Javea Old Town

Slightly inland, the historical town of Javea is a very traditional Spanish small town with picturesque whitewashed streets, offerings shops, art galleries, cafes, town hall and an indoor market to name but a few. It has a wonderfully kept museum where you can see what Javea was like up until recently and I strongly recommend a trip through the trap door to the roof, where you get a rooftop view of the town and the surrounding countryside.

All streets lead to the Plaza Major, in the centre of which you will see the ancient church of San Bartolome. The church is almost 500 years old and is made from tosca, a local stone excavated from under the sea and in caves nearby. The church gets its name from the patron Saint of Jalon (a nearby town in a valley- well worth a visit to its large bodega and if you visit in springtime will see one of the most spectacular displays of almond blossom in Spain) whose village people provided the fishing village of Javea with wheat, without which they would have had a very difficult time finding a good diet. The church only just survived the civil war-it has many bullet marks on the exterior and the inside was burnt out. A large hole was made in the floor in which to put the rubble, and supposedly an unexploded bomb! Surrounding the heart of the historic centre are a selection of bars and cafes offering local produce and tapas, the ‘nibbly bits’ traditionally severed with the beers.

If you visit in April, the holy week is called Semana Santa and on Good Friday there is a holy parade where floats depicting the Virgin Mary and other characters pass through the streets- very striking for all who see it. In contrast, on Easter Sunday there is a Feria de Artesanas (hand made crafts and local foods) in the streets which surround the church.

On a specified Sunday in May is Corpus Christie day, when the boys and girls who are taking their first communion, make a procession round the streets up to the church wearing what closesly resembles a miniature wedding dress for the girls and a sailor suit for the boys. The outfits are beautiful and for the family it is a big an event as a wedding!

At the end of April just before the fiesta of the Dia de la Cruz, there is ‘bull running’ in the streets in the historic town. Cages line the streets where people can spectate and bulls are let loose to run through the streets, and courageous Spaniards jump out of the cages and into their path (and jump back very quickly!) when the bull approaches.

On May 3 you will see the celebration of the ‘Dia de la Cruz’, or ‘Day of the Cross’. Doorways and windows are adorned with crosses made from flowers. They are works of art with much time being sunk into the petals displays which are assembled one by one to enhance them.

For three days in June, you can find the International Festival. Being such a cosmopolitan area this fair is very popular and each country has a stall selling their national foods and drinks. Local schools put on spectaculars of dance and song, together with live groups performing on the stage.

Between the middle and end of June is the principal fiesta of Javea, called ‘Las hogueras de San Juan. Again, the streets are closed for the bull running, there are parades with floats decorated with flowers, the local youth bands, the locals in traditional dress, and culminating at the evening of intense noisy (and very beautiful) fireworks and the burning of the huge handcrafted models in the streets. The fire engines stand nearby and the air is warm-quite a spectacle!

Christmas time in the Pueblo is magical, with a 20x5m crib scene set up outside the church with models depicting the Nativity and Christmas music being played from the Town Hall next door. However, the Spanish celebrate their ¨Christmas¨on 6th January- The Day of the Three Kings. The Kings and their helpers arrive by boat in the Port and proceed through the streets to the Pueblo on floats, accompanied by much joviality, dancing, music and the throwing of sweets out to the children!

All in all, the Pueblo of Javea holds an attraction of typical Spain for just about everyone.