Spend the winter in Jávea

As the end of October approaches and the last of the child-rich autumn holidaymakers have left again and, upon returning home, take out their long underwear, jumpers and coats to face the Dutch winter, a benevolent calm descends on Jávea.

But then there is still a lot to do in Jávea, about which more below. But the best thing is undoubtedly the mild climate that persists throughout the winter. The sea water temperature is still around 20°C in November and around 16 – 18°C in December and January. North Sea temperatures, then, but with an average of 6-7 hours of sunshine a day. In winter, nice weather with spring-like temperatures is the norm. During the winter season, temperatures range between 18 and 20°C and regularly exceed that, so lunch in a polo shirt is often no problem! In fact, it couldn’t be better.

The “gota fria”, a Costa Blanca phenomenon in which – usually in October/November – a heavy storm with heavy rainfall suddenly appears out of nowhere, can sometimes be violent but fortunately does not generally last long.

Jávea has grown from simple fishing village to a well-known seaside resort but still offers unparalleled authenticity, without high-rise buildings. The beautifully restored old village (el pueblo) and the lively little port (puerto) are worth a stroll. Fair is fair, 20 years ago there was only a single decent restaurant here, which was then also closed all winter, but after that the gastronomy in Jávea has developed enormously. On the promenade by the sandy beach El Arenal (such as Bohemians (https://www.bohemiansjavea.com/en), in the old town (such as Da Guilia (Italian: https://restaurantegiulia.com) and, really highly recommended, Volta i Volta (https://www.voltaivoltarestaurant.com) and in the harbour (such as Nomad (https://nomadhotelcollection.com/ ) there are plenty of fine restaurants, and those who look a bit further can visit, for example, Masena (https://restaurantemasena.es) or the two-Michelin-starred BonAmb (https://bonamb.com/en/).

Of course there are fiestas in winter! In Spain, people take every opportunity to organise a fiesta and the nice thing is that most fiestas still have a very traditional character. So winter visitors can enjoy Santa Llucía (on 12 and 13 December 2022), Three Kings (Los Reyes Magos; very important in Spain, especially for children because presents are given out!) on 5 January 2023 San Antonio (the patron saint of pets, really! ), San Sebastian (the patron saint of Jávea; and, whatever that is between Spaniards and bulls, with every self-respecting man sprinting through the streets of Jávea, chased by bulls) from 17 to 19 January 2023, the carnival on 22 February 2023 and Semana Sancta (from Palm Sunday to Easter; very important all over Spain!) from 10 to 17 April 2023. During the Christmas period, there is a host of festivities with concerts, carol singing Christmas markets and much more. Expect every fiesta to be graced with costume parties, processions, eating paella together in a square and fireworks. As a rule, a prelate, the mayor or an alderman will also make another speech. These are often quite long, but not of the Fidel Castro format. A good time also to get further acquainted with a bottle of excellent Spanish wine. For more information, see https://www.javeaonline24.com/guide/javea-fiesta-guide-calendar

If, after all this partying, you feel the need to engage in physical activities, you can visit two golf courses (https://www.clubdegolfjavea.com/ and https://lasellagolf.com/ ), rent a bicycle or mountain bike (www.2gobike.com ; but beware, the average Spaniard doesn’t pay much attention to cyclists!), go horseback riding (https://valldecavall.es/vall-de-cavall/ ; with a great atmospheric restaurant as well!) or take beautiful walks (https://www.outdooractive.com/en/hiking-routes/javea/hiking-in-javea/5672414/ ; for the diehards: since 2010, there has been an official Camino running from Jávea to Santiago de Compostela; El Camino del Alba).

In short, anyone who wants to be bored in winter in Jávea should really do their best!

Those who are smart look on the websites of the companies that rent out villas and flats and ask for a special rate for overwintering. There are interesting deals to be had there!

So not a question mark, but an exclamation mark in the title of this entry: Winter in Jávea!