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Local guides

Places we love around our homes — sights, food, beaches and the practical bits, gathered by the people who live there.

Alicante's harbour and palm-lined seafront, with the castle on Monte Benacantil behind

Dénia

Alicante — the castle, the seafront and kilometre zero

A hilltop castle over the city, a palm-lined marble esplanade, and the point in the town hall from which every height in…

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Aerial view of Villajoyosa's coloured houses along the old town wall above the sea

Dénia

Villajoyosa — coloured houses and chocolate

A seafront row of houses painted in strong blues, pinks and ochres, and a chocolate-making tradition going back to the nineteenth century.

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The castle and bell tower of Guadalest perched above the turquoise reservoir

Dénia

Guadalest and the Algar waterfalls

Inland from the coast, about an hour from Dénia: a dramatic castle village above a turquoise reservoir, and a run of river…

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The Peñón de Ifach rising above Calpe's marina

Dénia

Moraira and Calpe — a harbour, a castle and the Peñón

Two very different towns down the coast from Dénia: low-key Moraira, and Calpe under the great rock of the Peñón de Ifach.

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A stone street in the old town of Xàbia, arcades and flower-decked balconies

Dénia

Xàbia and its coves — Granadella and Portitxol

Dénia's neighbour over the Montgó, with an old town, a fishing port, a sandy strip — and two of the best-known coves…

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An excursion catamaran moored in the harbour at Dénia

Dénia

From Dénia harbour — boat trips and the island ferries

Coastal excursions in season, and the fast ferry across to Ibiza and Formentera from one of the handiest mainland ports for the…

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A cyclist on the Vía Verde de Dénia, with the Montgó rising behind

Dénia

Easy going near Dénia — the Vía Verde and the Torre del Gerro

Two gentle outings close to town: a flat former railway line for walking and cycling, and a short climb to a watchtower…

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Inside the Cova Tallada, turquoise water pooling under the cave's carved rock ceiling

Dénia

Cova Tallada — the sea cave near Dénia

A large half-natural, half-quarried cave on the shore of the Montgó park, with pools to wade in and an opening straight onto…

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The Montgó massif rising above Dénia, seen from the coast

Dénia

The Montgó — the mountain above Dénia

The blunt grey massif between Dénia and Xàbia is a natural park with walking for every level, from easy viewpoints to a…

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The boardwalk through the dunes to Les Marines beach, Dénia

Dénia

Dénia’s beaches — the sandy north and the rocky south

North of the port, kilometres of flat sand; south of it, a rocky shore of small coves and clear water for snorkelling.

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Aerial view of the Marina de Dénia and the castle hill beyond

Dénia

Dénia on foot — the old town, the market and the marina

The streets below the castle, the covered market and the harbour front — an afternoon and evening in Dénia without a car.

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A cobbled lane in Altea old town leading up to the blue-tiled domes of the Nuestra Señora del Consuelo church

Dénia

Altea old town — the blue domes above the sea

A whitewashed hill village about 40 minutes south of Dénia: the tiled church domes, car-free lanes, and a square with the best…

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The beachfront terrace of Restaurante Bona Platja on Las Marinas beach, Dénia

Dénia

Bona Platja — lunch on the sand at Las Marinas

A beach restaurant a few minutes from the villa: Dénia fish, rice, and tables right on the boardwalk.

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The Palau de les Arts and the Hemisfèric at the City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia

Dénia

Valencia — a day trip up the coast

A bit over an hour north of Dénia: Calatrava's white city, one of Europe's great food markets, and where paella actually comes…

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denia-castle

Dénia

Castillo de Dénia — history, views and visitor tips

One of the Costa Blanca's landmarks, right above the old town. What to see, when to go, and the practical bits.

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