Casco Antiguo de Xàbia

Jávea's old town was built about two kilometres inland, a detail that explains much of its layout. Through the Middle Ages, the constant threat of Barbary pirate raids pushed the population to live away from the shore and wall themselves in, leaving the coastline almost empty until well into the 20th century. The settlement was granted town status in 1397 and grew up around the Iglesia-Fortaleza de San Bartolomé, built in Elizabethan Gothic style from 1513 onward.

Streets of local stone

White façades, arched doorways and pointed windows carved from tosca — a local limestone that's easy to work — give the quarter its character. Many of the houses still show Gothic and Renaissance details in their doorways and lintels, visible on a self-guided walk through the pedestrian streets. One of the squares holds the Museu Arqueològic i Etnogràfic Soler Blasco, housed in the 17th-century palace that once belonged to Antoni Banyuls, majordomo to Felipe III and one of the most influential figures in Jávea at the time.

The old town is compact enough to walk in a short time, and connects directly to the Mercat Municipal d'Abastos and to the routes leading out to the Cap de Sant Antoni. Being pedestrian, with narrow streets and gentle slopes, it's best enjoyed at a slow pace rather than rushing between sights, and the hottest hours of summer are worth avoiding, since the pale stone reflects a lot of sun. Outside peak season its streets empty out almost completely, which makes for a quieter walk on a weekday.