# Villajoyosa

The Valor and Pérez chocolate factories, the coloured houses above the beach and the Roman ship museum, half an hour from Alicante by car or TRAM.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/villajoyosa · Revisado: 2026-11-13

Villajoyosa smells of cocoa. Since the 19th century the town has made chocolate: the ships that left its port for America with fabrics and Alcoy cigarette paper came back loaded with cocoa, and at one point there were more than seventy brands. Today three active factories remain that you can visit, a walled old town with brightly painted houses facing the beach and a museum with a Roman ship sunk off the coast. It is half an hour from Alicante by car or TRAM, and it can be toured entirely on foot.

## How do I get there from Alicante?

By car, on the motorway towards Benidorm: about 30 minutes. Park outside the old town, which has narrow streets, and bear in mind that the Valor museum has no parking of its own. Without a car, TRAM d'Alacant line 1, from Luceros to Benidorm, stops at La Vila Joiosa. From Murcia it is a little over an hour on the dual carriageway and motorway; from Valencia, about two hours along the coast.

## Which chocolate factory can you visit?

Two, Monday to Saturday. The Museo del Chocolate Valor, declared the Valencian Chocolate Museum in 2008, runs a 45-minute guided tour with an audiovisual, museum, a sensory cocoa room, a panoramic view of the factory and a tasting. On weekdays there are sessions in Spanish at 11:00, 12:00 and 13:00 and in the afternoon at 17:00, 18:00 and 19:00. On Saturdays, mornings only and only with online booking, which can be made up to two months ahead. Closed on Sundays and public holidays.

Chocolates Pérez is an artisan factory that has stayed in the same place since 1892. Its guided tour of the museum and factory is arranged by phone, Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 17:00 to 19:00, and on Saturday mornings. The Clavileño museum, the third factory, is closed while it moves to new premises. The chocolate and nougat route links the factories and the shops in an hour.

## And on Sunday?

On Sundays the factories close, but not everything else. Vilamuseu is free on Sundays, from 10:00 to 14:00: it tells 3,000 years of history, from the Iberian sanctuary of La Malladeta to the Bou Ferrer, a Roman merchant ship built in Naples and sunk off the coast. In November 2026, because of its reopening, it is free every day. Then the old town, a Historic Ensemble and Site of Cultural Interest, with its 16th-century Renaissance wall and the fortress-church of the Asunción. Go down the Costera de la Mar to Playa Centro and turn round: from the sand you see the row of coloured houses. If you have the late afternoon left, climb to the Malladeta sanctuary, a hill above the sea that the Iberians aligned with the equinoxes.

## And on the sea?

Villajoyosa's coast doesn't end at Playa Centro. South of the port there are rocky coves with posidonia; Alicante Aventura leaves from Paraíso beach on a kayak trip to the Torre del Xarco, three hours with a snorkelling stop, for €39 and with children from age 4. To the north, the same company paddles beneath the cliffs to the Torre del Aguiló, and that stretch can also be walked on the Colada de la Costa, a Blue Trail of about 8 km. From the Club Náutico, the Ali Sub centre takes you by boat to Benidorm island for a discovery dive with its own instructor, from age 10. If you only want mask and snorkel, the tourist office suggests six coves for snorkelling, from the Racó del Conill to l'Esparrelló. Inland, the Club Hípico Legend runs horse rides of one to four hours.

## Where do I eat?

At the Hogar del Pescador, next to the Club Náutico, opened in 1970 and with a Repsol Guide Sol: rice dishes and fish from the town's fish market, at midday every day, including Sunday; book. On Saturday mornings, the Mercat de La Vila has a canteen that cooks what you buy at the stalls, and servings of cured fish, cheeses and boiled seafood; it closes at 14:00 and does not open on Sundays.

## Where do I sleep?

On the front line of Playa Centro, the four-star Hotel Allon Mediterrània, with a pool and rooms with sea views. In the centre, the Hotel Censal, next to the park that runs down to the beach, with a rooftop jacuzzi. With a motorhome or a dog, the Camping El Torres, at Playa Torres, open all year and admitting pets.

## When to go

If chocolate is the reason, go on a weekday or on a Saturday morning, with the Valor booking made. Sunday is a day for the museum, old town and beach. From April to June and in September and October you can walk and swim without heat or crowds. The Moros y Cristianos festivities, with their Landing, are the big week of the year: ask for the dates at the Tourist Info.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Horse riding routes in Spain
- Cerca: Altea (a 18.7 km), Guadalest and the Guadalest Valley (a 18.9 km), Tabarca Island (a 43.6 km), Bocairent (a 43.7 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Valor Chocolate Museum and factory view** (45 min · For everyone; route accessible except the final stretch to the shop): Chocolates Valor opened its museum in 1998 in what had been its small family factory, at Calle Pianista Gonzalo Soriano, 13, in Villajoyosa. In 2008 the Generalitat recognised it as the Valencian Chocolate Museum. It is always visited with a guide, in groups of up to 50 people, and the visit lasts 45 minutes.
From the audiovisual to the tasting
The tour begins with a screening in the audiovisual room. It continues through the museum, which tells the story of the house across five generations of master chocolatiers and holds a collection of machinery from different periods, from when cocoa was ground by stone. In the exhibition room and the cocoa sensory room, the journey of cocoa is explained: its legend, the fruit, cultivation and the ingredients of chocolate. Then there is a panoramic view of the interior of the current factory, and the visit ends in the Valor shop with a chocolate tasting.
Sessions in Spanish and English
Monday to Friday there are visits in Spanish at 11:00, 12:00 and 13:00 and in the afternoon at 17:00, 18:00 and 19:00; those at 10:00, 15:00 and 16:00 are in English. On Saturdays there are only morning visits: at 10:00 in English and at 11:00, 12:00 and 13:00 in Spanish. In August, sessions every half hour are added. Closed on Sundays and public holidays. You must be at the entrance five minutes early: once the visit has started you cannot join.
On Saturdays, online booking only
Because of the crowds, on Saturdays tickets are not sold at the door: you must book on the Valor website, up to two months ahead. On weekdays it is also advisable to book. The website does not publish the price of the visit. Groups of 15 people or more, such as schools or associations, book separately at museo@valor.es.
Factory stopped, visit the same
During staff holidays, from 23 December to 4 January and a few days between late July and early August, the factory does not operate, although the visit keeps its route and length. The museum announces on its website one-off closures and cancelled visits, as happened on 23 October because of an internal event: check it before you go.
Access, parking and pets
The route is accessible to people with reduced mobility, except the final stretch to the shop while the lift is still out of order, as the house warns. There is no parking at the museum and pets are not allowed.
To round off the morning
The town has another factory you can visit, Chocolates Pérez, and a route through the chocolate and nougat industries. The museum is a stop on the chocolate Saturday in Villajoyosa, which continues through the old town and a rice dish by the harbour.
- **Old town, wall and colourful houses** (1 h · For everyone; slopes and steps on Costera de la Mar · Free): What it is
Villajoyosa's old town is a historic ensemble and a Site of Cultural Interest, one of the best preserved in the Valencian Community. The town was founded in 1300 by Bernat de Sarrià, procurator of James II of Aragon, on the remains of Iberian and Roman settlements, and so its streets follow the grid of the Christian foundations of the period. Facing the River Amadorio and the sea, the houses were painted in strong colours: the tourist board presents them as a model of polychromy in the western Mediterranean.
The wall and the fortress-church
The Barbary attacks of 1538 and 1543 razed the town, and a Royal Order commanded its defences to be rebuilt: Villajoyosa was one of the ten key strongholds of the kingdom against corsairs. That is how the Renaissance wall was born in the 16th century, paid for with silk taxes, with round bastions with sloping bases to better withstand cannon fire. It has been a BIC since 1985. Three bastions survive: the Pou, near the sea; the Retor, next to the abbey; and the Portalet, recently recovered on Calle Costereta.
The apse of the fortress-church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción serves as the main tower of the enclosure. It was built in the mid-16th century, in Levantine Gothic style, with a single nave, thick walls and few windows; along the roof runs a wall-walk with arrow slits and cannon-shaped gargoyles. In the 18th century the classicist Baroque doorway and the chapels of the Purísima and the Communion were added, where the 17th-century carving of Santa Marta, the town's patron saint, stands. It is one of only three fortress-churches in the province of Alicante. It can be visited Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 to 13:00, at Plaza de la Iglesia, 6.
The houses on the wall
When the Algerian threat disappeared, in the 18th century, the wall ceased to serve its purpose and residents began to build on top of it. Without knowing it, they created the town's most photographed image. The best viewpoints are the road bridge and the south bank of the Amadorio in its last stretch; also the park of the regenerated riverbed, which gives other angles on the façades.
The walk
The Historic Ensemble Route starts at the panel next to the tower where Plaza de la Generalitat and Costera de la Mar meet. It is wheelchair accessible, with a relief and Braille map, audio description by QR in six languages and a sign-language video. To continue outside the wall, the Urban Centre Route, 2 km and low difficulty, goes along Calle Colón, the Mercat and the Roman baths. You can go with a dog on a lead; the Costera de la Mar has a slope and steps.
Going down the Costera you reach Playa Centro. To understand the town's history, Vilamuseu is on Calle Colón, and the Mercat de La Vila is a short walk away.
- **Kayaking along the Southern Coves of Villajoyosa to the Torre del Xarco** (3 h · Families; children aged 4 to 9 sit between two adults · Desde 39 € per adult): The Villajoyosa coast south of the port turns to rock: small coves between rocks and an old watchtower above Playa del Xarco. From the water you see what the road hides.
A coast seen from the sea
The route leaves from Playa Paraíso, at the southern end of the municipality, next to the Alicante Aventura base. From there you paddle north, hugging the shore, past Cala del Bon Nou, l'Esparrelló and La Caleta. If the sea allows, the group continues to Playa del Xarco, beneath the Torre del Xarco, a historic watchtower. Then you return to the starting point. The exact route is decided by the guide according to the wind and the group's pace.
Halfway, if the weather cooperates, you stop in a small cove that is hard to reach by land. There you get out of the kayak, put on the mask and snorkel that are included and swim for a while over the rocks. The tourist office highlights these southern coves for snorkelling: clear water, rock and posidonia meadows.
Double kayak, no experience
You do not need to have paddled before. The kayaks are double, self-bailing and with backrests, very stable, and the guide is with you the whole time. Children aged 4 to 9 sit between two adults, without a paddle; from age 10 they pay as adults and paddle. It is a good first kayak outing for a family, as long as the children are comfortable in the water with a life jacket on.
It does ask for some conditions: not being pregnant, not having drunk, being able to stay calm in the water, not getting seasick easily and reasonable fitness. Before starting, everyone signs a consent form; without it you do not go out and the money is not refunded.
Price and what is included
€39 per adult and €12 per child aged 4 to 9. It includes the qualified guide-instructor, double kayak with paddle, life jacket, snorkel mask and tube, a dry bag for your things, photos of the outing, which are sent by link and expire after a month, and accident and civil liability insurance. It does not include transfer, food or drink.
Booking and punctuality
Book on the company's website. Arrive at least 15 minutes early: the guides wait five minutes and leave. If you cancel more than 48 hours ahead, they refund the amount or exchange it for another date or a voucher; within 48 hours they only change the date, and with less than 24 hours there are no changes except for justified cause. If they cancel because of the state of the sea, they refund everything.
Getting to Playa Paraíso
The base is at Partida Paraíso, 66, on Villajoyosa's south coast, towards El Campello. Park outside and walk in to reception. Without a car, TRAM line 1 stops in the town, but Playa Paraíso is far from the centre: a car is the practical option.
- **Chocolates Pérez factory and museum** (45 min · For everyone): What it is
Chocolates Pérez is a family artisan chocolate factory in Villajoyosa, with the motto "master chocolatiers since 1892". It was founded that year by Gaspar Pérez Pérez, although his father was already a chocolate maker, and is run by the fourth generation; the company name is still Herederos de Gaspar Pérez. It maintains artisan processes and holds the Valencian Community Craftsmanship seal and the "Chocolate made in Villajoyosa" mark. It is one of the three chocolate factories still active in the town, which once had more than seventy brands.
The visit
The guided visit explains the origin of chocolate, its nutritional qualities and the artisan production process. You walk through the factory to see how the main raw materials, cocoa, almond and milk, are worked, and the museum, with panels on the history of cocoa and its transformation. It ends in the factory shop.
The website does not publish the price or length of the visit, or conditions for groups: ask when you arrange it.
Hours and how to arrange it
Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 17:00 to 19:00, and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 13:00. The museum follows the same hours; it does not open on Sundays. The visit is arranged by phone with Pepe, on 633 973 481, or with Gaspar, on 666 819 135. For other enquiries, the office answers on 965 890 573 and at infoventas@chocolatesperez.com. It is at Partida Mediases, 1; the website links to Google Maps for directions.
What to buy
In the shop and the online shop there are bars of single-origin dark chocolate (90% Ecuador, 86% Dominican Republic, 82% Peru), a 70% with caramelised cocoa nibs and salt foam, a 70% with extra virgin olive oil, chocolate with almonds, the ChocoNardo, milk chocolate with coffee and absinthe, and drinking chocolate, such as the "Virgen de los Desamparados". They also make nougat and tortas, dragées and baking products, and lines of white chocolate, milk chocolate and no added sugar.
What to combine it with
It is a stop on the chocolate and nougat route, which links the town's factories. If you want to compare, the Valor Chocolate Museum runs 45-minute guided visits with a tasting. To continue, the old town and the colourful houses and Playa Centro are in the centre.
- **Vilamuseu, the museum of La Vila Joiosa** (1 h 15 · For everyone; accessible route · €3 · free on Sundays): What it is
Vilamuseu is the museum of La Vila Joiosa, at Calle Colón, 57. It tells more than 3,000 years of local history through the Mediterranean cultures that passed through here: in Iberian times it was an important settlement, trading with Phoenicians, Greeks, Egyptians and Etruscans; then came the Roman municipality of Allon, and later the medieval town. It also organises activities at the Iberian sanctuary of La Malladeta and several routes around the town. Allow an hour and a quarter for the visit.
What you see
The exhibition Tresors de la Vila Joiosa brings together the most outstanding pieces: the Egyptian New Year flask, an orientalising gold necklace from the 6th century BC, the Estela necklace, the foundation-sacrifice jug from the Allon baths and a Roman mosaic you can touch, part of a sensory itinerary. The other exhibition is devoted to the Bou Ferrer, a Roman merchant ship built in Naples that went to Baetica to load amphorae of fish sauce and lead ingots from Sierra Morena bound for Rome and the emperor Nero. It sank off Allon in the 1st century AD and is one of the most important wrecks in the Mediterranean; amphorae and finds from years of underwater archaeology are on display.
The website announced the Tresors exhibition until 15 September 2026 and the Bou Ferrer one until 15 June 2026, so it is worth asking what is open on the day of your visit.
Opening times and price
From 16 September to 15 June it opens Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 19:00 and on Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 14:00. From 16 June to 15 September, Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 18:00 to 21:30, and on Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 14:00. It closes on Mondays, on 1 and 6 January, on the afternoon of 5 January, on 1 May, on 29 July and on 24, 25 and 31 December.
Admission costs €3; the reduced rate, €1.50, is for groups, students, large families and single-parent families. It is free on Sundays, on 18 May and for under-18s, students aged 18 to 25, over-65s and pensioners, teachers, unemployed people and people with disabilities with their companion, on showing proof. The annual pass costs €5 and includes two guided or dramatised visits.
Visits and families
Guided visits are booked on 609 771 110 or at visitas@villajoyosa.es; some are currently temporarily out of service. For children, the Vilakids programme runs workshops by age (628 993 175). For general questions, 966 508 355 or vilamuseu@villajoyosa.es.
On leaving, Calle Colón leads to the Tourist Info and the Mercat de La Vila, and the old town and the colourful houses are a walk away, with Playa Centro below.
- **Playa Centro** (1 h 30 · For everyone · Free): What it is
Playa Centro is Villajoyosa's urban beach: over 1,300 m of sand in front of the old town and the Parque del Censal, next to the mouth of the Amadorio. From the sand you can see the row of colourful houses built on top of the old wall, the town's most photographed image. Escalators climb from the beach to Avenida del País Valencià, so you can go down and up effortlessly from the centre. It is the natural stroll after the chocolate visit.
It has a Blue Flag, the Qualitur flag and the Ecoplayas badge, and it is a Smoke-Free Beach: smoking is not allowed on the sand.
Facilities
In the swimming season there are lifeguards and supervision. The beach has showers and foot washes, toilets, walkways, safety lockers and children's play areas, and sun loungers and parasols can be hired. In the Basseta l'Oli area, next to the Yacht Club, the Accessible Beach service operates, with facilities and equipment adapted for people with reduced mobility.
For the water there are kayaks, jet skis, paddle surfing and beach volleyball, and a buoyed channel for non-motorised craft. Dogs and caravans are not allowed. For questions, the council's beaches department answers on 628 993 176 or at playas@villajoyosa.es.
When to go
The beach is open all year. Proper swimming runs from June to September, when the seasonal services operate; the rest of the year it is used mostly for walking on the sand and along the promenade, with terraces, bars and shops opposite. The best view of the colourful houses is from the last stretch of the Amadorio: from the road bridge and from the south bank of the river.
Getting there and what to combine it with
Without a car, TRAM line 1, between Alicante and Benidorm, stops in Villajoyosa. From the centre you walk down along Costera de la Mar, which leaves from the old town and the colourful houses, or down the steps of the Parque del Censal.
On the same beach are the Hotel Allon Mediterrània, on the front line, and two minutes away the Hotel Censal. For fish from the fish auction, Hogar del Pescador is next to the Yacht Club. And for the morning, before swimming, the Valor Chocolate Museum or Vilamuseu.
- **Iberian sanctuary of La Malladeta** (45 min · For everyone; short climb · Free): What it is
La Malladeta is a hill beside the sea, south-west of the centre of Villajoyosa, where the Iberians had a sanctuary that remained in use in Roman times: Vilamuseu describes it as an Ibero-Roman sanctuary. At the top is the Malladeta tower and a wide view of the bay, the old town and the coast towards Benidorm. It is a short visit, about 45 minutes including the climb, and free.
The sanctuary and the sun
What makes the place special is its relationship with the sky. According to Vilamuseu, the Iberians used an element of the landscape to follow the sun's movement through the year and mark the start of the astronomical year. From La Malladeta, that reference point is the island of Benidorm: the sun appears next to it only at the equinoxes.
The Iberians did not know the exact astronomical equinox. They took as the start of the year, and of the agricultural calendar, the midpoint between the two solstices. For autumn 2026, the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics calculated that this midpoint fell on Monday 21 September. Vilamuseu has photographed and documented equinox and solstice sunrises from the hill in different years.
Observations with Vilamuseu
The museum organises archaeoastronomy activities at La Malladeta. The last one published was on 21 September 2026: meet at 7:10, yoga and sunrise observation from 7:15 to 7:55 and, at 8:00, an explanation of the sanctuary. It was free and no equipment or prior knowledge was needed. The programme changes each season, so if you are interested, ask for the next date on 966 508 355 or at vilamuseu@villajoyosa.es; guided visits are handled on 609 771 110.
How to organise the visit
Neither Vilamuseu nor the tourism website publishes opening hours, access or visiting rules for the site, so before climbing it is worth asking at the Tourist Info (966 851 371) whether you can go in and by which route. The climb is short, but the hill is in the sun: in summer, better first thing or at sunset. Bring water and comfortable shoes.
What was found at La Malladeta and the town's other sites is explained at Vilamuseu, on Calle Colón, which covers more than 3,000 years of local history: it is the visit that makes sense of the hill. To end the day, go down to Playa Centro or the old town and the colourful houses. If you come without a car, TRAM line 1 stops in the town.
- **Chocolate and nougat industries route** (1 h · For everyone · Free; factory visits extra): What it is
Villajoyosa has made chocolate since the 19th century. In the 18th and 19th centuries its harbour carried weight: ships left for America with cloth and cigarette paper from Alcoy and came back laden with cocoa. At first it was made by hand, in the yards of houses, as a supplement to farming, and over time more than seventy brands could be counted. Today three factories and four brands remain active. The Chocolate and Nougat Industries Route, published by Vilamuseu, links the town's visitable factories, shops and old collections in an hour, at low difficulty.
The five stops
Chocolates Valor. Valeriano López Lloret officially founded the company in 1881 and today it is run by the fifth generation. Its museum was declared the Valencian Chocolate Museum in 2008; the visit is in our entry on the Valor Chocolate Museum.
Chocolates Clavileño. Jaime López Lloret, "Jaume Martí", started the trade in the family in 1882. The Clavileño brand, with Don Quixote's flying horse as its emblem, was born in 1960 and is run by the fourth generation.
Chocolates Pérez. Gaspar Pérez Pérez founded the house in 1892, although his father was already a chocolate maker. The fourth generation keeps up the artisan production, with the Valencian Community Craftsmanship seal. It is visited by appointment: it is in the entry on the Chocolates Pérez factory and museum.
Chocolates Marcos Tonda. The family tradition begins in 1793, when Juan Tonda Lloret began making chocolate by hand; it was known by the brand "La Virgen: Biznietos de Marcos Tonda". Today it has its distribution centre in the municipality, with its own shop.
Turrones Carremi. It has made nougat since 1835, with four generations and a method that has hardly changed in almost two centuries. It uses Marcona almonds and orange-blossom honey, and produces about 150,000 kg a year; its specialities are soft stone-ground nougat and the pan de Cádiz, made by hand piece by piece.
The tourism website also mentions Toni Garsi, the most recent brand, of artisan and organic chocolate.
How to do it
The route is free and done independently; factory visits are booked and paid for separately, and the factories close on Sundays. Vilamuseu does not publish a map, starting point or distance, but each stop has its own page with a sign-language video. For the map, call in at the Tourist Info (966 851 371 or WhatsApp 609 773 978).
If you come without a car, TRAM line 1 stops in the town. Finish with a walk through the old town and the colourful houses or with the chocolate and local products at the Mercat de La Vila, open Monday to Saturday mornings.
- **Mercat de La Vila** (45 min · For everyone · Free): What it is
The Mercat de La Vila is Villajoyosa's central market. It has been on Calle Canalejas since 1947, and on 17 May 2003 it reopened in a new, modern building on the same site. It opens Monday to Saturday from 7:30 to 14:00. It is a good place to see what the town eats: fish from La Vila's fish auction, salted goods and local chocolate are in the same aisles.
What you will find
There are stalls for vegetables, fish, meat, salted goods, tinned goods, bread, pastries, cured meats, pickles, frozen food, wines, special beers, vermouths, oils and honey. The tourism website highlights local products: Creu de Pedra vermouth, Mas de Sella wines, La Pileta oil, El Abuelo honey, traditional pastries, artisan ice cream, the "peix de La Vila" and the town's chocolate brands.
Eating in the market
What makes it different is that you can eat there. At the canteen they cook on the spot what you buy at the stalls; tourism gives as examples blood sausages or prawns. Several stalls also serve small portions to eat on site: salted goods, cheeses, boiled shellfish or cured meats. The website does not publish the canteen's hours or prices, so ask at the market itself. We also list it as a place to eat in the entry for the Mercat de La Vila in "eat".
How to organise it
Allow about 45 minutes to go round it, more if you stay for a bite. The market has no published phone number of its own; for questions, the Tourist Info (966 851 371) and its Instagram account, @mercatlavila. On Sundays and public holidays, the website does not indicate opening: assume it is closed.
It is in the centre, in the area of the town's expansion outside the wall, a walk from the old town and the colourful houses and from Vilamuseu, on Calle Colón. If you like chocolate, combine it with the chocolate and nougat route or with a visit to the Valor Chocolate Museum. And if you prefer to sit down to eat fish, Hogar del Pescador cooks with produce from the fish auction next to the Yacht Club.
- **Introductory Dive at Benidorm Island with Ali Sub** (4 h · From age 10; you must feel comfortable in the water · Desde 160 € per person): Benidorm Island can be seen from all over the bay. Underwater it is something else: rock walls with coralline algae, anemones and shoals of fish. An introductory dive is the way to see it without a diving certificate.
What an introductory dive is and what this one is like
An introductory dive is a first dive with a tank, with no previous course, accompanied at all times by an instructor. Ali Sub's has two things that are not always the case: the instructor is just for you, not for a group, and before going down you do about 20 minutes of snorkelling to get used to the water, the mask and breathing through your mouth.
From the centre, at the Club Náutico de La Vila Joiosa, you sail about 20 minutes to the Serra Gelada Natural Park, to Benidorm Island or a nearby cove, depending on the state of the sea. The dive lasts between 50 and 60 minutes and does not go beyond 6 metres. With the meeting, briefing, sailing and return, allow about four hours. It usually leaves mid-morning.
Guides who explain what you see
Ali Sub has operated since 1999 and is run by biologists and naturalists. Before each outing they explain which ecosystems you will find and which animals live in them. On the island, each spot has its own character: Punta Garbí, with shoals of damselfish and good light; Los Arcos, with a colourful rocky bottom; the Embarcadero, sheltered on levante days. About 400 metres to the south is the Llosa, a platform at about 7 metres with walls dropping much deeper, the most popular dive in the area for those who already have a certificate.
Price, age and season
The introductory dive costs €160 and includes equipment, insurance, the boat to the island, the preliminary snorkel and the instructor. From age 10. You must be able to swim or at least be comfortable in the water. In summer it runs Tuesday to Saturday; in spring and autumn, weekends and public holidays. The website gives no winter dates: ask.
If you already have a certificate, the centre organises guided dives in the Serra Gelada: €60 for one, €115 for two in a sea morning and €75 for the night dive, with a maximum of seven divers per guide. Full equipment can be hired for €30. If you like the introductory dive, the SSI Open Water Diver course costs €480.
Booking and getting there
The centre is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 15:00; book on 618 15 75 12, by WhatsApp or at buceo@ali-sub.com. It is on avenida del Puerto, at the Club Náutico, at the end of Playa Centro. Without a car, TRAM line 1 stops in the town and the port is a walk away.
- **Kayaking along the Northern Cliffs of Villajoyosa to the Torre del Aguiló** (3 h 30 · From age 10 with an adult; a bit more paddling than the southern route · Desde 42 € per person): Towards Benidorm, the Villajoyosa coast is all cliffs and small coves. This route covers it by kayak as far as the Torre del Aguiló, a 16th-century watchtower built in the time of Philip II against the Barbary corsairs and recently restored.
Racó del Conill, Cala Fonda and Punta Plana
The start is on the town's north coast. The company mentions two points, Playa del Torres and Playa Varador, in the l'Almadrava district: ask when you book where you meet. From there you paddle along the cliffs, passing Racó del Conill, Cala Fonda, Punta Plana and Cala dels Erizos, until the Torre del Aguiló is in view. The exact route changes with the sea and the group's pace. Along the way there are stops to swim with mask and snorkel, and anyone who wants can jump into the water from the rocks.
Level and age
It is an easy level and needs no experience, but it lasts longer than the southern route: three to four hours. The minimum age is 10 and minors go with an adult. If you are going with younger children, the kayak along the southern coves to the Torre del Xarco accepts from age 4.
Price and what is included
€42 per person. It includes a qualified guide, self-bailing double kayak with backrest, paddle, life jacket, mask and snorkel, dry bag, photos of the outing and insurance. It does not include transfer or food: bring something light and at least a litre and a half of water. Arrive 15 minutes early; the guides wait five minutes.
The same stretch on land
The same coast can be walked on the Colada de la Costa, a trail of about 8 km between Playa del Torres and the Torre del Aguiló. One day by kayak and another on foot, you see the coast from below and from above.
- **Snorkelling in the Coves of Villajoyosa, from Racó del Conill to l'Esparrelló** (2 h · For confident swimmers; children with an adult · Free if independent): The Villajoyosa coast is not just the sand of Playa Centro. The tourist office points to six spots for snorkelling, almost all rocky coves with posidonia meadows, where a mask, snorkel and fins are all you need.
The six coves, from north to south

Racó del Conill, at the north of the municipality. A naturist cove of turquoise and often very clear water: fish beside the rocks, shoals of salema over the posidonia and sea bream in the sandy clearings.
Varadero, next to the Club Náutico and close to the Estudiantes and Tío Roig beaches. The most convenient if you are in the centre; it also works for anyone who just wants to sunbathe.
Puntes del Moro, south of the centre. A little-visited rocky cove with clear water, easy parking and a beach bar.
L'Esparrelló, to the south, next to the Montíboli hotel. You go down by steps. It is naturist and discreet; you put your fins on over big rocks before getting in.
La Caleta, a quiet beach below a hotel. You reach it directly or by crossing l'Esparrelló.
El Xarco, beneath the Torre del Xarco, with small beaches and coves on both sides.

What you need
The tourist office says snorkelling suits children and adults, but asks that you can swim and be comfortable in the water, and respect the seabed: do not pull up posidonia, do not touch or take anything. The rocky coves do not have the services of Playa Centro; bring water and shoes for the stones. The website does not publish rules for dogs at these coves: ask at the Tourist Info.
With a guide
If you prefer to go accompanied, the Ali Sub dive centre, at the Club Náutico, organises snorkelling outings with a specialist guide around the Serra Gelada, Benidorm Island, the Xarco, La Caleta and Racó del Conill: €50 per person, in small groups and with no previous experience. If you do not have equipment, they lend it. Another way to reach the southern coves is by paddling: the kayak to the Torre del Xarco includes a snorkel stop.
- **La Colada de la Costa, from Playa del Torres to the Torre del Aguiló** (2 h · 8 km · Medium-low difficulty; rocky stretches beside the cliff · Free): La Colada de la Costa follows an old livestock track beside the sea, between Playa del Torres and the Torre del Aguiló, in La Cala. It is a circular route of about 8 km, about two hours on foot, with the Sendero Azul (Blue Trail) mark. The difficulty is medium-low, but there are stretches over cliff and rock where you should take care.
Three towers and a barracks
The walk links pieces from very different periods. The Torre de Sant Josep, next to Playa del Torres, is according to the tourist office the best-preserved Roman funerary tower in Spain. Further on is the old Carabineros barracks, from the 19th century. And at the end, the Torre del Aguiló, one of the oldest and best-preserved watchtowers of the coastal defence system against the Barbary corsairs, built in the 16th century, in the reign of Philip II. The tower has been restored recently and the access path has rest points and panels on nature, the 17th-century lookouts and the banditry of the 18th and 19th centuries. From the top you can see the whole Marina Baixa.
Water along the way
Halfway along is the Racó del Conill, a naturist cove with very clear water that the tourist office recommends for snorkelling: in summer, bring a mask and swimsuit. The other coves on this coast are best seen from the sea, on the kayak to the Torre del Aguiló.
Before setting out
No springs are listed along the route: bring water and sun protection, especially in the hot months, and shoes that grip on rock. The trail is open all year. For questions, the Environment Department answers on 966 508 285 and the Tourist Info on 966 851 371. With a dog, on a lead and carefully on the cliff stretches.
- **Horse Ride through the Hills or to the Beach from Club Hípico Legend** (1 h · For all levels; the 4 h rides, for experienced riders): Behind the Villajoyosa of beaches and colourful houses begins an interior of rural districts climbing towards the mountains. There, at Partida Piletes, 26, Club Hípico Legend has 70,000 square metres of facilities and horses for all levels, and from there it runs horse rides through the hills or towards the beach all year. The club says it is about 15 minutes from Benidorm.
From one hour to four
The rides run from one to four hours. The short ones are for all levels, including those who have never ridden; the four-hour ones are for advanced riders. You choose between heading to the hills or going down towards the beach. The horses are matched to each level, and the club works with qualified instructors and has been dedicated to riding for a decade.
If you have never ridden
Before heading into the countryside you can start in the arena. The club gives lessons from beginner to advanced levels in jumping, dressage and vaulting, in a 60 by 50 metre arena with a sound system, so the instructor teaches with a microphone. It also prepares the federation's galope exams. For those who want to build confidence before a long ride, it has lesson packs: ask about them on 663 049 626 or at hipicalegend@gmail.com.
Price, age and times: ask
The website does not publish prices, minimum age or departure times. When you book, ask how much each duration costs, from what age they take children on rides, what clothes and footwear they ask for and whether they lend a helmet. Book online from the club's website or by phone on 663 049 626, and you can also write to info@hipicalegend.com.
Getting there
The club is in the interior of the municipality, far from the coast's transport lines: you need a car. At the same address, in summer, Gran Circus Maximus is held, a dinner with a show of chariot races and open-air gladiator fights; the dates for the coming season are not yet published.
After the ride
Go down to the town for the old town and colourful houses or for a swim at Playa Centro. If you stay for lunch, the Hogar del Pescador is open at midday every day next to the port.

## Dónde comer
- **Hogar del Pescador Restaurant** (Restaurant, Villajoyosa, €€€). Qué pedir: a rice dish with fish from the auction and the ensaladilla; ask about the fish of the day.
- **Mercat de La Vila Canteen** (Market, Villajoyosa, €). Qué pedir: buy prawns or blood sausages at the stalls and have them prepared at the canteen; house salted goods.

## By car: By car along the coast from Alicante
Villajoyosa is about 30 minutes from Alicante by motorway and 10 from Benidorm. The centre is covered on foot; park outside the old town, because its streets are narrow, and bear in mind that the Valor museum has no parking of its own.
Presupuesto orientativo: 50–110 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hotel Allon Mediterrània** (Hotel): Facing Playa Centro
The Allon Mediterrània is a four-star hotel at number 4 Avenida del Puerto, on the front line of Playa Centro, with the promenade and the sand a few steps away. Its terrace, the Terraza Allon, looks onto the promenade and the Mediterranean.
The rooms
The hotel describes its rooms as spacious and bright, with air conditioning, and most with a terrace and direct sea view. There are three types:

Double: with a private balcony onto the sea.
Premium: like the double, with a balcony and sea views, but larger.
Junior suite: on the top floor, more spacious, with a private terrace and sea views.

The website does not publish the number of rooms, fixed rates, check-in and check-out times, parking or pet policy: availability is checked in its search tool and the rest is best asked when you book, on 965 890 209 or at reservas@hotelallon.com.
Events, pool and breaks
The hotel has a pool and is also a celebration venue: it has three function rooms, the Mediterrània for up to 180 people, the Vistalmar, panoramic with sea views, for up to 100, and the Almadrava, a meeting room for 15. It hosts weddings, communions, christenings, conferences and company lunches, so at weekends there may be celebrations at the house.
Among its offers it publishes a gastronomic break centred on its cooking, a romantic break, a rate for over-60s, a break with 1980s music nights and a Valentine's Day special with full board. It also has a free customer club with discounts and private offers. The hotel has installed solar panels for its own consumption.
Who it is for and how to get there
For a weekend with beach and chocolate on foot: the old town and the colourful houses and Vilamuseu are a few minutes' walk away, and the Valor Chocolate Museum about fifteen. For couples who want a balcony over the sea and for families spending the day on Playa Centro.
If you arrive without a car, TRAM line 1 links Alicante with La Vila Joiosa and continues to Benidorm.
- **Hotel Censal** (Hotel): In the centre, next to the park
The Hotel Censal is at number 25 Avenida del País Valencià, Villajoyosa's main street, opposite the Valor chocolate shop and the Parque del Censal, which separates it from Playa Centro. The park has escalators to cover the change of level: in two minutes you go from the hotel to the sand. There is a taxi rank at the door, handy if you arrive by TRAM or are going out to dinner.
The rooms
All are outward-facing, with air conditioning, and most look onto the town and Villajoyosa bay. There are five types: standard double with two beds, standard double with a double bed, superior double, triple and junior suite. All have a 32-inch flat-screen television with satellite channels, minibar, hairdryer, shower tray and welcome toiletries, and wifi is free throughout the hotel.
The website does not publish the number of rooms, fixed prices, check-in and check-out times, parking or pet policy. To book, call 966 850 017 or 965 364 980, or write to reservas@hotelcensal.com; its website has a promotions section.
The roof terrace and the café
What sets the Censal apart is upstairs: on the top floor there is a terrace with a hydromassage jacuzzi and panoramic views, and a solarium with sun loungers, with bar service in season. The hotel does not publish jacuzzi hours or the dates of the bar season: ask on arrival. In the café they serve continental breakfast.
Who it is for
For anyone who wants to sleep right in the centre and get around on foot, without a car: the beach, the chocolate and the old town are a few minutes away. The triple suits a family with one child, and the junior suite those who want a little more space. If you come by car, ask when you book where to park, because the hotel does not say.
What is nearby
Opposite you have the Valor shop and, a walk away, the Valor Chocolate Museum and the Chocolates Pérez Museum. Going down through the park you reach Playa Centro, and from there the old town and the colourful houses. Vilamuseu and the Mercat de La Vila are also a few minutes away.
- **El Torres Campsite** (Campsite): On Playa Torres
El Torres Campsite is on the front line of Playa Torres, north of the centre of Villajoyosa, one of the quietest and most natural beaches in the municipality. According to the campsite, the sea can be seen from all its pitches and bungalows, with the mountains behind. It is open all year: it works for a family summer and for weekend breaks or long stays out of season. Alicante airport is about 30 km away.
Bungalows and pitches
There are two bungalow models, with heating, air conditioning, a full kitchen with hob, fridge-freezer, microwave and coffee maker, television, a bathroom with shower, a separate toilet and garden furniture:

Playa Bungalow: 35 m², for 1 to 6 people, with a double bedroom, another with two beds and a sofa bed in the living room, and an 8 m² covered terrace.
Montaña Bungalow: 44.5 m², for 1 to 8 people, with a double bedroom, two with two beds and a sofa bed, and an 11.5 m² covered terrace.

In the bungalows bed linen and towels are included. The pitches have water, electricity (consumption charged separately) and drainage, and paid wifi. There is a car and caravan washing area and 24-hour access control.
What it has on site
A 200 m² pool and a 41 m² children's pool, with sun loungers and a bar, surrounded by greenery and with sea views. There is also a petanque court and a children's playground. The El Trébol restaurant-bar has free wifi, and the supermarket, open all year with hours depending on the season, sells bread and butane and propane gas.
The washrooms have showers, a baby area, an adapted area, chemical toilet emptying, a washing machine and dryer with tokens from reception, an iron, heating and even a shower for animals. Cots, high chairs and baby baths can be hired, and there is a cleaning service; prices for these services are available at reception.
Pets
Pets are accepted on the campsite, but not in the bungalows: if you are travelling with a dog, you will have to take a pitch. La Vila's tourist office describes it as a pet-friendly campsite.
Getting there and what is nearby
By car, along the coast road towards Benidorm; it is about ten minutes from the centre. Book online, on 965 995 077 or at info@campingeltorres.com; prices and check-in times are on its rates page and in the booking engine.
To spend the day in the town, go down to Playa Centro and the old town and its colourful houses, or visit the Valor Chocolate Museum and Vilamuseu.

## Car-free: By tram from Alicante
Without a car, Villajoyosa is easy: line 1 of the TRAM d'Alacant, between Luceros and Benidorm, stops at La Vila Joiosa. From there, the centre, the beach and the chocolate factories are all walkable.
Presupuesto orientativo: 45–100 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Hotel Allon Mediterrània** (Hotel): Facing Playa Centro
The Allon Mediterrània is a four-star hotel at number 4 Avenida del Puerto, on the front line of Playa Centro, with the promenade and the sand a few steps away. Its terrace, the Terraza Allon, looks onto the promenade and the Mediterranean.
The rooms
The hotel describes its rooms as spacious and bright, with air conditioning, and most with a terrace and direct sea view. There are three types:

Double: with a private balcony onto the sea.
Premium: like the double, with a balcony and sea views, but larger.
Junior suite: on the top floor, more spacious, with a private terrace and sea views.

The website does not publish the number of rooms, fixed rates, check-in and check-out times, parking or pet policy: availability is checked in its search tool and the rest is best asked when you book, on 965 890 209 or at reservas@hotelallon.com.
Events, pool and breaks
The hotel has a pool and is also a celebration venue: it has three function rooms, the Mediterrània for up to 180 people, the Vistalmar, panoramic with sea views, for up to 100, and the Almadrava, a meeting room for 15. It hosts weddings, communions, christenings, conferences and company lunches, so at weekends there may be celebrations at the house.
Among its offers it publishes a gastronomic break centred on its cooking, a romantic break, a rate for over-60s, a break with 1980s music nights and a Valentine's Day special with full board. It also has a free customer club with discounts and private offers. The hotel has installed solar panels for its own consumption.
Who it is for and how to get there
For a weekend with beach and chocolate on foot: the old town and the colourful houses and Vilamuseu are a few minutes' walk away, and the Valor Chocolate Museum about fifteen. For couples who want a balcony over the sea and for families spending the day on Playa Centro.
If you arrive without a car, TRAM line 1 links Alicante with La Vila Joiosa and continues to Benidorm.
- **Hotel Censal** (Hotel): In the centre, next to the park
The Hotel Censal is at number 25 Avenida del País Valencià, Villajoyosa's main street, opposite the Valor chocolate shop and the Parque del Censal, which separates it from Playa Centro. The park has escalators to cover the change of level: in two minutes you go from the hotel to the sand. There is a taxi rank at the door, handy if you arrive by TRAM or are going out to dinner.
The rooms
All are outward-facing, with air conditioning, and most look onto the town and Villajoyosa bay. There are five types: standard double with two beds, standard double with a double bed, superior double, triple and junior suite. All have a 32-inch flat-screen television with satellite channels, minibar, hairdryer, shower tray and welcome toiletries, and wifi is free throughout the hotel.
The website does not publish the number of rooms, fixed prices, check-in and check-out times, parking or pet policy. To book, call 966 850 017 or 965 364 980, or write to reservas@hotelcensal.com; its website has a promotions section.
The roof terrace and the café
What sets the Censal apart is upstairs: on the top floor there is a terrace with a hydromassage jacuzzi and panoramic views, and a solarium with sun loungers, with bar service in season. The hotel does not publish jacuzzi hours or the dates of the bar season: ask on arrival. In the café they serve continental breakfast.
Who it is for
For anyone who wants to sleep right in the centre and get around on foot, without a car: the beach, the chocolate and the old town are a few minutes away. The triple suits a family with one child, and the junior suite those who want a little more space. If you come by car, ask when you book where to park, because the hotel does not say.
What is nearby
Opposite you have the Valor shop and, a walk away, the Valor Chocolate Museum and the Chocolates Pérez Museum. Going down through the park you reach Playa Centro, and from there the old town and the colourful houses. Vilamuseu and the Mercat de La Vila are also a few minutes away.

## As a family: A real chocolate factory and a beach next door

Villajoyosa is a perfect plan with children: see how chocolate is made, taste it and go down to the beach, all on foot. The only trick is to go on a weekday or Saturday, because the factories close on Sunday.

### What works best
The Valor visit, 45 minutes with a tasting

The colourful houses seen from the beach

The sunken Roman ship at Vilamuseu, free for under-18s

Playa Centro, going down the Censal escalators

### Sleep
Quadruple rooms at the Hotel Censal

Bungalows at El Torres Campsite

### Eat
Portions at the Mercat canteen on Saturday

Rice at Hogar del Pescador

### Bear in mind
Book Valor online if you go on a Saturday

The old town has slopes and steps: a backpack carrier is better than a pushchair

### Qué hacer as a family
- Valor Chocolate Museum and factory view
- Old town, wall and colourful houses
- Kayaking along the Southern Coves of Villajoyosa to the Torre del Xarco
- Chocolates Pérez factory and museum
- Vilamuseu, the museum of La Vila Joiosa
- Playa Centro
- Chocolate and nougat industries route
- Mercat de La Vila
- Snorkelling in the Coves of Villajoyosa, from Racó del Conill to l'Esparrelló
- La Colada de la Costa, from Playa del Torres to the Torre del Aguiló
- Horse Ride through the Hills or to the Beach from Club Hípico Legend

## Consejos

### Book Valor if you go on a Saturday
It is online only and capacity is 50 people per session.

### On Sunday, Vilamuseu is free
From 10:00 to 14:00; under-18s, always free.

### The photo of the houses
From the shore of Playa Centro, looking towards the old town.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Can you visit the Valor factory on a Sunday?
No. The museum is open Monday to Saturday; on Saturday, mornings only and with online booking.

### How much does the Valor museum cost?
Valor's website does not publish a price for individual visitors: check when booking.

### How do you get there without a car?
On TRAM d'Alacant line 1, from Luceros to Benidorm, stopping at La Vila Joiosa.

### Where can you eat on Sunday?
At the Hogar del Pescador, from 13:00 to 16:30, with a booking.

### Can you kayak in Villajoyosa?
Yes, with a guide from Alicante Aventura: through the southern coves to the Torre del Xarco, 3 h and €39, or towards the Torre del Aguiló, €42.

### Where can you dive?
Ali Sub leaves from the Club Náutico for Benidorm island; the discovery dive costs €160, from age 10.

### Can you go with a dog?
In the streets, on a lead. The Valor museum does not admit pets; the Camping El Torres does.