La Vila Joiosa · "The joyful town"
The authentic Mediterranean.
A colourful coastal town where history, tradition and the good life meet.
Between Alicante and Benidorm lies a historic coastal town of some 36,000 people and more than three thousand years of history.
Romans, Moors and generations of fishermen have left their mark. Along the promenade, restaurants and small cafés sit side by side with the colourful houses that made Villajoyosa famous — painted so the fishermen could recognise their homes from the sea after long days on the water.
Villajoyosa isn't a tourist town trying to seem Spanish. It is Spanish. Locals live their everyday lives here all year, and visitors become a natural part of the town's rhythm: morning coffee on a sunny terrace, fresh produce from the market, long lunches by the sea and quiet evenings on the promenade.
Through the ages
Three thousand years, one coastline.
c. 1000 BC
Iberian roots
Iberian settlements first gather on the hill above the river mouth.
1st century AD
Roman Allon
The Roman town of Allon thrives — its baths remain among the best-preserved examples of Roman engineering in the Valencia region.
Middle Ages
Moors & Christians
Moorish and Christian eras shape the town. In 1300 it is refounded as La Vila Joiosa — 'the joyful town' — with its walls.
18th–19th c.
Fishermen & colour
Fishermen paint their homes in bold colours to recognise them from the sea. The facades become the town's signature.
1881 →
City of chocolate
Chocolate-making takes root; today Valor and other local makers carry a 150-year tradition.
"A place you come to experience — and stay because you feel at home."
The neighbourhood
Everything within reach.
Mediterranean lifestyle
- 1.38 km Blue Flag city beach
- 13 beaches & coves, 15 km of coast
- Fishing port, marina & watersports
- Daily fish market at the working port
- Markets, cafés and shops in a living, year-round town
History & culture
- More than 3,000 years of history
- Iberian & Roman heritage, incl. the baths of Allon
- Protected old town with walls and painted houses
- Vilamuseu — archaeology, history & local culture
- Moros y Cristianos — the spectacular festival
Nature & experiences
- Coastal paths and mountain trails
- Puig Campana within easy reach
- Several golf courses nearby
- Sailing, kayak, diving, snorkelling, windsurfing
- Terra Mítica, Aqualandia, Terra Natura
From sea to table
- Tapas bars to fine dining
- Seafood & rice dishes from local tradition
- Mercat de La Vila — the traditional food market
- La Vila Gastronómica, all year round
- Three active chocolate makers
Climate
Mediterranean living, all year round.
Mild winters, sea-tempered summers and a microclimate shaped by mountains and the Mediterranean. Life here extends well beyond the summer season.
300+
days of sunshine
~17°
winter daytime
15 km
of coastline
13
beaches & coves