La Vila Joiosa holds the kind of secret that the most discerning travelers learn to recognize: that of a place that has almost everything and yet remains untouched by the hustle and bustle. With 37,449 residents, the capital of the Marina Baja region possesses a more fragile and valuable quality: that of a destination that can still be enjoyed without having to share it with too many people, compared to other cities in the province of Alicante.
The city stretches along fifteen kilometers of Mediterranean coastline, boasting a historical, gastronomic, and natural heritage that few towns of its size can afford to ignore.
An old town with Phoenician roots and Renaissance walls
The history of Villajoyosa dates back to the Greek colonies that dotted the Mediterranean coast, and the presence of Arabs and Aragonese during the Middle Ages left a defensive imprint on the local architecture that time has not erased.
The old town, designated a Site of Cultural Interest, preserves sections of Renaissance walls that physically encircle the Parish Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción—an architectural feature so rare in eastern Spain that it alone is worth the detour.
The Vilamuseu preserves what these layers of history have left behind: Phoenician treasures, Roman inscriptions, and Egyptian, Greek, and Iberian artifacts that together paint a picture of a port city of Mediterranean significance.
And just as the city looks out to the sea, so do its defensive towers: the Torre del Charco, the Torre d’Aguiló, and the Torre de San José (popularly known as the Tower of Hercules), considered one of the most significant Roman funerary towers in Spain.
The capital of chocolate that arrived by ship from Venezuela
Some identities are shaped by the port, and Villajoyosa is no exception. Since the 17th century, its docks have been one of the main entry points for Venezuelan and American cocoa into Europe—the quiet beginning of a tradition that the town has managed to keep alive with a surprising ease.
Today, brands such as Chocolates Valor, Clavileño, and Chocolates Pérez offer museums—often with free admission—and tasting areas that turn any stroll through the city center into an unexpectedly sweet experience.
Artisanal fishing and tourism that remains on a human scale round out the economic fabric of a place that hasn’t had to reinvent itself because it never stopped being what it was.
12 kilometers of coastline, 6 Blue Flags
Villajoyosa’s coastline is bountiful: more than ten beaches and coves scattered along 12 km of coastline, six of which have been awarded the Blue Flag—the European certification that attests to the quality of the water and services—including Bol Nou, Centre, La Caleta, Paradís, Varadero, and El Torres. These are also the most popular beaches.
Moors and Christians, festivals declared of International Tourist Interest
If there is one date on the calendar that sums up the character of Villajoyosa, it is July 29. The Moors and Christians Festival, held in honor of Saint Martha, the city’s patron saint, has been designated a Festival of International Tourist Interest and transforms the waterfront—with its characteristic fishermen’s houses painted in yellow, pink, blue, and ochre—into the main stage for one of the oldest historical reenactments in the Valencian Community.
The spectacle isn’t theater—it’s collective memory, complete with embroidered costumes and gunpowder.
Located an hour and a half by car from Valencia and 32 km northeast of Alicante, Villajoyosa remains, despite all it has to offer, considerably less crowded than Benidorm or Altea.
