Javea is one of the best beach towns on the Costa Blanca! While we love the tapas bars and international vibes, our favorite way to spend the day is relaxing at the beautiful beaches in Javea. Here’s a quick list of the ones you can’t miss for your first visit. From hidden coves to long sandy paradises, it’s so easy to fall in love with the Javea Spain beaches!
About the Beaches in Javea Spain
Javea is a true gem situated along the Costa Blanca between the cities of Valencia and Alicante. Most travelers flock here in the summer to spend time at the Javea beaches, but there is a steady crowd of ex-pats from Germany, the Netherlands, and U.K. that call it home year-round.
With that said, the months of July and August are HOT and packed with beach lovers. Our favorite time to visit is just before or after that in the months of May, June, September, and October.
One thing we adore about Javea is that you can swim year-round. Don’t be surprised when you see brave locals swimming in the Mediterranean Sea even in the middle of December.
When you’re not enjoying a beach day, head up to Javea old town to explore the colorful streets. Also, be sure to check out more of our favorite nearby towns such as Calpe, Moraira, Denia, and Villajoyosa.
Our Ultimate Javea Beach Guide
The beaches in Javea come in all shapes and sizes. However, you’ll see most are made up of small pebbles with the exception of the sandy Playa de Arenal.
To make things easy, we will start with the furthest beach north, and work our way south down the stunning Costa Blanca. The entire Javea coastline extends around 25 km. This means you could actually see them all in one day if you wanted to!
Check out this website if you’re planning to rent a car for your vacation. It’s simple enough to rent a car at Alicante airport, Valencia, or even Madrid and Barcelona, then make the drive to Javea from there. There is a fun tourist train that goes between Arenal and the port in the summer months as well.
Javea doesn’t have a ton of large hotels, which keeps it from getting too commercialized like other touristy places on the coast. Instead, you will find more boutique style accommodations and Airbnb’s.
If you do plan to spend the night, some highly-rated hotels are Hotel Soul de Javea, Nomad Hotel – Xábia Port, and Hotel Ritual de Terra & SPA.
5 Best Beaches in Javea Spain
1. Playa de la Grava
Let’s kick off our Javea beach guide from the port! This is on the far end of town where all the fishing boats come in. Yet, don’t be fooled, Playa de la Grava is one of the very best beaches in Javea.
It’s so nice strolling the boardwalk along the long stretch of restaurants that leads to this sparkling pebbly beach. One of our favorite things to do is take the coastal path from Arenal Beach (up next!) and make the 30 minute walk to the port area for the afternoon.
The far side is a bit more compact and has a small section of sand if you prefer. As you go towards the southern side, it is mostly rocky and steeper to slide into the water. In the summertime, they even put a dock out in the sea that you can swim out to!
Some of our favorite restaurants in Javea are in this area. This makes it a fun place to be no matter what part of town you’re staying in.
Mira Luna: Our go-to spot for a coffee on the water. Located directly across the street from La Grava.
La Cantina de Jávea: Some of the best paella in town! Be sure to call it in the day before if you want to book a table and order a paella.
Restaurante Attico: Located on the top floor of the Javea Hotel with unreal views. A fantastic high-end dinner option for sunset.
Taberna Andares Ibéricos: Local jamon bar tucked into the backstreets. With a drink and tapa costing just €2.50, can you really beat it?!
Restaurant La Quinta: Great spot for a happy or drink on the water. They also do 10 Euro takeaway pizzas that you can bring to the beach.
2. Platja de l’Arenal
Onto the crown jewel of Javea. As we mentioned, Playa del Arenal is the only sandy beach in town. It’s also the largest of all the beaches in Javea, which makes for quite the attraction during the warm summer months.
Don’t worry though, there’s plenty of room to accommodate everyone no matter the time of year. We’ve spent many a days laying in the sand, swimming, and catching some rays. It’s not just one of the best beaches in Javea, but all of Spain in our opinion!
In the off-season, you may be one of the few people strolling the beach during the weekdays. There are also chairs for rent (typically 10 euros for the day) during the summer if you need some shade.
You’ll find plenty of restaurants on the boardwalk to choose from with sea views. Chabada and La Bambula are our favorite places for a drink, while La Fontana is the spot to eat fresh seafood and traditional Spanish food. Also, don’t miss out on getting a sweet treat at Austriaco-Cafewien just behind this Javea beach.
→ 7 Reasons We Love Arenal Beach Javea (And You Will Too!)
3. Cala Blanca
Moving further down the coast takes us to another magical Javea beach. Yet, this is not your typical swimming spot!
Cala Blanca is actually more of a natural pool that empties out into the sea. People lay towels and chairs around the swimming zone on hot days, and there is a short ramp that goes into the water.
At about a 15 minute walk from Playa del Arenal, Cala Blanca offers a fun and non-sandy alternative for a quick dip. You can take the road or stroll along the water.
The rough rocks on this part of the Javea coastline feel kind of like you’re walking on the moon. If you’re making the walk to Cala Blanca from Arenal, be sure to stop at Xiringuito la Caleta for refreshing drink and tapa.
We also recommend venturing past Cala Blanca if you have time. There is an incredible coastal path that takes you around the corner to La Caleta de Dins to admire the cliffs from.
Hike Between the Javea Beaches
Before we move onto to the next Javea beach, we need to tell you about one of our favorite hikes in the area! Just between Cala Blanca and Cala del Porititxol is the Cap Prim trail.
The easiest way to get here is to drive the 5 minutes from Cala Blanca. It takes you out on the peninsula and high above Javea for views of the coastline, with the Montgó Massif in the distance.
There are actually two routes you can take from where you park. The first takes you to the glorious Cap de Marti viewpoint and the other that goes down to our next beach!
If you’re looking down to your left from the trail, you will notice a small rocky enclave with a little house next to it. This is Cala Sardinera, another one of the beaches in Javea worth seeing if you have time.
4. Cala del Portixol
Around the corner from Cap Prim is one of Javea’s most famous beaches.You may have seen the iconic blue doors of the fisherman houses in photos before your visit.
Aside from being very photogenic, this pebbly beach is one of the best beaches in Javea for snorkeling. The water is crystal-clear, and you’ll have magnificent views out to Portixol island off the coast.
Beware that there is limited parking, so you’ll want to get here early in the summertime. Cala Clemence is a popular beach bar for drinks and lunch, too.
5. Playa de la Granadella
Now for the most famous Javea beach of them all! Playa de la Granadella has won awards for one of the best beaches in Spain, and for good reason.
The first time we arrived in Granadella, we couldn’t believe our eyes. This is a true paradise for beach lovers!
It’s about a 15 minute drive up and over the hills from Arenal Beach. With its small area, they keep it to a maximum of 300 people allowed. This obviously makes it one of the trickier beaches in Javea to visit during the summer.
The parking actually goes all the way from Granadella Beach up a long winding road where you exit from. We prefer going here in the off-season for this reason. Nevertheless, if you do go in the summer, make sure it’s bright and early! There is also a magnificent hike that loops above the beach to experience.
→ Playa de la Granadella: Javea’s Can’t Miss Beach & Coastal Hike!
More of the Best Beaches in Javea Spain
There is one more place we couldn’t leave off our Javea Spain beaches list. Cala Ambolo is the closest thing you’ll get to a “hidden cove” in Javea.
The nudist enclave has been very popular over the years, but there is just one issue… It’s technically closed to the public! This is due to rockslides, so you need to be extra careful if you decide to make the adventure here. Also, keep in mind it requires a steep hike down to the water.
We know there are plenty of other special coves to enjoy around Javea, but these are some of our absolute favorites. Really, there is no shortage of fun places to swim in this gorgeous area of the Costa Blanca!
Have any questions on this article or want to share more of the best beaches in Javea Spain? Leave us a comment below!
Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake
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We’re Brigitte and Jake! American travel bloggers currently based in Spain. If you can believe it, we started Nothing Familiar way back in 2015 on an Ipad in the Ecuadorian jungle. Ever since, we haven’t stopped traveling! We’ve now been to over 60 countries around the world, with our expertise being Europe and Southeast Asia. We love outdoor adventures, tasting local specialties, and island hopping through tropical destinations. Hopefully, our guides and authentic experiences will inspire you on your own travels!
