La Vila Joiosa between City Walls, Beach and Sea

The historic centre of La Vila Joiosa is a small, walled coastal settlement on an elevated promontory facing southeast, next to the mouth of the Amadorio River.

Historic Centre and Roman Traces

The historic ensemble of Villajoyosa is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural. The city walls and the parish church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción are also protected as Bienes de Interés Cultural in the Monument category; the church is a Gothic fortified church.

Along the Costera de la Mar stand Renaissance walls built around 1550 after Berber corsairs destroyed the earlier walls in 1443. Public baths were built between 85 and 110 AD beside the forum of the Roman city of Allon; the forum is now located at Plaza de la Generalitat. La Barbera dels Aragonés is a 17th-century country house that was transformed into a romantic 19th-century palace with furniture and extensive household furnishings of various origins.

Beaches between the City and Vegetation

In the centre of La Vila Joiosa there is a sandy beach more than 1,300 metres long. At Basseta l’Oli, an accessible bathing service is available there. Playa El Torres, by contrast, is a semi-urban pebble and sandy beach surrounded by vegetation, with a 560-metre-long beach area, a promenade and opportunities for diving.

There are six snorkelling routes at the various beaches of La Vila Joiosa. Fish and seagrass meadows of Posidonia oceanica are among the attractions for snorkellers. At the Escola de Mar, visitors learn and practise kayaking, sailing, diving, rowing and windsurfing.

Museums, the Sea and Special Experiences

Vilamuseu is the city museum of La Vila Joiosa and the centre of its network of museums and monuments. It is also home to the Centro de Interpretación del Pecio Bou Ferrer. The Bou Ferrer is a sunken Roman merchant ship off the coast of Villajoyosa. Since 2013, the Bou Ferrer project has included visits and strictly supervised diving to learn about the ancient shipwreck.

The “La Vila y el mar” interpretation trail explores La Vila Joiosa’s historical relationship with the sea, fishing and the port. Playa El Torres is also home to the Torre de Sant Josep, considered the best-preserved Roman funerary monument on the Iberian Peninsula.

Orientation, Market and Local Flavours

The Ruta Conjunto Histórico begins next to the tower at the intersection of Plaza de la Generalitat and the Costera de la Mar. Its starting panel is accessible to wheelchair users and offers large print, Braille, a tactile map, multilingual QR content and a video in Spanish Sign Language.

The Chocolates Valor Chocolate Museum was recognised in 2008 by the Generalitat Valenciana as the Museo Valenciano del Chocolate. It presents the development of chocolate production with historic machinery and offers a factory tour followed by a tasting. Mercat de La Vila is the central food market and a gastronomic showcase for products from La Vila Joiosa; some stalls prepare purchased products in small portions for on-site consumption. At the port, in the afternoon, you can experience the lively auction of the fish and seafood caught that day.

Festivals and Coastal Trails

The Moros y Cristianos festivals of La Vila Joiosa are recognised as a Festival of International Tourist Interest. The festival programme takes place from 24 July to 31 July and includes El Desembarc, a staged historical landing featuring lights, gunpowder and festivities. La Colada de la Costa is an approximately 8-kilometre, roughly two-hour circular coastal route of medium to easy difficulty between Playa del Torres and Torre del Aguiló in La Cala.

Further destinations: Elda, Casas del Señor, Alicante, La Canalosa, Alcalalí, El Mojón, Ondara

More about the destination

Relevant information for planning your trip:

Villajoyosa.

To the higher-level travel overview: Alicante.