Villajoyosa, Alicante.
What it offers is different — a short walk through an old town that genuinely feels lived in, followed by an afternoon on a beach that hasn't been designed for tourists. The underground car park right at the seafront almost always has space, which already puts it ahead of most places on the Costa Blanca.
Closer than Altea, easier to park, and the kind of place you leave thinking you should come back."
A Town That Painted Itself — and Smells of Chocolate
The name comes from the Valencian La Vila Joiosa — the happy town. It earned that name honestly.
The colourful houses along the seafront are the image everyone comes for — and the reason behind them is more practical than decorative. Local fishermen painted their homes in distinct colours so they could identify them from out at sea. Blues, reds, yellows, and greens lined up along the waterfront — not for tourists, but for men trying to find their way home through Mediterranean mist. The tourists came later. The colours stayed for the same reason they always were — because they work.
The eight watchtowers scattered around the old town tell a different story. Torre Simeón and the others were built to spot pirates before pirates spotted you. The Costa Blanca in the 16th and 17th centuries was not the relaxed place it is today.
Then there's the chocolate. In the 19th century Villajoyosa became the chocolate capital of Spain — its busy port received cargo ships loaded with cocoa from Ecuador and Venezuela, and the factories followed. In 1881 the Valor factory opened here. It's still here. Part of it is now a museum with free daily tours. On the right day, walking into town, you can smell the cocoa before you see the houses.
One more thing worth knowing: in late July the town stages the Moros y Cristianos festival — a full reenactment of a Moorish naval landing on the beach, complete with ships, fireworks, and music starting at dawn. One of the most spectacular local festivals on the Costa Blanca.
Villajoyosa — What People Actually Want to Know
Around 35 kilometres — approximately 30 to 35 minutes by car depending on traffic. A straightforward drive north along the coast road.
You park in the underground car park right at the beach — it sits at seafront level and almost always has space. From there the old town and the colourful houses are a short walk away.
The answer is more practical than decorative.
Villajoyosa was a working fishing town — and the men who fished here spent long days out at sea. When they came back, often at dawn and often through Mediterranean haze, they needed to find their house quickly from the water. So each family painted their home in a distinct colour. Blues, reds, yellows, greens — not for aesthetics, but for navigation.
Nobody planned the result. It just accumulated over generations, one family at a time, each picking a colour different enough from their neighbours to be recognisable from a distance.
Today the fishing boats are fewer. The colourful seafront has become one of the most photographed sights on the Costa Blanca. The colours stayed — for the same reason they always were. Because they work.
The tours are free — which removes the main reason not to go.
English-language tours run twice a day at 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. All other tours are in Spanish. You can book online in advance or get free tickets at the kiosk on arrival — though popular slots fill up, so arriving early is the safer option.
The museum was established in 1998 by Chocolates Valor and traces the company's history in chocolate production since the 19th century. Vintage machinery, the story of how cocoa arrived from the Americas, and chocolate tastings throughout.
I haven't visited personally — so I won't tell you it's unmissable. What I can say is that it's free, it's in Villajoyosa, and on the right day walking through town you can smell the chocolate before you see the factory. That alone is worth the detour.
It depends on what you're going for.
If the beach is the main reason — pick whatever time works for you based on how much sun you can handle. July and August are peak summer, the water is warm and the beach is busy. Spring and autumn give you the same town with fewer people and more comfortable temperatures.
If you're coming to walk the old town and eat — after 4:00 PM is the right call. The heat has dropped, the streets are more pleasant to walk, and the restaurants start filling up for the evening. The colourful houses look better in the afternoon light anyway.
One specific recommendation: if you're visiting in late July, the Moros y Cristianos festival runs from 24 to 31 July — a full week of events including a spectacular naval battle reenactment on the beach at dawn on 28 July. Worth planning around if you can.
Yes — and easier than most coastal towns on the Costa Blanca.
There are several street parking options and underground car parks throughout the town. Personally, the underground car park right at the seafront is my go-to — it almost always has space and puts you within walking distance of the old town, the colourful houses, and the beach.
Most people come for the houses. They stay for everything else.
The colourful houses. The painted fishermen's houses along the seafront are what put Villajoyosa on every Costa Blanca itinerary. Blues, reds, yellows and greens — originally painted so fishermen could identify their homes from out at sea. The tourists arrived later. The colours didn't change.
Chocolate. Villajoyosa has been producing chocolate since the 19th century, when its busy port made importing cocoa from South America straightforward. The Valor brand — one of the most recognised chocolate names in Spain — was founded here in 1881 and is still based here. Four factories currently operate in the town. On the right day you can smell the cocoa before you see the houses.
The old town. Behind the seafront is a maze of narrow streets, a Gothic parish church, and eight watchtowers built to spot pirates before pirates spotted you. Torre Simeón is the best known. The 16th century city walls are still partially standing.
Yes — with one honest caveat.
If you've already been to Altea old town, Villajoyosa will feel different. Quieter in some ways, less dramatic in others. The impact isn't quite the same.
But that's not a reason to skip it — it's a reason to manage expectations. Villajoyosa has its own character: the colourful houses, the chocolate, the working old town that hasn't been rebuilt for visitors. It's worth seeing precisely because it doesn't try to compete with anywhere else.
Come for the variety. Come to see something genuinely different on the Costa Blanca. Come because it's 35 minutes from Alicante and the underground car park is almost always empty.
You won't regret the drive.
The biggest event of the year in Villajoyosa — and one of the most spectacular festivals on the entire Costa Blanca.
The festival has been celebrated for over 250 years in honour of Santa Marta, and commemorates events that took place in 1538, when Barbary pirates commanded by Zalé-Arraez tried to attack the town. According to tradition, Santa Marta caused a flood that swept the enemy ships out to sea. In thanks, the town took Santa Marta as its patron saint.
The festivities run from 24 to 31 July. They begin with processions on 25 and 26 July, with both Moorish and Christian sides making their way through the streets to live music.
The centrepiece is the Desembarco — a spectacular dawn re-enactment of the Moorish landing on the beach on 28 July. Boats, fire, and a staged battle on the seafront. It starts before sunrise. Being there for it is not something you'll easily forget.
The festival involves 22 comparsas — 11 representing the Moors and 11 the Christians — and has been recognised as a Festival of International Tourist Interest.
If you're in the area in late July — this is worth planning around.