Arenal Beach

Arenal Beach – Playa Arenal Javea 2/3 minute walk.

‘La Playa del Arenal’ is a 450m+, golden, sandy beach, known to many as the crowning jewel of Javea. Bestowed with a ‘Blue Flag’ symbolising the environmental quality certificate given by ‘FEE’ guaranteeing optimal water conditions and being the only sandy beach in the area, the Arenal becomes a tourist hotspot in the summer months, acting as the central hub of the municipality. With a vast array of bars, restaurants and clubs, the Arenal supplies everything you could possibly need for the perfect beach day and beyond!

Playa del Arenal is awarded annually with the blue flag, which symbolizes the environmental quality certificate developed by FEE since 1987 and which guarantees the optimal conditions of its waters.

Video Javea Arenal Beach

What to do at Javea Arenal Beach

The ‘Arenal Beach’ is the most popular beach in the whole of Jávea and for good reason. It has everything you could possibly need for a day out in the Sun!

The beach itself has something for all of the family, be it one of the jungle gyms to occupy the kids whilst they’re waiting for their suncream to set in, or the umbrella and sunbed rental for the parents wanting to keep working on their golden tan. There are also activities in which the whole family can participate together, such as volleyball on one of the dedicated sand courts or perhaps a game of beach football using the goals at the North end of the beach.

You can also find watersports rental on the Arenal beach including kayaks, paddleboards, pedalos and more! Other services on the beach include a tourist information office as well as an area dedicated to assisted bathing for people with reduced mobility. Run by the Red Cross, this area has technical equipment such as amphibious chairs and crutches, as well as accessible toilets to ensure EVERYONE can enjoy their day at the beach!

In the summer season, the beach tends to get so busy that it requires constant surveillance from the local lifeguards for the safety of the public. It’s during these months that on occasion the ‘Vora la Mar’ may be open to the public. This is an open air cinema located on the beach itself, that shows classic hit films in a unique environment.

Off of the beach and onto the Arenal’s promenade, you can find a vast array of services. With restaurants ranging from classic Mediterranean cuisine to Italian and sushi, once again there’s something for everyone. As well as restaurants, the Arenal is also home to a selection of pubs and clubs for when the Sun goes down and the dancing shoes come out! There are also hotels located on the Parador at the end of the Arenal, in a prime location with spectacular views and beautifully manicured gardens, just another way to enjoy Jávea in style! During the busier times of the year, you will also find pop up stalls along the promenade, selling everything from trinkets and knick knacks to leather goods and handbags. Perfect for gifts to take back for the family!

On the backside of the Arenal you will find multiple cafés such as Nostro and Austriaco, with high quality coffee and food, perfect for breakfast or perhaps a lunch date. You can also find fashion shops including Mercury and Lacoste, ideal for getting a new outfit before your big night out! Transport to and from the Arenal can be arranged in a variety of ways depending on the situation. If the plan is to explore Jávea, perhaps the tourist train would be a clever option, as a fun, informative means of getting about.

It stops at the South end of the Arenal in the large parking lot and can be easily spotted due to its vibrant blue and yellow colours. Alternatively, the Toscamar bus service operates all year round, performing a circuit of Jávea. The schedule for which can be found through the link at the bottom of the page. If you desire a more direct method of transport, there is a taxi rank on the main road on the back of the Arenal that is manned throughout the day and night.

Top tips for Javea Arenal Beach

GET THERE EARLY!

This beach can get very busy in the heights of summer, so get there early to secure your spot! There is also a low cost umbrella and sunbed rental, to raise your beach day to the next level!

BRING FLIP FLOPS!

The hot sand of the beach will leave you performing the crab walk before you know it! We would definitely recommend bringing some form of foot protection! A pair of flip flops should suffice!

Arenal area in Javea

Arenal in Javea in Spain is the area located next to the main sandy beach of Javea. El Arenal is the town’s main tourist centre with many services such as restaurants of local and international cuisine, shops, bars and the Tennis Club. In Arenal in Javea you will also find beautiful residential apartments and bungalows with communal pool and gardens within walking distance of the sea.

At the promenade along Arenal beach you can find all kinds of shops and also there is a large number of apartmentbuildings that reach 100% occupancy in the summer months and a wide variety of restaurants. The Canal de La Fontana is another attraction of this area and has Marina Nou Fontana which is a unique nautical facility with almost 500 moorings designed for boats. It also has a nautical school and the possibility of practicing your favorite water sports.

This district has undergone major growth in recent years. In its northern end, there was a major Roman settlement, where the Parador de Turismo de Xàbia is now located.

There’s a scene in the 2022 action film Uncharted (Tom Holland & Mark Wahlberg) set on a tropical beach – except it wasn’t filmed on a tropical beach, it was filmed on the Arenal beach in Javea.

The blue waters, fine sand and palm trees fooled many people that this was in Europe.

But for thousands of tourists and residents in the know, it’s this tropical island feel that makes them fall in love with the Arenal beachfront and its restaurants in Javea, Spain.

Get an insider’s overview of the top landmarks, restaurants and history of the Arenal beachfront in Javea below.

Ready?

Top 10 landmarks – Arenal beachfront in Javea

Below find the top 10 places to visit in the Arenal area of Javea:

Paseo David Ferrer – Beachside promenade for sunset strolling. The paved promenade that runs along the side of the Arenal sandy beach. You can find a variety of cafes, ice cream shops, eateries, restaurants and nightclubs (see below for a list of top restaurants). It’s named after honourary Javea resident the former world no. 3 David Ferrer, who’s tennis club – Academia de Tenis Ferrer – is a short walk away.
Marina Nou Fontana – The smaller of Javea’s sporting ports, the Marina Nou Fontana is a saltwater lagoon running along the north side of the Arenal. There are 500 spots for residents and holidaymakers to park their boats here year-round, but there are jetski (Maremoto) and boat rentals for tourists.
Parador de Javea – Parador is a state-owned luxury hotel chain, which has been active since 1928. The Parador de Javea was one of the first landmarks in the Arenal beachfront of Javea, it remains a top hotel in Javea and conference space. Curiously it’s also where Spanish fashion designer Balenciaga spent his final days.
Xábia Padel Club & Academia de Tenis Ferrer – These two popular padel and tennis clubs are popular in the Arenal area of Javea – padel is a racket sport for doubles which was developed in the Spanish-speaking world.
Arenal beach in Javea – The Arenal beach is the only sandy beach in Javea. It’s studded with palm trees and has beach volleyball nets, climbing frames and a wide sandy area for sunbathing. By far the most popular beach in Javea in the high season, as it is easy access and family friendly with a blue flag status, lifeguards and a Red Cross hut.
Javea Park – This small shopping area has many expat-run charity shops, bars, pubs and restaurants and is very popular with the international community.
Cala del Ministre – This rocky section juts into the Arenal bay, and is one of Javea’s most famous Roman sites. A small bathing pool called the ‘Queen’s baths’ is cut in to the rock and carved waterways make a great area for looking into rockpools.
Javea Company – This French-run chain of bars and restaurants is a firm favourite in Javea. The elegant Chabada bar and restaurant is a hub of community all year round. There’s also the Bohemians restaurant, Bambula bar with salsa nights and Achill nightclub.
Restaurante La Fontana – This Javea-run restaurant is one of the top restaurants to buy a traditional paella and enjoy the view and the sunshine – even in January!
Orange groves and marshland – The Arenal was a rural marshland just 50 years ago – and you don’t have to walk far for the bustle of the beach to stop. You can easily walk to the El Naranjal campsite in Javea, the Karting Javea go-kart track, a paintball area, Barnaby’s Mini Golf and the Saladar Natural Park.

Top 11 restaurants in the Arenal area of Javea

There are many bars and restaurants in the Arenal area of Javea.

Here’s a quick overview of what you need to know:

Posidonia Restaurant – according to TripAdvisor this is the best place to get a paella in Javea (La Fontana is the 3rd) on the Arenal beachfront promenade.
Buddha Palace – this Indian restaurant is one of the top-rated in Javea, and is a few minutes’ walk back from the Arenal beachfront.
Tula – one of Javea’s two restaurants with a Michelin star, Tula is the peak of fine food in the Arenal in Javea – the waiting list is often months long!
Caramel et Chocolat – this elegant café serves great coffee and pastries and is a short walk from the beach.
Bohemians – Bohemians is a lively restaurant run by the Javea Company, with great views over the Arenal beach.
Geographic – Geographic is a popular gastro pub where you can watch the latest sports matches and enjoy a drink at the bar.
Octopus – Octopus is a local favourite with cheap drinks and open very late.
Atalaya Javea – Atalaya offers the best lounge experience in the Arenal, with comfy sofas and great food and drinks all day.
Pizzeria Pepa – the most well known pizzeria on the Arenal beachfront.
Chabada – Chabada is better known as a key spot to have coffee, but it serves great food and also has regular music nights.
Lungo Mare – the most well known restaurant serving Italian food on the Arenal beachfront.
La Jijonenca – this Spanish chain of ice cream shops is a staple of the Arenal beachfront in Javea; it gets very full in summer!

History of the Arenal beachfront in Javea

Many people in Javea – and many lifelong holidaymakers from Madrid and Valencia – remember days when the Arenal was only reachable by dirt road.

It’s changed a lot: the Arenal is without doubt the most touristic and modern area of Javea today.

But Javea’s Arenal has been a popular place for thousands of years. There are remains of an important Roman settlement where the Parador hotel is, and it’s common to find ancient anchors and amphorae in the waters around the Arenal beachfront in Javea.

Tourism arrived in Javea in 1947. A local called José Berenguer Sivera invited an engineer to lunch while building Javea’s first bus shelter. The engineer loved the coastline beside the Arenal beachfront so much that Berenguer Sivera had a brainwave: he ended up running an entire bus route from Javea to Valencia and built the first hotel, Hotel Venturo, to give tourists something to do.

These Valencian visitors ended up becoming regulars, they bought houses and came back every year with their children and grandchildren.

With international tourism growing from the 1960s many foreigners began visiting Javea and moving to stay permanently. Javea has steadily grown to cater for a constant tourist population who from July-August turn the year-round Javea population of 25,000 into an international community well over 100,000 people strong.

The Arenal is the main place where you can find them.