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Voykit pocket guide · Spain
Xàbia
Base in Xàbia for 3 nights with a car: old town for one morning, Arenal for the beach, and the coves and Montgó on the other days.
Xàbia (Spanish: Jávea) sits on a rocky stretch of the Costa Blanca between Dénia and Calpe, with three separate centres: the old town inland, the port, and the Arenal beach strip. The coast here is coves and cliffs rather than one long beach, and the Montgó massif rises behind the town. A car makes the difference: buses and the tram reach the edges, not the coves.
- Country
- Spain
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowds and heat), and the busiest weeks of August when parking at the coves fills by mid-morning
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including tapas bars and taxis in the cities.
- Daily spend
- Budget €55–85 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EU and EEA plans roam at home prices; UK and other plans may charge — check before you land.
- Emergency
- All services (EU emergency) 112 · National police 091 · Guardia Civil 062
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Bar or café: Leave small change or nothing.; Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% for good service; service is not usually added.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter: €1–2 a bag.; Guide on a free walking tour: €10–15 a person is the expected payment.
- Water
- Tap water is safe across the mainland; it tastes of chlorine in some coastal areas. Ask for 'agua del grifo' in restaurants — by law since 2025 they must offer it free (check local application).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars and cafés (buy a coffee). Stations and shopping centres have free or cheap toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €1.50–2.50 |
| Menu del día at lunch | €13–20 |
| Seafood rice for two (paella marinera or arròs a banda) | €30–50 |
| Beer: caña at a bar / can at a supermarket | €2–3.50 / €0.60–1.20 |
| Taxi, short hop within town | €8–15 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €15–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ALC · Alicante–Elche
- About 100 km south; roughly 1 h 15 min by carAbout 62 mi south; roughly 1 h 15 min by car
- VLC · Valencia
- About 100 km north; roughly 1 h 15 min by carAbout 62 mi north; roughly 1 h 15 min by car
Typical fares
- Ferry Xàbia port → Dénia
- about €18 round trip, 50 min (check seasonal timetable)
- Tram Alicante, Gata de Gorgos → Dénia or Benidorm
- fare by zone; the nearest station is Gata de Gorgos, about 8 km inland (check)fare by zone; the nearest station is Gata de Gorgos, about 5 mi inland (check)
- Taxi Gata de Gorgos → Xàbia
- €15–25 (check)
Get around
A car is the practical choice for the coves, the capes and Montgó; rentals sell out in summer, so book ahead. Local buses link the old town, port and Arenal. Tram Alicante (el Trenet) runs the coast between Dénia and Alicante but does not serve Xàbia: the nearest station is Gata de Gorgos, about 8 km inland, and you need a taxi from there. Taxis: Radio Taxi Jávea +34 902 199 777, Xàbia Taxi +34 965 792 535.A car is the practical choice for the coves, the capes and Montgó; rentals sell out in summer, so book ahead. Local buses link the old town, port and Arenal. Tram Alicante (el Trenet) runs the coast between Dénia and Alicante but does not serve Xàbia: the nearest station is Gata de Gorgos, about 5 mi inland, and you need a taxi from there. Taxis: Radio Taxi Jávea +34 902 199 777, Xàbia Taxi +34 965 792 535.
See and do
Known for
- Coves at Granadella and Portitxol
- Cap de la Nau and Cap de Sant Antoni
- Montgó Nature Reserve
- Seafood rice: paella marinera and arròs a banda
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Dénia | Ferry from the port (Mundo Marino), about 50 min; or drive the CV-736 over Montgó | About 1 h by ferry |
| Calpe | Drive the AP-7 or N-332 south, about 30 kmDrive the AP-7 or N-332 south, about 19 mi | About 35 min |
| Altea | Drive south on the AP-7, about 45 kmDrive south on the AP-7, about 28 mi | About 45 min |
| Benidorm | Drive south on the AP-7, about 60 kmDrive south on the AP-7, about 37 mi | About 1 h |
| Alicante | Drive south on the AP-7, about 100 kmDrive south on the AP-7, about 62 mi | About 1 h 15 min |
| Elche | Drive south via the AP-7 and A-7, about 110 kmDrive south via the AP-7 and A-7, about 68 mi | About 1 h 20 min |
Sleep
- Xàbia old town (Centre Històric)
- Narrow streets around the church and market; quiet at night, walkable, 10–15 min drive from the beaches.
- Port (Duanes de la Mar)
- Restaurants and bars along the waterfront; the ferry to Dénia leaves from here.
- Platja de l'Arenal
- The main beach strip: promenade, most hotels and rentals, easiest for a car-free stay.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Good day | Hola / Buenos díasOH-lah / BWEH-nos DEE-as |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-thee-as |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta por fa-VOR |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-do pa-GAR kon tar-HEH-ta |
| Where is the beach? | ¿Dónde está la playa?DON-de es-TA la PLA-ya |
| Do you have a table for two? | ¿Tienen mesa para dos?TYEH-nen ME-sa PA-ra dos |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Two kisses on the cheek (right then left) between friends and when introduced socially; handshake in business; avoid: Being stiff — Spaniards stand close and touch arms
- Meal times: Late lunch and dinner; long sobremesa (chat after eating); avoid: Rushing to leave or asking for the bill with the last bite
- Noise: Join in the lively conversation; avoid: Reading loud voices as anger
- Siesta hours: Keep noise down in residential buildings 15:00–17:00 and after 23:00; avoid: Phone calls to people at lunch time
- Dress: Smart casual in cities; locals rarely wear shorts in Madrid in town; avoid: Swimwear or bare torsos away from the beach
- Regional pride: Ask about local dishes and festivals; avoid: Assuming Catalan or Basque are dialects of Spanish
Scams and watch-outs
- Cove parking at Granadella and Portitxol is limited and fills early in summer; go before 09:30 or use the seasonal shuttle if running (check locally).
- Some coves are pebble or rock, not sand: bring shoes for the water.
- The tram does not reach Xàbia; the nearest stop is Gata de Gorgos, so plan the last leg by taxi or car.
- Summer heat and the exposed Montgó trails: start hikes at first light and carry water.
A low-crime resort town; the real risks are summer heat on exposed trails, cliff edges at the capes, and swimming where there is no lifeguard. Keep valuables out of sight at the coves and use the 112 number for anything urgent.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Xàbia yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Coves at Granadella and Portitxol
- Cap de la Nau and Cap de Sant Antoni
- Montgó Nature Reserve
- Seafood rice: paella marinera and arròs a banda
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Xàbia official tourism (en.xabia.org): en.xabia.org/
- Mundo Marino ferries: mundomarino.es/?lang=en
- Wikivoyage: Xàbia, revision 5244425 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5244425
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Xàbia
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Xàbia: the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland all have embassies in Madrid, with consulates in Alicante or Valencia (check which covers your case).
Local tourist offices: Xàbia Centre, Plaça de l'Església 4 (+34 965 794 356); Xàbia Port, Plaça President Adolfo Suárez 11 (+34 965 790 736); Arenal offices on Passeig del Tenista David Ferrer and del Capde la Nau Pla 122 (+34 966 460 605). Hours change by season: check before you go.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/xabia). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.