Xàbia (Spanish Jávea) is a small and ancient town on the Costa Blanca . Situated behind a wide fine beach and sheltered between two large rocky headlands, the town has become a very popular small seaside resort and market town. A mile or so from the public beach there is a working fishing port and a new harbour. Flat agricultural land stretches for miles behind the town, cut by small streams and used primarily for growing citrus & olive trees.

Climate

Jávea is protected from bad weather on the landward side by a mountainous ridge called the Montgó , and the town is said by the World Health Organisation to have one of the best climates in the world.

Population

Since the 1980s, Jávea has become a popular place for affluent northern European expatriates to purchase retirement villas; around 12,000 British people now live in the area, as well as many Germans and some Dutch. The British have brought with them their traditional zeal for voluntary & charitable work, and they run or support many local charitable causes. In 2003 a British man was elected to the local council. The town's population is now around 20,000; but this is greatly swelled by the annual influx of summer tourists, with Spanish tourists predominating at the height of August.

Infrastructure

Since 2000, Jávea's infrastructure has been undergoing significant expansion and improvement work, but the local government has successfully restricted the height and types of new buildings and thus retained the town's character. Many new estates of villas have been built in the wooded hills of the nearby coastline.

Tourism

The town has good road connections to regional capitals and Alicante airport - but is most romantically reached via the famous mountain railway, the Limón Express , that runs to the nearby town of Denia - from where (in fine weather) travellers can catch a regular fishing boat trip around the headland to Jávea's harbour.

There are several regular street markets, fairs, and three main annual fiestas. There is an established art gallery in the old town, Atelier 1, regular art exhibitions are held in the gallery at the town's library, and many accomplished 'sand artists' work along the beach in summer. There is an English library in the Arenal, and a large English second-hand bookshop in the Port.

There are many eating places, and several internet cafes near the seafront.

A large range of sports and hobby activities are catered to in the area: cycling, diving, fishing, golf, horse riding, mountain biking, photography, sailing, trekking, etc, and there are many shops & rental centres that serve these pursuits.

Links

• http://www.xabia.org/web_eng/index.htm Jávea Tourism (in poor English)

• http://www.xabia.org/ Xàbia Tourism (in Spanish)