THE DELIGHTS OF DISCOVERING DENIA

Denia is full of life, colour and Mediterranean way of life. It´s something you can feel as you stroll local streets, something you see in the faces of people you meet, reflected in radiant smiles; friendly, open looks, warm, inviting manners…

Looking longingly out to a clear blue sea, Denia sits on the shore of a special stretch of the Mediterranean where everything is possible. Palm trees line the promenades, terraces adorn the seafront, the port and the beaches beckon to be discovered. The Montgó mountain overlooks the town, protecting it from the hotter winds of the interior, like a massive monolith signalling to the clouds, while bathing its feet in a crystalclear sea.

Denia welcomes you with open arms. It has always been a safe haven for seafarers, a stopping point for travellers, an attraction for tourists. It has a way of making everyone feel at home. Many people over the centuries have made it their home. And they still do.

Denia and its fine climate-averge temperature 19 C- gives you a warn, welcome, ready to offer all the benefits of a region caressed by the sun.

LIVE THE LIFE OF THE TOWN.

Get to know the town. Stroll along the Calle Marques de Campo, the hub of Denia town life and trade. Or along El Paseo, with its open-air terraces under the palm trees. In the Fishing Port you can watch the boats come back in the afternoons to auction off their catches. The view from the quay showing Denia as it looks from the sea is simply superb.

The fisherman´s quarters Baix La Mar and Les Rotes will enchant you. Like whitewashed seafarer´s villages, they are ensconced inside the town. You will enjoy following the tiny winding streets and discovering a special corner where the magic of the Mediterranean comes into view, like the Pati de la Creu. Wandering through the stony streets, you will feel transported to another world by the play of light and shadow and the smell of the sea breeze.

Denia sits at the foot of the castle. From the top of the turrets you can take in the whole town at a glance. And inside the castle walls you can discover the remains of the civilazations that once flourished in these lands: Phonecians, Greeks, Romans and Moors. This is howto study history on the spot.

The town walls, the towers and the Palace of the Governor, containing an Archeological Museum, are sites well worth a visit. They are easily accessible on foot or using the quaint little train that runs up the hill to the castle. To gain an overview of local history, don´t miss the Museum, the 18^th-C church called “ la asunción  “  the “San Antonio” cloister and the classic-style 18^th-C Town Hall. Also worth a visit on the slopes of the Montgó mountain are the chapels called the “Conquest hermitages”.  On the cliff overlooking cape San Antonio is the solitary watchover known as the Torre del Gerro.

TOTAL IMMERSION IN SEA AND SUN

Denia beaches are better by far. There are beaches for all tastes. Beaches packed with people, solitary beaches hidden under cliff faces. Long beaches with fine sand, rocky coves sculpted by the waves…

There are twenty kilometres of seafront. In the north there are sandy beaches such as Les Marines, Les Bovetes, Les Deveses and Els Palmars. They lie along the flat part of the coast, facing shallow water, and are perfect for sunbathing, swimming, walking along the shore or sailing out to sea in sailboats, dinghies or pedal boats. Children will love playing in the sand and the water. These beaches have professional lifeguard services, plus freshwater foot showers, sunshades and kiosks selling cold drinks and ice-cream. Above these beaches flies the EC Blue Flag for clean seas.

To the south, there are rocky coves in a paradise of surprising shapes and forms which appreciators of natural beauty are sure to marvel at. In these crisp, clear waters you can swim, dive and enjoy yourself to the full. There are quiet spots where you can fish, snorkel or scuba dive in Les Rotes, the coves of the Torre del Gerro or the “ Cabo San Antonio” nature area.

Above all, you can relax and enjoy the warmth of the sun. When it gets too hot, just slip into the cool clear waters of the Mediterranean.

LEARN TO LOVE THE LANDSCAPE.

Beach and mountain, land and sea. How about having a superb sea and a Nature Park as next-door neighbours? In Denia, it´s no dream. There´s a wide variety on landscape for the asking. You can head for the hills or sail the seas. Just take your pick.

The majestic Montgó mountain dominates the horizon. On a clear day the island of Ibiza can be seen from its summit, if you´re brave enough to climb it first !. Around the slopes of the mountain, plant and animal life abound, some flora and fauna are unique to this habitat. The mountain slopes are now classified as a Nature Area, for visitors to enjoy and respect. There are signposted routes and tracks to help you find your way up.

Along the way, you might like to visit the chapels called the Ermitas de la Conquista: San Juan, Santa Paula and Santa Lucia, built in the 14^th and the 16^th centuries. Enjoy these picturesque spots, their peace and quiet, the grandeur of the view. You will see cape San Antonio and Cape Nao in the distance, which are also worth a visit.

THE SPORTING LIFE

You will love local sports opportunities in Denia. There´s so much to choose from. Whatever you like, you´re sure to find it. Beacause Denia has installations, services and attractions covering a wide range of sports. From water sports to mountaineering in the interior. From windsurfing to hang gliding.

Water sports at their finest are yours for the asking along the Las Marinas beach. The Med has everything to offer here: windsurfing, sailing, or fishing. A modern yatch club and marina provides sailors with everything they need. And if it´s snorkelling or diving you´re into, the cliffs, coves and bays to the south of Denia are a paradise which is hard to beat.

Back on land, there´s golf, tennis and other sports. Take your pick from a number of golg courses, and find the tennis court that suits you best.  They´re all modern and well equipped, nestling among palm trees and Mediterranean pines. Other possibilities include horse riding, hiking and trekking through the Montgó Nature Park and other interesting routes in the interior. Cycling and mountain biking are also gaining more and more fans. Just make your choice, and enjoy yourself.

GET THE TASTE OF DENIA

Bright sunshine and a good sea breeze are just the thing for awakening the appetite. And what better way to appease the appetite that with traditional Mediterranean cooking, including rice dishes, fresh fish and seafood, and salads. At midday take the cue from locals and retire to a shady table to enjoy the delights of Denia´s gastronomy.

Steamed Denia shrimp are considered by gourmets to be among the finest in the world. The famous local dish is arroz a banda, a savoury rice dish cooked in fish stock, usually accompanied by a touch of all-i-oli, or garlic sauce. Arroz a banda vies strongly with the ubiquitous paella, which is also in its element here. But Denia has lots of different offerings in store for visitors, being considered as the culinary capital of the Costa Blanca.

You might like to try a fisherman´s pt called suquet de peix, or the local pizza-like cocas, or perhaps léspencat, an appetizer consisting of a mix of cooked red peppers and aubergine in olive oil, or llandeta, or cruet-two types of fish stews. Also on many menus are shrimp with spinach, sea urchins, a local white sausage. For desert, fresh fruit followed by a sweet, aromatic mistela liqueur, made from the Muscatel grapes grown in the district.

Take your pick of the restaurants and terraces along the promenades, and try the enticing traditional dishes or the exceptional seafood medleys. In the evening, stroll by the Lonja or fish market and see how the fisherman´s fresh catches are auctioned off to shops and traders. It´s a pleasure that Denia preserves from the past. And it can be yours.

ENTERTAINMENT DAY OR NIGHT

Fun from sunup to sundown. That´s living in Denia. Take advantage of the morning to indulge in water sports on the beach, or visit towns in the interior, go to museums or get some exercise. Stop for luch a midday, then  a short snooze. Use the afternoon and early evening to go shopping around town or in the market, where there´s usually something for everybody.

When night falls, it´s time to tune in with the nightlife. Under the lights of the cafes and outdoor terraces, there´s music and fun for everybody. Restaurants, cafés, pubs, discos and open-air terraces on the beaches provide a good entertainment lineup for winding up the day among friends old and new. Denia means living life to the full. At any time of day or night.

LOCAL FESTIVITIES TO WRITE HOME ABOUT

You will like them so much you won´t just write about them, you will take part in them. Throughout the year, there are festivities that fill the town with joy and colour. People take to the streets, and suddenly everything is smiles, music and pageantry.

In March Denia holds its Fallas, with papier-mache effigies on monumental constructions that are burnt down on St. Joseph´s night, March 19^th, to usher in the spring and remind onlookers of the fleeting nature of all man-made things. Then come “St John´s Bonfires! On midsummer night, announcing summer with songs, and fires on the seashore.

During the patron saint festivities in July honouring Christ of the Holy Blood, Denia holds  its famous quayside bulls spectacle called “Bous a la Mar”. This celebration is unique, and is listed as a fiesta of  National Tourist Interest. To top the festivities off, there is a parade of floats through the town, encouraging everyone to take part  in the joy of annual celebration.

In August, the Moors and Christians parade through the streets of Denia, dressed in their best finery. These festivities, dedicated to St. Rocco, are colourful pageants that bring people back again and again to see them each year. During the summer, the night air brings the strains of popular music from the top of the castle: The “Musica al Castell” concerts feature ethnic groups and popular singers who contribute their visions of song to the town on the castle stage.