Denia Tourist Attractions
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The seaside resort of Denia, set amid orange-groves on the Mediterranean coast, has a history going back to Greek and Roman times. It was known to the Greeks in the eighth century B.C. as Hemeroskopeion and to the Romans as Dianium. In the Moorish period, between 715 and 1253, it was a flourishing port which at one time was in control of Majorca. Its main sources of revenue are now tourism and fishing. There is a regular ferry service to San Antonio Abad on Ibiza.
Castillo
Denia lies at the foot of a hill crowned by a castle, which now houses an archeological museum. From the top of the hill there are extensive views of the Gulf of Valencia. At the foot of the hill is an open-air theater.
Santa María
The Baroque church of Santa María (1734) in Denia is faced with tiles.
Beaches
Denia's two beaches, the flat Playa de las Marinas and the rocky Playa de las Rotas (diving grounds), have been awarded the blue Europa flag for particularly well kept beaches.
Surroundings
Montgó
There is a rewarding climb to the summit of Montgó, with the remains of the Casa de Biot, an Iberian settlement of theeighth century B.C. From the top of the hill there are magnificent views of the coast and the sea. The ascent takes about four hours.
Javea
Farther south of Denia, below Montgó at the mouth of the Río Jalón, is the little port and seaside resort of Jávea, with old walls and towers, the Castillo de San Juan and a fortified Gothic church (14th C.). Near Jávea are two stalactitic caves, the Cueva del Organo and the Cueva del Oro.
Cabo de San Antonio
2km/1.25mi east of Denia is Cabo de San Antonio (174m/571ft), with a lighthouse; from here there are far ranging views.
Cabo de la Nao
4km/2.5mi south of Jávea is the Cabo de la Nao, the most easterly point in the Cordillera Bética (Andalusian Mountains). Around the cape are beautiful beaches. From the tip of the promontory there is a view to the south of the rocky mass of the Peñón de Ifach (383m/1,257ft) rearing out of the sea off the Punta de Ifach.
Denia Pictures
