We’re going to explain the places to see in Villajoyosa in 1 day, a town in the province of Alicante. With 3000 years of history and 15 km of coastline, this fishing village on the Costa Blanca is a spot away from mass tourism. With a special charm, birthplace of Chocolates Valor, city of the Moorish Landing, and watered by the Amadorio River.
La Vila Joiosa es la capital de la comarca de La Marina Baixa y tiene 33mil habitantes. En esta comarca encontrarás pueblos como Benidorm (a 5 minutos de distancia), Altea, Alfas del Pi, Polop, Guadalest, Orcheta, Finestrat o Callosa d’Ensarrià entre otros. Las opiniones de la gente coinciden en que Alicante es una de las mejores zonas para visitar en España. Es uno de los pueblos más bonitos de la Costa Blanca.
Index
PLACES OF INTEREST
Old Town
The old town of Villajoyosa is a Site of Cultural Interest. You know that in historic centers you’ll walk through narrow cobblestone streets. But here, also among fishermen’s houses surrounded by a large Renaissance wall (16th century AD).
As is typical, the old town of La Vila Joiosa also has a Fortress Church, around which the walled city developed. It’s said that the houses are colorful because this way fishermen could know which was their house from a distance, and if sheets or other items were hung, they were signals that something had happened. But these are just conjectures. Travelers love the neighborhood because it has good spots for photos.
Within the historic center, we’ll find the Town Hall, a quite hidden building that looks like just another house. From here, the government rules for the nearly 34,000 registered Villajoyosa residents.
Tower of Sant Josep
The Tower of Sant Josep (Saint Joseph) or Hercules Tower is the best-preserved Roman funerary tower in Spain. The Tower of Sant Josep dates from the 2nd century AD and is restored in collaboration with the Archaeological Museum team. The 15km of Costa Blanca is full of Roman vestiges, and you can find many in the Archaeological Museum of La Vila (VilaMuseu) or in the impressive Archaeological Museum of Alicante (MARQ).
La Malladeta
In La Malladeta, there are two monuments. An Iberian sanctuary built between 375 BC and 350 BC in honor of the Goddess Mars, and a Masonic mansion of a friend of Blasco Ibáñez built in 1905. You can see a construction similar to the watchtowers found along the entire Alicante coast. These towers were used to warn of corsair attacks or invasions.
Casa Museo La Barbera dels Aragonés
La Barbera is a 17th-century farmhouse that belonged to the Aragonés family, who settled in La Vila Joiosa during the Reconquista era.
Watchtowers on the Costa Blanca
The watchtowers line the Mediterranean coast. The Aguiló Tower and The Xarco Tower were used to warn of pirate attacks.
Desde la Torre del Aguiló (en la Cala de La Vila) se puede tener una vista impresionante de los rascacielos de Benidorm y su Skyline. Desde la Torre del Xarco, se puede ver Alicante, San Juan, El Campello y la Torre Loma de Rejas.
VALOR: THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY AND MUSEUM
The Valor brand is the pride of La Vila. A multinational chocolate manufacturer created in 1881 and a pioneer in its sector, it is today an example of a successful family business.
Podemos visitar de forma gratuita el Museo del Chocolate, para terminar el recorrido en la fábrica y la tienda para llevarnos un souvenir.
Other Chocolate Factories in Villajoyosa
- Chocolates Clavileño. Address: Colón, 118. Tel.: 965890778 Monday to Friday: 9 AM to 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Free Admission.
- Chocolates Pérez, master chocolatiers since 1892. Avinguda de Finestrat, 78, 03570 La Vila Joiosa. Monday to Friday from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM and 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. 96 589 05 73. Shop.
- Turrones Carremi. Address: Carretera Alicante-Valencia (Industrial Park) Tel.: 96 589 03 83 SHOP: Monday to Friday: 9 AM to 12:30 PM and 3 PM to 6 PM.
- Chocolates “Pérez” Address: Pda Mediases, 1 Tel.: 965 890 573 Monday to Friday: 10 am to 1:30 pm and 5 pm to 7:30 pm Saturdays: 10 am to 1 pm Free Entry.
- Valencian Chocolate Museum: Valor Address: Avd Pianista Gonzalo Soriano Tel.: 96 681 04 51 – 96 589 09 50. Monday to Friday: 10 AM to 1 PM and 4 PM to 7 PM. (Visit at 11 AM and 4 PM in English) Saturdays: 10 AM to 1 PM. Visits on the hour Free Admission (reservation required for groups)
- Chocolates Marcos Tonda. Address: Nave 2 Polígono Industrial Torres. Tel.: 96 589 59 24 Monday to Friday: 10 AM to 1:30 PM and 5 PM to 8 PM. Saturdays: 10 AM to 1:30 PM. Free Admission.
We cannot deny that besides the cultural interest, the Marina Baixa region has many attractions.
BEACHES OF VILLAJOYOSA
The beaches of Villajoyosa have crystal-clear waters and are not overcrowded or overexploited by tourism. As we mentioned before, there are 15km of coastline, and although not all are fine sand beaches, they are the perfect place to relax and photograph unique views.
- Centro Beach or Playa Centro. The beach that runs along the old town with its promenade. There is a very useful underground parking on the promenade.
- Estudiantes. Next to the port.
- Tío Roig
- El Xarco – Dog-friendly and ideal for fishing and diving.
- El Paraiso Beach. Medium-sized with pebbles and sand.
- Varadero
- Racó del Conill. Nudist beach with pebbles and sand.
- Bol Nou Beach / Bon Nou Beach. Small cove with crystal-clear waters, gravel, and sand.
- L’Esparelló. Another nudist beach.
- Torres. Pebbles and sand.
- Cala Fonda.
- Lloma de les Reixes Beach.
La Vila cuenta con muchos años de tradición nudista en algunas de sus playas. Te dejamos un post sobre las mejores playas nudistas de Alicante, por si fuera de tu interés.
Beach Bars in Villajoyosa
One thing that La Vila stands out for is its beach bars. Go at sunset and have a drink, or you can have lunch and dinner after a hard day at the beach. The beach bars in Villajoyosa are:
- Sunset les Puntes del Moro Beach Bar
- Na Lúa Beach Bar at Paraiso Beach
- Bol Nou Beach Bar
- Arrocería Nuevo Varadero Beach Bar.
- Koh Tao Beach Bar at Torres Beach.
- Racó del Conill Beach Bar.
RESTAURANTS IN VILLAJOYOSA
Although you can eat “peix” (fish) in many restaurants, here’s a list of the ones we recommend:
- Ca Marta Restaurant
- Casa Elordi
- Nautical Club Restaurant
- Hogar del Pescador
- El Nàutic
- La Caravelle
- T-Class
- Zerca
- El Posit
The Mostra de Cuina Marinera is of special interest. These are days when La Vila’s restaurants get involved and offer traditional seafood dishes for a few days at very good prices. It’s like pintxos and tapas competitions, but with seafood dishes.
FESTIVITIES IN VILLAJOYOSA
Origin
In the 16th century, in 1538, the Barbary pirates of Zalé-Arraez attacked the town. Before the ships could land on the sand, Saint Martha caused a flood that helped the locals prevent the Barbary ships from reaching the coast. In gratitude for this miracle, La Vila named Saint Martha as the patron saint of the town, and in her honor, the Moorish Landing is reenacted every year.
Moors and Christians
The Moors and Christians festival in Villajoyosa is the popular celebration for the “vileros” (locals). It’s of International Tourist Interest. During these days, we recommend watching the parade of Moorish and Christian “Filás” (groups) and the Moorish Landing. Don’t expect to find any businesses open, as the city lives for “Moors and Christians” and almost all inhabitants are part of some “faction”.
In general, the main events of the Moors and Christians festival are the entry of bands, the parades, the smuggling, the embassies, the paellas, and the float parade.
The festivities would have been celebrated in 2020 from July 24th to 31st. They are always held in the last week of July. The Landing is usually around the 27th, in the early morning.
THE PARADE
List of Companies that parade:
- Moorish Companies of La Vila: Pirates Berberiscos, Tuaregs, Moros del Riff, Negres, Artillería de l’Islam, Moros de Capeta, Moros Mercaders, Artilleria Mora, Moros Pak.kos, Guàrdia Negra, Beduinos and the Moorish King with his escort.
- Christian Companies of La Vila: Artilleria Cristiana, Contrabandistes, Pirates Corsaris, Destralers, Llauradors, Almogàvers, Marinos, Caçadors, Voluntaris, Pescadors, Catalans and the Christian King with his escort.
Moorish Landing
Main event of the festivities. The beach is filled with a theatrical landing featuring Berber ships and battles on the sand. Blunderbusses, bombardment, drums, fireworks… The battle between Christians and Muslims is reenacted on the beach, where the latter invade the town, although it was reconquered within a few hours.
It’s necessary to arrive early and pay to secure a spot in the stands.
Tears of Santa Marta
As we mentioned before, she is the patron saint of La Vila for her help to the locals in the battle against pirates. The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption has the Chapel of Santa Marta, if you want to visit it.
But on May 8, 1653, the image of the patron saint resting in the Church of the Assumption cried for 2 hours. A notary recorded this “miracle” in an official document. This day coincided with Felipe IV authorizing the construction of a reservoir in Relleu (a nearby inland town) to irrigate the Huerta. This increased the population from 1,700 to 4,200 inhabitants and greatly improved the capital of the Marina Baixa region.
HISTORY OF VILLAJOYOSA
Villajoyosa is a town of Phoenician and Iberian origin that later became Roman. During the Iberian era, it was Alonis, a colony of Marseille, later becoming Allon in the Roman Empire era. Allon achieved the title of Municipium and depended on the region of Tarraco. It is believed that the center of Alonis was in the Plaça de la Generalitat, on Carrer Colón, in the urban center of the current town. The Roman cemetery was around the urban center. In those times, the colorful façade houses did not exist. The Amadorio River played a prominent role in the creation and evolution of the municipality. By the way, the river has the same name as the reservoir it comes from, the Amadorio Reservoir.
Archaeological Museum
It’s called VilaMuseu and has been internationally recognized as an example of accessibility. It holds collections of archaeological remains recovered in La Vila Joiosa. The VilaMuseu was an initiative of the city council, as was the idea of having a municipal archaeologist on staff.
The Imperial Baths of Allon
It’s common to find archaeological remains during any excavation. A few years ago, the Imperial Baths of Allon were found, which are preserved in a magnificent state. Work is being done, along with the VilaMuseu, on their conservation and museumization. While the project is being executed, they are covered with sand to keep them intact.
Festum Alonis
Regional festival recreating Roman life. Historical reenactment of Roman camps and activities from that era, such as ceremonies, trials, or games. More information and photographs on the FESTVM ALONIS Website.
Things to do in Villajoyosa
- Eat fish from the bay in any good restaurant in La Vila. Freshly caught and brought to the port that day.
- Disconnect and get lost in its beaches, away from tourist crowds. Go snorkeling in La Vila Joiosa.
- Go to the port in the afternoon, after a walk along the promenade, and watch the fishing boats arrive.
- Go to the Fish Market and see how the fish brought to the port is auctioned.
- Visit Vilero chocolate factories, the chocolate museum and then have Chocolate with Churros in a chocolate shop.
- Go hiking along the coast to the Aguiló Tower, for example, and see the Alicante coastal landscape like you’ve never seen it before.
- See the FESTVM Alonis and experience Roman life.
Things to do with children
- Visit the Chocolates Valor factory and Museum.
- Go to VilaMuseu with its VilaKids section, offering workshops for children.
- A visit to the San José Tower and the Aguiló Tower.
- Take a trip to the Amadorio reservoir.
- Enjoy a day at Karting La Vila.
- Eat fresh fish or paella at the Hogar del Pescador restaurant.
Free Tour and activities
How to get to Villajoyosa
If you’re on a road trip through the Valencian Community, the province of Alicante with all its towns is a must-stop. The coastal towns of Alicante are easily accessible and many, including La Vila, can be visited using the TRAM Metropolitano de Alicante.
On your journey through the best towns in Spain, this area cannot be missed.
And if you liked our post, please appreciate the effort we’ve put in to help you get to know La Vila…
