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.

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.

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

All shops in old town of Jávea stays open for a night of shopping, entertainment and surprise till way after midnight. Apart from the opportunity to stroll around shopping by night in the lovely Spanish village atmosphere the evening features plenty of things to do with your family.

A tapas route through town with a special offer of 2euros for tapas and a drink. Take care, the old town tapas are seriously addictive and you will be exposed to all the best tapas places in Jávea doing the route through the historic village. Further there will be music in the streets and a classic motorbikes exhibition to enjoy.

Head up to Xábia old town for a pleasant evening with excellent and cheap food, a chance to try out all the little specialty stores and relax in the wonderful vibe of the narrow streets and busy squares of the historic city centre of Javea

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.

If you fancy a real sense of Spanish football passion on a grander scale, a perfect sporty holiday treat is taking the evening off to attend one of the Valencia Cf home games.

Amunt Valencia!
…..so goes the cry of the fans at the huge Stadium in Central Valencia and basically is the local Valencia/Catalan word for “Up Valencia” or even “Valencia To the top”, such is my poor command of the Catalan dialect here, but nevertheless if you are here on the Costa Blanca, and fancy watching a great game of footy, only about an hour and half up the fast AP7 motorway you will find the vibrant city of Valencia.

Valencia football Club, or “F.C. Valencia” in the local lingo, is the 3^rd best team in Spain, so they say, after Barcelona and Madrid, and has featured such famous international players as Antonio Puchades, Faas Wilkes, Kurt Jara, Mario Kempes and more recently players like Juan Mata, Gaizka Mendieta and David Villa.

So if you love watching a good football game then spend a day in the exiting city of Valencia and watch the team play, in fact if you time it right, they do sometimes play English premier league teams too.

Tickets For Valencia Home Games
Valencia plays their home games at La Mestella. A 55.000 capacity all seater stadium with a normally terrifying atmosphere for visiting teams. The average attendance is around 40-43.000 for league games with the big games versus Real Madrid, Barcelona etc obviously pulling the biggest crowds.

In reality the Valencias home games are never sold out and you can simply turn up and buy a ticket at the door. Do not fall for online ticket sellers claiming they have the very last tickets for this or that game at triple the normal price. Check the Valencia Cf website if you want to make sure. You might still want to buy your tickets in advance to be able to comfortably choose your seats and sections in the stadium, again just go to Ticketmaster or Valencia Cfs website.

Tickets for Valencia home games vary in price from game to game according to the opposition. Further, as is customary different parts of stadium have different prices. The lowest category seats start at around 50euros, but you may want to buy slightly better ones to get closer to the action on the pitch.

2012/2013 Valencia CF Home Games in the league
Aug 26 Valencia v Deportivo La Coruña
Sep 16 Valencia v Celta Vigo
Sep 30 Valencia v Real Zaragoza
Oct 21 Valencia v Athletic Bilbao
Nov 04 Valencia v Atlético Madrid
Nov 18 Valencia v Espanyol
Dec 02 Valencia v Real Sociedad
Dec 16 Valencia v Rayo Vallecano
Dec 22 Valencia v Getafe
Jan 13 Valencia v Sevilla FC
Jan 20 Valencia v Real Madrid
Feb 03 Valencia v Barcelona
Feb 17 Valencia v Mallorca
Mar 03 Valencia v Levante
Mar 17 Valencia v Real Betis
Apr 07 Valencia v Valladolid
Apr 21 Valencia v Málaga
May 05 Valencia v Osasuna
May 29 Valencia v Granada

On top of these games there will be plenty (hopefully) of cup games and European matches, but theyre yet to be announced. Take note that the dates announced & kick off times wont be finally confirmed till as late as 10days before the actual games.

How To Find Valencias Mestella Stadium ?
Once you arrive in Valencia, from the main train station in the centre of the city, called Estacio del norte (north station, basically) you can flag a taxi (always white cars with taxi plates), and ask to go to the Mestalla stadium, which will cost you around 20 euros.

Remember the double “l” is Spain is a “Y” sound , so you have to say “Mestaya”.

Also if you find the main city hall, called the “Ayuntimiento” or “Ajuntament”, there are buses that go directly outside the stadium, but check with the bus company before leaving.

And if you plan to make use of Valencia excellent underground (Tube trains), then you take the line 5 (green on the map) from Xativa metro, next to the main train station.

Driving in central Valencia, is NOT for the faint hearted and you would be advised to park up and get on the metro, as above.

Spanish Holidays with a spice of football
There’s nothing worse than being married to a football fan if you are not a fan of the “beautiful game” yourself! Standing on the terraces in freezing cold rain back in the UK, supporting your partner, who supports his or her favourite team is of course always a labour of love.

So when you are on holiday on the Costa Blanca, soaking up the sun, sipping cool Mojito by the pool and reading that novel you brought, which has been sat on the shelf back in the UK, the LAST thing you want to do is to hear about football!

However, if you traveling to Spain with some equally football mad mates, and just couldn’t possible go without watching a game for a couple of weeks, don’t bother about missing home, and checking the internet to try and see the latest scores, because Premier league level action is actually right here on your doorstep in Spain!

Co-writing by local Valencia Author Guy Alexander Bell

Activities on the Javea Beaches
August is the perfect month to spend some time on the excellent beaches of Jávea.

The Cinema On The Beach, Cine Vora La Mar, is showing a new film every Tuesday evening of August. All films start at 22.00 (10pm) at the outdoor beach cinema located right on the Arenal Beach.

The films at the beach cinema in August are: John Carter (7th of August), Jack & Jill (14th of August), Puss In Boots (21th of August) and Real Steel (28th of August). The films are dubbed into Spanish with English subtitles, but its still a wondrous experience to sit on the beach and enjoying the action on the big screen as the Mediterranean lands gently waves on the beach.

On August 12th the monthly Serendipity Fun Day on the beach is happening from 5pm. Its a free social event right on the arenal beach, which features a picnic style meet up for all ages to chat, make new friends and enjoy a few snacks. Couples, singles and families of all ages welcome for an afternoon of hanging out with new friends, playing chess or bridge in the sand, volleyball, football or having a little swim in the sea. For more information about the Serendipity Fun Days contact Amanda O´Shea on Facebook or call Serendipity Holistic Services on 646 816 625.

Javea Jazz Festival – XII Festival Internacional Javea Jazz
The Costa Blanca beach resort Jávea hosts an International Jazz festival by the Mediterranean featuring upcoming stars on the jazz scene.

The Javea Jazz Festival 2012 line up: Omer Avital Quintet (4th of August), Richard Galliano Tangaria Quartet (5th of August) and Andrea Motis & Joan Chamorro Group (6th of August).

All concerts starts at 22.30 (10.30pm) in Plaza De La Constitucion in Jávea old town. Entry is 15euros per concert or 40euros for all 3.

Read all about the Javea Jazz Festival here.

A New Formula Champion? Fiesta 03730 – Go Kart competition
The Javea go cart track – Carting Javea – hosts the prestigous annual Go Kart Championship on August 13th from 8pm.

Minimum of 2 heats per driver (max 8 drivers per heat) of 12 laps each heat (2 stroke racing karts). Plus grand final for top 6 drivers in upgraded super racing karts. Medals for top 3 racers. Trophy for overall winner. The price for the karting is 40€ per person which guarantees every driver at least 2 heats of 12 laps (24 total), finalists all receive the extra final laps included in the price (normal price at the track is 50€ for 2 heats or 85€ 2 heats plus the final laps in the upgraded karts!).

After the celebrations of the new Jávea carting champion theres live music by the Jools Cooper ‘Pink Floyd Show’ live from 10pm in the new American Diner at the course

There is a maximum of 16 drivers so strictly 1st come 1st serve basis (once paid you have confirmed your place). Contact John Migan on Facebook to secure your seat in the race!

Javea Old Town – Open By Night
On Wednesday 8th of August the Xábia old town will come to life after dark with an Open By Night event seeing all shops and restaurants open till well past midnight.

The Open By Night in Jávea old town features music in the streets by Bunpada batukada, an exhibition of classic motorbikes and a special tapas tour through town for those fancying some traditional Spanish cuisine to complement the shopping and entertainment.

Javea Fiestas in August
Famous for its fiestas, of course August features a few opportunities for partying the Spanish way in Jávea.

On 11th and 12th of August the Portitxol Fiesta is happening. Its one of the smaller local fiestas of Javea and will probably mainly have your interest if youre spending your holiday in Spain looking exploring the culture more in depth than most tourists do. The fiesta features a parada, traditional dancing, community dinners and live music. You can see the program and more info on the facebook page Festes Del Portitxol (yes, its in Valenciano).

The port fiesta is a more grand celebration spanning 2 weeks. As the name suggests it is centered round the port of Javea with daily activities including the bulls to the sea, bous al mar, fireworks, parades, a variety of sporting events and much more.

Activities For Kids in Jávea
Plenty of activities for kids are running through the month of August.

The Rob Jone Summer Football Camp will be busy practicing, playing and having fun. The Benitatxell Summer Activity Club has a full menu of all-day activities for the kids from drama to sports. A Junior Fishing Competition is happening on the Jávea Port as part of the port fiesta on August 25th from 10am.

You can read more about the Activities For Kids in Jávea here

Live Music in Javea in August
On the music scene several live events are happening in August, not least in Javea old town, that not only hosts the international jazz festival but classical concerts, music in the streets and smaller gigs too.

In the beach bars, the lovely chirinquitos between the port and the arenal beach, you can have your feet almost in the Mediterranean sea whilst being entertained by live performers. Mintt for instance has the Duo Vacilin playing cuban and latin music, whilst DJ Marcelo takes the crowd back to the 80s every Thursday from 7pm.

The Spanish supergroup Hot Legs are playing live at La Hacienda on Montgo, the road out towards Cabo De San Antoni, on Saturday 4th of August in the Cactus club. The tickets are 10euros in advance or 12euros at the door, but hurry up – last years Hot Legs concert sold out.

In addition several of the Arenal Bars and Restaurants such as Kandhala, An Shebeen, Quo Vadis and many more feature coversbands and party music more or less every weekend night.

Dog Rescue BBQ and Live Music
The local Jávea dog rescue APASA hosts a BBQ and Open Night on Friday 17th August from 6.30pm till late.

Visiting animal lovers should consider heading over to the APASA dog kennel in Jávea for a pleasant evening out at with meat on the grill, a chance to say hello to the dogs and the volunteers who do a cracking job looking after them plus live music by Barry Peters “The Swingman”.

The event is held at the APASA shelter, Cami de les Sorts, Jávea.

Enjoy August – Its Gonna Be Busy and HOT!
As always, August is gonna be hot Hot HOT in Jávea. You may mainly fancy laying on the beach but have a look at some of the events above – something is bound to catch your interest.

The the 2012 edition of the Jazz Festival in Jávea runs from Saturday 4th August till Monday 6th August at 22.30hrs each night with the concerts being performed in the main square of old town, Plaza de la Constitución.

The Javea Jazz Festival 2012 Program:
Saturday 4th: Omer Avital Quintet
Sunday 5th: Richard Galliano Tangaria Quartet
Monday 6th: Andrea Motis & Joan Chamorro Group

All concerts start at 22.30 (10.30pm). Entry is 15euros for one night or 40euros for all 3. Tickets can be bought in all tourist information shops in Jávea.

Special Offers for the Jávea Jazz Festival
Several restaurants and hotels in Jávea participate in the Jazz Al Plat whereby you get a special 2-course menu including 2 drinks along with a ticket for the Jazz Festival at 35euros. The participating restaurants are Calima, Parador De Xábia, Piri-Piri, El Descorche, Bistro Casa Grau, Restaurante La Musa, Tapas-Bar Trinquet, El Rodat, Restaurante Bahia, Area 1, Palau, La Trastienda and La Renda

As part of the Javea Jazz festival several simultaneous activities are happening such as the Foto Jazz trip through old town, whereby you can stroll through the history of Jávea with jazz as your travel mate as the entire towns shop windows will be decorated with photographic displays.

Furthermore, if you are visiting Jávea especially to attend the Jazz Festival, Hotel El Rodat has a special offer featuring 1, 2 or 3 nights stay, dining in their excellent restaurant and tickets for the music at a special discounted price.

Finding The Jávea Jazz Festival
Parking is conveniently available just under the Plaza de la Constitucion, which is found by driving up to old town and once you pass the post office (Correo) its the first available right turn.

You can download the official program with all details here: XII-Festival-Internacional-Javea-Jazz (PDF in English, Spanish and Valenciano)

If you need more specific directions to find Plaza De La Constitucion ask for a map in at the Tourism Information shops, where you buy your ticket, alternatively a taxi from the Arenal beach is around 10euros each way.

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.

Mix it all together and set the scene for a grand fashion show with the Mediterranean as a jaw dropping backdrop. Stunning local models parading cutting edge creations from local designers and fashion stores. Its an event not to be missed by anyone interested in smart summer shoes, the latest trends in clothing, creative accessories or simply beauty.

The fashion parade is happening on Sunday July 29th at Chirinquito Moskito, the beach bar nearest to the Javea port, and starts at 19.00 (7pm).

Entry for the fashion show at Mosquito is free but you are advised to come early to get a good seat for the show.

Everyone rants about the fashion houses of Italy and France but have a closer look at Spain. The creativity often unfolds in more daring and alternative ways than the conservative designers of France. In general the classiest dressing population in Europe and the plenty of trend setters have come out of Spain – and Jávea can proudly present a long list of local fashion designers with talents reaching way beyond the borders of Spain.

The fashion show at the Moskito beach bar has a 1950s pin up theme with the artistic makeup and hair style performed by Michael Maurice.

The show features local designs, fashion stores and creations such as shoes from El Zaguan, outstanding new lines of bikinis from Giulietta Di, bags and accessories from Raki, hats from Sharon Mann to name but a few.

The city of Valencia is one of Spain’s biggest tourist destinations. The city, located to the east of the country, is a large, cosmopolitan city, but without the expense, or arrogance, of Barcelona, and smaller and cheaper than Spain’s biggest city, Madrid.

There are daily flights from many UK airports, including Bristol, Gatwick and Manchester and the city boasts an enviable public transport system, a bit like a smaller version of the London tube. Valencia is far more cultural than many places further down south on “the costas” and there are loads of cultural and scenic opportunities to get out and about and let your hair down with the legendary “permanent party” mood of the friendly Valencian people.

Traveling to Valencia with kids in tow can be a slightly challenging time, especially in the hotter months of July and August so where can you take the kids for a great day out? Kids soon get bored of the beach or being dragged around the stores by mum, so a day out that is reasonably priced, and fun, plus educational too, should be your destination when in Valencia.

Bioparc Valencia
What better way to spend a day with the kids, than go to a zoo?

But wait a minute, the word “Zoo” conjures up a forlorn 1970’s place, with sad animals kept in cages. Well, times, and attitudes, have moved ion since then, and Valencia’s Bioparc could not be further than that, and is about as far removed from the concept of a zoo as can be imagined.

The Bioparc Valencia is all about animals in their “Natural habitat” and the park is designed to be accessible for all patrons, or all ages and abilities, and its disabled friendly too. You can see all kinds of animals, roaming free and quite happy, and it’s hard to imagine that this is near the centre of Spain’s 3^rd largest city!

Animals and birds in the habitat they are from, is one of the things that really gives the “wow” factor in the park. In some places you really can imagine that you are walking around some place in Africa, and only the very occasional plane overhead from the airport tells you that you are still firmly on the ground in Spain!

More than just animals!

The Bioparc is a big place and should take the best part of a day to see all of it, but If you’re hungry there are plenty of places to eat and drink, or at lunch times, you can have a meal in the park’s main restaurant which overlooks a large plain. As you tuck into your traditional plate of Paella, it’s weird to know that you are head height with giraffes on the other side of the windows, which can be a quite bizarre experience for the kids!

If you are visiting from the UK, don’t worry, there are also some staff who do speak a little bit of English, but there are plenty of signs and maps in English too, so even if you don’t speak the local lingo, you will know exactly what’s going, where to go, and what to see.

The parc has a very good programme of live animal shows, educational talks about preserving the natural habitat of the animals, and also educational resources about conservation. All in all the Bioparc in Valencia is a great day out for all the family and comes highly recommended.

How to get to the Bioparc Valencia?
By train, take the metro, nearest stop is Beniferri on the Line 1 (soutbound) or by car, turn off the CV30 motorway and head for Av. Del Mestre Rodrigo. There is ample parking right next to the entrance. Arrive early!

View Larger Map

Pack up the kids for a nice day out and take a trip from Javea to Bioparc Valencia. The animals are treated to the highest standards and the experiences are wonderful for all ages!

Other trips from Jávea include the Terra Mitica Theme Park, Picnics at Cala Blanca or El Moraig, the Montgo National Park and countless more. The Jávea part of the Marina Alta on the Costa Blanca is full to the brim with exciting activities for families, explorers and lovers of beautiful nature!

Feature by Valencia author Guy Alexander Bell