Jávea with kids

Which beach in Jávea is best with children?

The Arenal, Jávea's only sandy beach. The water is shallow, there are showers and lifeguards, wooden walkways lead down to the sand, and the Red Cross keeps watch over swimmers in the water. If you would rather have pebbles and calmer water, head for the second cove at Cala Blanca or for La Grava by the port.

The Arenal has a dedicated play area, with swings for little ones and a climbing pyramid for children and adults alike. There is shade, and toilets with adapted tables close by. According to the town council this is the beach for sandcastles, table tennis and padel. Adapted wheelchairs and an adapted bathing point make it accessible for anyone with limited mobility too.

Cala Blanca is made up of two small, linked coves of pebbles and rock. The last stretch is a short promenade of about a hundred metres. The second cove can only be reached on foot from the first and, according to the council, usually has calm, crystal-clear water, sheltered behind an arm of rock. There are no facilities and no lifeguard, so keep little ones close.

La Grava is a pebble beach of about 290 metres in the port district, with a Blue Flag, Red Cross cover in season, toilets, a restaurant and a seafront promenade. On pebble and rock coves, children can spot small fish, crabs and sea urchins, says the council. A snorkel mask is a good idea, and water shoes are far from a luxury.

Granadella is a white pebble beach between pine-covered slopes. In summer a barrier closes the access road once the roughly 130 paid parking spaces are full. If you would rather not drive, take the tourist train from La Guardia Park: a return ticket costs 6 euros for adults and 4 euros for children under 12. There is also a playground in the Granadella forest park, on the road down to the bay.

How safe is swimming with children in Jávea?

Lifeguard cover in Jávea runs from June to the end of September, and at the Arenal from Holy Week onwards. At the supervised beaches the flag shows the state of the water: green means swim freely, yellow means caution and red means no swimming. Not every cove is supervised, so with young children choose a beach with a lifeguard.

The flags follow the regional rules of the Comunitat Valenciana. In season the Arenal, La Grava and Granadella have Red Cross lifeguards, and the council asks visitors to heed the flags. Without a lifeguard, as at Cala Blanca, nobody is on hand to step in, so keeping an eye on the children is entirely down to you.

What can children do on the water?

The easiest option is the family kayak trip from Siesta Advisor: three hours from the Arenal, with snorkel set, water shoes and life jackets included. According to the council you can also hire a pedalo at the Arenal, the sailing school at Club Náutico Jávea teaches children to sail in the Optimist, and the rocky coves are good for snorkelling.

The kayak trip has no minimum age, the operator says, but basic swimming ability is recommended. Up to sixteen people set off together, with a guide. A pedalo is a gentler way to explore the bay. Club Náutico has an introductory group for children in the Optimist, the small dinghy that young sailors start in, and according to the council clubs like this also run summer camps. Ask the club directly about ages and dates.

Snorkelling is best at the pebble and rock coves, where the council says children can see small fish and crabs.

Where can children play away from the beach?

Jávea has municipal parks with playgrounds, such as Parque Reina Sofía and Parque Montaner, which is also home to the old riurau. The Granadella forest park has a playground, and the Pinosol recreation area has a playground as well as barbecue spots, picnic tables and a snack bar.

Pinosol lies on the Travessera de les Cansalades and also has parking and toilets, handy for a long picnic afternoon. In summer, according to the council, a children's funfair with carousels and dodgems sets up near the Arenal, and there is go-karting and minigolf in the same area.

Which walks and bike rides suit children?

Two easy routes of about an hour start from the Creu del Portitxol, one to Cap Prim and one to Cala Barraca, where you can swim in summer. For a day on bikes there is the flat family route from the port to Cala Blanca: 11.4 kilometres there and back, with barely ten metres of elevation gain.

The council rates both routes from the Creu del Portitxol as having no difficulty at all. A third option is the zigzag path up to the hermitage of Santa Llúcia. The first stretch of the Montgó route, from the port to the recreation area, also appears in the council's tips for families. The cycle route has the lowest difficulty rating, a riding time of about 1 hour 10 minutes, and is expressly meant for all levels and ages.

What do you do with children when it rains or the heat is too much?

Indoors, children are welcome at the Museo Soler Blasco, at the Cine Jayan cinema and at the storytelling session in the Biblioteca Municipal: the conta contes runs every Friday at 5.30 pm during term time. A trip to Dénia takes you to the Museo del Juguete, the toy museum.

The Soler Blasco has thirteen rooms of finds from the Neolithic to underwater archaeology. As in many Spanish town museums, the door closes for a while in the afternoon and it is shut on Mondays, so check opening times beforehand. Cine Jayan shows films in their original language. The Museo del Juguete is housed in Dénia's old railway station and is free. The council also mentions children's theatre at the Casa de la Cultura. You will find more indoor options in our rainy day guide.

Where do you eat with children?

Three restaurants in this guide have a separate children's menu on their online menu: Bohemians, La Siesta and La Fontana. For the others in the guide this is not confirmed, so ask on the spot whether the kitchen has something for small appetites.

Bohemians sits at the southern end of the Arenal promenade, handy after an afternoon on the beach.

Is there a theme park or water park nearby?

Yes, in Benidorm, about fifty kilometres and a 45-minute drive from the Arenal: the water park Aqualandia and the parks Terra Mítica, Terra Natura and Mundomar. Jávea's town council itself lists them as an outing for families, although opening schedules vary by park and season.

Aqualandia is open only in the summer season, and Terra Mítica does not open every day outside the high season. Always check the park's website before you set off, especially outside summer.

Which Jávea festivals are fun for children?

According to the council, most festivals have a children's day of their own. Well-known examples are the children's parade at Carnival, the Foguera Infantil at the Fogueres de Sant Joan, the Ajedrez Viviente with schoolchildren as chess pieces, and the Cabalgata de Reyes.

The children's Carnival parade starts around 5.30 pm on the Plaça de la Constitució, while the adults' parade follows late in the evening. The date changes from year to year, usually in February and sometimes early March. The Fogueres have a children's foguera of their own in the Portal del Clot. The Ajedrez Viviente takes place on the last Saturday of July and is played by schoolchildren aged 6 to 14. On 5 January the Three Kings arrive at the port for the Cabalgata de Reyes, by fishing boat according to local media.