine make Javea an excellent beach destination for the adventurous traveler.

**All Photos by Donald Miller

What is a paradore?

The Spanish Paradores are first class accommodations located in castles, palaces, fortresses, convents, monasteries, historical building or places of unusual beauty. 84 paradores are scattered across the Spanish landscape with four more in the Canary Islands and two located in North Africa.

The government established the paradore system as a means by which the funds generated by tourism could be used to protect and preserve the national and artistic treasures of Spain as well as provide economic assistance in some areas with fewer economic opportunities. Although more expensive than our normal accommodations, paradores are quite reasonable compared to comparable high quality hotels. Additionally, even budget travelers occasionally need to splurge.

Comprehensive information can be found on their web site at www.paradores-spain.com. One of the outstanding features of the site is a map of the country which indicates the location of each paradore. It is possible to click on whatever locale might interest you and access information including directions, photographs, costs and other specifics relating to that particular site.

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