Stalls are in place with homemade chocolate made on the spot, theres choccy activities for kids, chocolate therapy and even a chocolate museum. What more could the heart possible desire?

You can learn about the history of cocoa, participate in chocolate workshops or have some chocolate make-up among the dozens of entertaining activities happening right in the heart of Javea old town all weekend.

Dont miss out on the delicious festivities in Javea old town. Chocolate Festival Jávea – Plaza De La Iglesia – 10-12th August – 6pm-1am

Built around the small Jávea marina and fishermans port, the area has a natural vibrancy with boats landing their cargo of fresh fish and outdoor cafés serving delicious siesta dishes

The Javea port feature numerous small specialist shops selling health food, designer wear, second hand books and jewelery among many other things. A stroll through the narrow streets of the port resembles the diverse shopping streets in Northern Europe several decades ago.

The local Javea cinema, Cine Terraza Jayan, showing English and Spanish films most evenings throughout the year has its home on the port along with a local museum regularly featuring displays from the history of the area.

Holiday rentals on Jávea port or within walking distance are readily available. On the port itself the majority are in the form of apartments, however villas and duplex bungalows are found nearby at quite reasonable prices. The area is generally slightly lower priced than the Arenal beach but if you require luxury facilities such as British tv, aircondition or a pool you need to inquire specifically for it, as the port is less of a tourist setup.

Apart from the vacation rentals the port is home to a couple of cosy little hotels such as the seafront Hotel Miramar and Hotel Javea with the rooftop restaurant Attico.

Even if you choose a vacation break in other parts of Jávea, the port is a worthwhile visit for a peaceful night out or an excellent meal in one of the many restaurants. The main port promenade along the sea holds an overload of high standard restaurants with brilliant paellas, Italian food and many other specialties. Non surprisingly the port has a superb selection of fresh sea food restaurants as well.

Slightly withdrawn from the seafront promenade several outdoor cafés such as Bar Marcon, Area 1 and El Varadero are ready to serve impressive selections of lunches, smoothies and tapas.

A few more pictures from the Jávea port, the marina and the beach:

The Jávea marina and fishermans port is small but vibrant, set in jaw dropping surroundings at the foot of the Montgos stretch out towards Cap Sant Antoni.

The charming port promenade and the many tapas bars in the little sidestreets are popular choices for evening meals and tranquil walks by the Mediterranean.

The official guided tours round Xábia old town takes you on a tour round the history of Javea with a knowledgeable guide giving you all the insights and interesting stories in your own language.

A guided tour starts at the Tourist Office in Old Town, at the Plaza del Iglesia – the church square of Javea, every Tuesday evening at 19.00 (7pm).

You can turn up before the start of a tour and signup then and there or register for the tour at any of the tourist offices in town. If you are unsure of where the starting point is, the tourist offices on the port and Arenal beach have little maps of the town and will be able to guide you to it.

The guided tours of Javea old town take approximately 1.30hour, they are available in English, Spanish, German and French and the price is a very modest 3euros for adult, 2euros for kids over 8years old. The tourist information boots at the end of the Arenal Beach and in the port can give you further information if you need it.

Dont forget. Beyond the beaches of Javea theres an entirely different world with plenty of historical tales, buildings and monuments maintained for centuries and a very vibrant Spanish culture to explore. If you have any interest in the history of Spain, churches, architecture or similar, these guided tours can be an excellent starting point for digging into the wealth of interesting experiences and stories that Xabia contains.

A few quick things to remember for your holiday in Spain

• 112 is the number for urgent emergencies as in the rest of Europe
• 24hr Emergency Number in English/German 648 779 659
• Bring a valid healthcare card or take out travel health insurance
• Forgotten your travel healthcare? The Spanish medical services WILL treat you – do not hesitate to go if you need treatment (but you will be charged for it)
• A Pharmacy in Jávea stays open even on national holidays, during strikes etc

Costa Blanca Pharmacy Strikes
An indefinite strike has been announced by the pharmacies on the Costa Blanca (The strike has apparently been called off and all pharmacies in Jávea should be open as normal … fear not if the conflict reignites, a pharmacy in Jávea will always be open for your medical needs.

The open pharmacy in Jávea / Xàbia is found at Plaza l’Esglesia, 11. You find it by the main Jávea church, Sant Bertolome. Parking is available round the market and church square.

If you need prescription drugs during your stay, ask your doctor at home to ensure you have the right kind of prescription.

Medical Emergencies and Treatments
If you experience a medical emergency during your holidays in Spain, phone 112 for immediate attention from the Spanish health service.

In cases where you need emergency help but have the ability to transport yourself to the hospital, there is a 24hour emergency service in Jávea old town on Plaza Del Constitution. Drive up to old town past the postoffice, turn right at the first option signposted towards parking. You can park in the underground car park under the plaza or follow the road round the square to go straight to the emergency. The emergency itself has big clear signs up, you can walk in 24/7 and be attended as appropriate by a qualified doctor or sent onwards to a hospital if need be.

Bring your national health insurance card from home or documentation for your travel health insurance. The emergency service will treat you regardless, but failing to provide insurance documents means they will charge you.

English or German Speaking Doctors?
The Spanish health service is ranked among the best in Europe – and performs better than for instance the UK NHS in international studies of the quality of healthcare systems. As such you are in no way putting yourself in danger by utilizing the Spanish medical experts at your service.

However, if you prefer a guaranteed English or German speaking doctor, there are plenty of options in the Jávea area. In cases of emergencies you can phone the local 24hr medical emergency hotline and get advice in English/German, the number is 648 779 659.

The emergency hotline can arrange for a doctor to provide a home visit, refer you on or simply give advice. But remember, these English and German doctors are private and not covered by your national health insurance or any travel insurance you have taken out. The services provided are pay as you go with basic consultations in their medical facilities during normal opening hours starting at about 35euros.

A highly skilled and easily found private English speaking doctor is found at the main roundabout into Jávea towards Cabo De La Nao – the Euro Clinic on Carretera Del Pla 138. They are open from 9am till 1pm and from 4pm till 7pm. You can walk in or phone for an appointment at 96 646 39 12.

Jávea has a healthy mixture of supermarkets with different features and prices. You will most likely find one that suits you.

Missing home? English Supermarkets in Jávea
Craving that cottage pie, English sausages or maybe a few Scottish eggs? Plenty of Supermarkets and stores are catering specifically to British expats and tourists.

The main English supermarket in Jávea is Iceland. The chain store by Overseas.es is an expansion upon the Iceland stores you may know from England in so far as the Spanish versions are carrying a full range of stock with the non-frozen articles taking up more than half the floor space. Iceland in Jávea is expensive and having primarily imported foods on offer you wont get the blessings of fresh food and Spanish specialties in there. You will however be treated to all the brands you are used to from England. Iceland is found right in the middle between the Port, the old town and the Arenal – just take a drive down the main road connecting the 3 parts of town.

Whilst Iceland is by far the biggest English supermarket in Jávea there are several smaller ones equally featuring imported brands from the UK and Northern Europe. One of the best ones is Keith & Lynns on the road up towards Cabo De La Nao, which features homemade bread and cakes, a secondhand book exchange of English books etc.

In general, you pay extra for imported brands in the English stores, but if your Spanish is limited or you have special needs to cater for, the options are plentiful and if used to Northern European prices you wont be shocked by the final bill.

German Supermarkets in Javea
Jávea has a rather large German population of expats and they are well catered for with no less than 3 dedicated supermarkets.

The 2 German discount Supermarket chains Liedl and Aldi both have stores in Jávea featuring more or less exactly the same stock as is carried all over Europe by them. The prices are competitive even in comparison with the cheapest Spanish supermarkets. Whilst Liedl and Aldi in Javea both have German origins and plenty of stock targeted at Germans, their cross-European focus means you can easily go in there and pick up British brands too at a very affordable price.

The third German supermarket is more of a specialty store called Aleman, located by Jávea Park. The shop is fairly tiny but full to the brim with German food such as curry heerings, remoulade, salty liquorice and brown flat-bread. Obviously, given the similarity in taste between Germany and Scandinavia, tourists from Denmark, Sweden or Norway will most likely find plenty of items from home as well.

Balkan Supermarket in Javea
In the more specialised end of the market theres a small but well stocked Balkan supermarket on the main road from the Javea port to the historic center.

The Bulgarian/Romanian supermarket carries a wide range of Eastern European specialties at quite reasonable prices.

Spanish Supermarkets in Jávea
You are on holiday in Spain. Why not try some of the specialties the Spanish supermarkets have to offer? Ranging from giant hams over spicy sauces to fresh baked bread.

Supermercadona is the big mainstream supermarket with a huge and varied stock. They are not the cheapest but they carry largely anything the heart desires. You can find Supermercadona just below Javea old town by the big car park and on the main road leading to the Arenal.

The Mas Y Mas shops you see scattered all over the place are simply the kiosk versions of Supermercadona from the same company. Mas Y Mas has less of a choice on the shelves, the prices are higher and the shops are smaller – but they serve their purpose as little convenience stores that will usually be within walking distance.

For more specialized Spanish food shopping you can venture into Supercor, which is rather expensive but has loads of extra delicious things on the shelves. Another option of course is the indoor market in Javea old town, whilst not a supermarket you can do most of your food shopping there and get a real treat of fresh fish, meat, vegetables and bread directly from the producers round Xábia.

The majority of Montgo is designated as a natural park and the undisturbed nature is home for a variety of rare fauna, interesting birds and other animals enjoying the peace of the mountainous terrain. Humans, tourists and residents alike have several options for taking part in the pleasures Montgo provides. There are plenty of viewing points and walking routes round the iconic mountain as well as caves to explore.

For a pleasant family picnic out in the magnificent nature of Jávea and some of the eye-catching views in all of Spain try heading up to Cabo San Antonio, the lighthouse at the end of the flat ridge of Montgo.

At the various viewing points round Cabo San Antonio there are plenty of perfect spots for picnics or chilling out with refreshments as you enjoy the unique nature and jaw-dropping panorama of the Jávea coastline and valley. The mountain top is narrow enough that you can easily nip from one side to the other to enjoy the views out over the Mediterranean as well – on clear days you can see Ibiza in the far distance.

Whilst up on Montgo you can stop for a walk round the old monastery, have some refreshing drinks at the excellent club La Hacienda or stop for a bite to eat at one of the Montgo restaurants.

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Finding your way up to Montgo is quite easy. Follow the signs towards Denia up behind old town Javea, follow the narrow little mountain road and turn right when you see the signs for Cabo San Antoni. The natural park is entirely free to enjoy.

However, certain things can still be improved in terms of making visitors feel welcome, encourage them to explore and enjoy the Jávea area and assist them with any problems that may arise during their stay. The Jávea council and tourist organizations have made a renewed effort to push improvements in all of the tourism sector in Javea – here are a few current and upcoming results:

Improvements To The Arenal Beach Experience and Safety
The main tourist attraction of Jávea obviously is the sandy Arenal beach, that forms the center of the busy tourist resort part of Xabia. Naturally the importance of delivering a clean, safe and pleasant environment for visitors to Jávea main tourist area can´t be overemphasized.

The Arenal beach has been awarded the Blue Flag as usual and the family friendly shallow bay is guarded by the Red Cross life guards. Yet, the effort has been strengthened yet again this year to ensure that even families with young toddlers can have a safe and enjoyable time on the Xábia beaches.

Jávea is far from plagued by crime, street hustlers or other menaces sometimes ruining the experience at beach resorts. In fact it is perfectly safe to walk the streets alone at night in Jávea. However, to heighten safety further for tourists and give better coverage to the small cove beaches of Javea, extra police has been assigned all through the summer season to patrol on foot and in boats keeping an eye on the area from the sea.

Among other smaller improvements are new fresh palms being planted on the beach. There are no more smelly rubbish bins and dumpsters are found by the beach area. The rubbish is now all underground with just small nice looking bins above ground.

A bigger renovation of the Arenal beach with a more charming promenade is planned for just after the tourist season – to avoid building work disturbing the treasured visitors during their summer holidays in Spain. Come back to Jávea for a vacation in 2013 and you will be able to experience all the improvements to the Arenal beach and its surroundings.

New Arenal Beach Tourist Information Center
A new tourism information center has been setup right by the Arenal beach. To find it you simply follow the beach strip towards the canal / Parador Hotel and at the end the tourist information services are ready to help you in several languages.

The Arenal Beach tourism information center supplements the existing facilities in town with easy access for the thousands upon thousands of tourists having the Arenal Beach as their main base during their stay in Jávea.

If you need help or ideas for your holiday the tourism information center is open all day and capable of servicing you in several languages. Do not be afraid to drop in and see what is on offer, to ask your questions or have a little chat about the events in Jávea area – it has been put in place for you to use it!

The Miradors Of Jávea – Experience The Beauty of Javeas Nature
If you spend your entire holiday sunbathing on the beaches of Jávea you are missing out on the stunning beauty of the nature surrounding you.

Jávea have no less than 15 so-called Miradors for you to enjoy. These Miradors are essentially viewing points of particularly exceptional beauty. You can find the exact location of each Mirador on the city maps posted all over town or ask for a detailed map at the tourist info center. The nature surrounding each Mirador simply has to be seen and enjoyed. Recently an effort has been made to improve the facilities at the Miradors with extra benches, railings and tidying up of the areas having been done.

An entirely new Mirador – Caleta Del Port – has been established this year with spectacular views over the sea and the port of Jávea. The Caleta Del Port mirador is literally found right above the Port area of town with a short little stroll up to the visual wonders.

Each Mirador sports unique views of places like Granadella beach, Cap Negre and several others, every single one is worth a visit. Grab your family for a picnic in the nature of Jávea with one or more of the Miradors as your base.

Cinema On The Beach – Evening Sun and Classic Movies
The Javea beach cinema, Cine Vora La Mar, has returned for the 2012 tourist season with an actual cinema right on the main Arenal Beach showing mainly classic movies.

The idea of a cinema on the beach is incredibly appealing, just imagine chilling out with a great movie on the beach as night falls over the Costa Blanca with the Mediterranean as backdrop to the big screen.

Sadly, the beach cinema is mainly aimed at Spanish tourists in Jávea, or perhaps slightly misunderstood in its execution if intended for English or German speaking visitors, as the movies are all dubbed into Spanish with English subtitles. It still might be worth catching a film for the beach cinema experience but having Willem Dafoe, Scarlett Johanson and Matt Damon speak Spanish will most likely deter most foreign tourists.

The Jávea beach cinema shows a new film every Tuesday evening at 10pm starting now and with the last one showing on the 28th of August. The titles are among others I Dont Know How She Does It, John Carter, We Bought A Zoo and Super8 … but all dubbed into Spanish (Castellano).

The Roads To Jávea – Faster Routes To Paradise
Congestion on the roads leading into Jávea has been a problem during the summer months for numerous years. Finally work has been initiated to improve the situation with new asphalt, extra lanes and enhanced signposting. The work has started and in several places the new lanes are already open but more is to come to easy the roads to paradise. Easier access for cars (and bulls) to Xabia but with prettier views to behold whilst driving too.

The various roundabouts leading into Jávea has been generously decorated with plants from local garden centers and artworks from artists in the Xabia area. All of it vastly bettering the vital first impressions delivered to tourists coming by car to Jávea.

Summer Holidays In Javea – Dont Miss Out!
Visiting Javea for your summer breakaway in Spain has become even safer, the area is even prettier and the getting around is easier than ever before. Perfection rarely exists but Jávea strives to deliver the best possible experiences for tourists of all nationalities with enhanced and easily accessible help in the new information centers, more options to explore the gorgeous nature of the Jávea nature, even better police and sea rescue coverage and several other improvements to the tourism facilities, the decoration and atmosphere of the entire area and the ease of access.

Book your holiday in Jávea for 2012 – you will most definitely desire to be back in 2013 to encounter even more impressive progress in Jávea – all aimed at giving you and your family a dream vacation in Spain.

We previously had a look at Achill Javea, Socco, Platino, La Locura, La Hacienda and Penelope in our guide to Jávea Night Clubs – Part 1

But of course, there are plenty more excellent night clubs in Jávea to serve you drinks, look for romance and get your dancing moves going.

Kandhala – Eastern Style Beach Disco
The first impression when catching a look at the Arenal Beach night club Kandhala is that it might be a trendy café decorated with Arabic or eastern inspiration. That is entirely true as Kandhala serves as a cafe and tapas bar during the day to tourists on the main beach of Jávea.

However, when night falls over the Costa Blanca Kandhala kicks off with spectacular Latin parties, live DJs and entertainment till dawn.

Kandhala is found on the first row of bars by the Arenal Beach and as such feature brilliant sea views and the ability to head outside with your dance partners to catch a breath on the beach.

Moli Blanc – Dancing In The Old Windmill
One of the oldest night clubs is Moli Blanc. It was closed for years but returned in 2011 with a freshly renovated style and plenty of spectacular parties. Built in and around an old windmill the Moli Blanc has an entirely unique and impressively classy layout. Walking into Moli Blanc feels like entering a fashion show with hard pumped dance vibes to lead the way.

The Moli Blanc night club is made up of several areas for dancing, chilling and partying. Live DJs entertain the typically rather vast crowds flocking to the old windmill for a dose of weekend nostalgia spiced up with the latest dance tracks.

Watch out for the special events at Moli Blanc. There are splendid stage shows, theme parties and performances continuously through the summer.

Moli Blanc is located on the main road between the Javea old town and the Arenal Beach, near the Solmar Car Rental, Liedl and Iceland Supermarkets. If its open, you cant miss the explosion of colors, congregations of happy Javeans waiting to get dancing as well as the  pounding dance beats streaming from the old windwill!

Atalaya Javea – High Class Ibiza Style
The Jávea night life obviously wouldnt be complete without a proper Ibiza style night club. Atalaya is it! The open space club overlooks the Mediterranean and the Arenal beach from a position in between La Locura and Achill, a few steps up from the Aqua Steakhouse.

Atalaya has it all when it comes to decoration in a modern style with great attention paid to smart lighting, impressive little details everywhere and . Little sofa corners for gangs of friends to chill out, dance floors and even a small pool running through the middle of the club (a pool that yours truly of course promptly fell into on his first visit – since then they have kindly put up fencing around it).

With the marvelous location raised above the sea, a busy calendar of parties and events, decorations of the highest class and a real Ibiza atmosphere Atalaya is in hard competition with neighboring Achill for being the most happening and pleasant night club in Javea.The obvious suggestion would be to show off your premium dance moves in both – they will most definitely both cater for a fun night out.

La Llum – Night Club in Jávea Old Town
The landmark of Jávea old town, the San Bartolome church, has a rather exciting neighbour. Right by the church square you will find the trendy Jávea night club La Llum.

La Llum is decorated like a high class club in a classic style and always sports a magnificent friendly atmosphere. The club has a variety of DJs and live music events on the calendar, primarily during weekends.

Remember, La Llum is not one of the tourist bars. The vast majority of the happy party people you encounter at La Llum in Jávea are local Spanish youth having a fun night out at the classiest place in town. Its well worth your time to try it out as well!

Not Partied Out Yet? Have a look at Jávea Night Clubs – Part 1 for more recommendations for great places to go in the Costa Blanca nightlife …

The weather was perfect delivering 3 days of festival bathed in sunshine. All 3 days saw huge crowds stream to the festival to try the international cuisine from 21 countries, enjoy the varied performances of flamenco, salsa, rock and dancing on stage or simply chill out in the company of friends.

As always it was entirely impossible to try out all the different cuisines available at the festival with more than 20 nationalities serving several dishes each. Yours truly had the pleasure of tasting Uruguayan asado, grotesquely giant Colombian hot dogs contained french fries and whole eggs, Greek salads with spicy meat and a rather yummy Bulgarian salad dish with some special type of bacon wrapped sausages …

But the options we´re endless .. and its already time to count down to next years influx of new challenges for the taste buds. However, it is worth pointing out that many of the nationalities represented do indeed have local restaurants, where you can go and catch some of the dishes you missed at the festival this year.

As has become a bit of a tradition at the International Festival in Jávea, the last big event on stage was Strikland. The Costa Blanca party band led by singer Adam King delivered a set full of 70s soul hits and funky vibes under the evening skies of Jávea as the 2012 version of the festival came to a close in a high spirit.

Here you can see more photos from the Jávea International Festival 2012

A final stroll through the festival as the last exotic meals we´re dished up Saturday night as the Javea International Festival 2012 was coming to a close. Perhaps the biggest edition of the festival so far with big and happy crowds eating, dancing and having fun for three straight days.

Strikland entertaining the crowd with a set of 70s funk and soul as the night fell in Jávea. Strikland with singer Adam King leading the party was the headliner of the Saturday night at the International Festival in Javea 2012:

Vamos 2013, hopefully next years International Festival in Javea will be back even bigger, stronger and with even more nationalities presenting their delicious cuisines.

However sometimes it is nice to add social activities to the days at the beach. Meeting new people and forming friendships adds entirely new dimensions to times by the beach – regardless if you live in Jávea, only just moved to Spain, spends the summers under the warm Spanish sun or if you´re having a holiday in Xabia by the beach.

There are plenty big and small events on the Jávea beaches aimed at bringing people together and setting a natural scene for socializing.

Serendipity Fun Days – Jávea Beach Socializers
One such recurring event is the Serendipity Fun Day events. They are set right on the Arenal Beach at the end towards the canal and Parador Hotel. Serendipity fun days are informal and relaxing social events … some play sports, some play games, some make new friends and chit chat and others just chill in the sun on the gorgeous beach.

The Serendipity fun days on the beach have a bit of a beach hippie camp vibe to them but in fact you have the chance to meet all kinds of people in all trades, at all ages. Free and fun, every summer month in Javea – to find out more about the next Serendipity Fun Days coming up, hit up Amanda O Shea on facebook or call Serendipity Holistic Services at
646 816 625 for more info.

You can see a few more photos from Serendipity Fun at the Jávea Beach here.

The Beach is Yours – Use it!
The Javea beaches are all free to use and enjoy. The Arenal Beach has plenty of facilities to use such as beach volleyball, a kids playground, sun loungers and a variety of other things to keep you, your kids and your family entertained whilst enjoying the sunshine.

If you feel like socializing and making new friends whilst on your beach holiday in Jávea, try joining one of the events by the sea though. You will be amazed at how easy it is to meet new sun addicts for a chat, make friends, play a few games or arrange to meet for lunch in a local restaurant later. The beach belongs to everyone – make the most of it!