Are you traveling to Costa Blanca and asking yourself the big question, “Is Villajoyosa worth visiting?”
Short answer (and my subjective opinion): YES!
But is it right for you?
Only you can answer that, but I’ll try to help you make that decision.
The colorful fisherman’s town is possbily one of the most beautiful coastal towns in Spain. Back in the day, the fishermen painted their houses in different colors to easily recognize their houses when they came back from the sea.
Villajoyosa is laidback and pretty small without a lot of activities like you’ll find in other towns in Costa Blanca.
Read on to find out whether Villajoyosa is the right destination for you or not.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. That means that if you make a purchase through one of those links, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Hi, I’m Linn Haglund, the face behind Brainy Backpackers. I’ve been based in Spain for the last 10+ years, and travel locally and abroad whenever I have a chance. I’m passionate about responsible travel, slow and off the beaten path travel, and outdoor activities, especially hiking. I’m currently slow traveling in my van Persistence (Persi among friends) with my fiancée Mohammed and rescue puppy Atlas. I’m excited to help you explore this planet responsibly!
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Is Villajoyosa worth visiting?
Before we look at the reasons to visit Villajoyosa, I’ll give you a quick overview of the pros and cons of visiting so you can know whether you want to keep reading or if you can tell quickly that it’s just not for you.
Pros
- Laidback
- Beautiful beaches
- Charming old town
- Plenty of restaurants and bars
- Easy to reach from Alicante and Benidorm
- They have their own chocolate museum!
- Free parking within walking distance of the town center
Cons
- Small place
- Not the best nightlife
Reasons to visit Villajoyosa
Possibly the most beautiful coastal town in Costa Blanca
After visiting quite a lot of towns in Costa Blanca, I still think that Villajoyosa is the prettiest of them all. Altea is definitely a close second, but since it’s the hilltop town that is cute and the beachfront not so much, Villajoyosa takes the prize.
I love how the historic fisherman’s village has maintained the colorful houses and keeps maintaining this area. Villajoyosa Old Town is without a doubt worth visiting!
There are so many places on Costa Blanca that are falling apart so it’s fantastic to see a place that embraces the beauty and keeps it attractive for the locals and tourists alike.
Walking around the old town is easily among the best things to do in Villajoyosa.
Laidback vibe
The first time we visited Villajoyosa, we immediately got caught in this laidback vibe that hovers the village. And we loved it!
Lazy walks along the promenade, relaxing little cafes, and beautiful scenery, what more can you ask for? Ever since, Villajoyosa has been a place where we go whenever we need to relax for a few days.
Beautiful beaches
The beaches in Villajoyosa are great with facilities like beach umbrellas and sunbeds in summer, exercise areas, and playgrounds for kids. There are also many beach bars to choose from with anything from burgers to fresh fruit smoothies.
Altogether, Villajoyosa has a nice and wide main beach where the sand is nice and the water is clear. What more can you ask for?
Plenty of restaurants and bars
Despite being a small town, Villajoyosa has an abundance of fantastic restaurants and bars. We tried several and felt welcome and loved the food and drinks everywhere we went.
Even the ones we tried on the beachfront did not disappoint which is not bad for a touristy spot.
Easy to reach
One of the reasons Villajoyosa is a good place to travel to is that it’s easy to reach from major hubs like Alicante and Benidorm by tram.
Whether you go on a day trip from Alicante or travel from the airport directly to Villajoyosa to spend your entire vacation there, there are frequent public transport opportunities.
Alternatively, you can book a private transfer from the Airport to Villajoyosa for ease.
Chocolate baby!
While there are many good reasons to visit Villajoyosa, my fellow chocolate addicts will jump for joy when hearing this!
Villajoyosa has its own chocolate factory and museum. If you’ve traveled around Spain before, you might have seen the chocolate Valor.
Well, that’s produced in Villajoyosa and they’ve done it since the 17th century. You can visit the Chocolate Factory and Museum between Monday and Saturday where you can learn about the history, see the manufacturing and have some samples.
Easy parking
We’ve traveled to Villajoyosa several times by van and we found it pretty easy to find parking around the village.
There’s a large parking area where the Thursday Market is held where you can leave your car for free for the day or several days except on market days.
There’s also a large public parking area on the other side of the river by the sea where we haven’t parked yet, but it looks like a good spot. However, I can imagine it gets quickly full in the summer.
What Villajoyosa is missing
Nightlife
If you’re looking for bustling nightlife until the early morning, Villajoyosa might just not be the right spot for you to base yourself.
If this is what you’re looking for, I suggest you consider Benidorm, Alicante, or even Valencia.
Small town
Villajoyosa is a lovely small town, but if you’re looking for something bigger with plenty of different things to do and different neighborhoods to explore, it is probably a bit too small for you.
Then I’d rather suggest Valencia or Alicante if Costa Blanca is what you’re looking at.
Summing up: Is it worth visiting Villajoyosa?
As you can tell, there are plenty of reasons to visit Villajoyosa, but if you’re looking for a city vibe and nightlife, then Villajoyosa won’t deliver your expectations.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a relaxing and laidback vacation in beautiful surroundings, Villajoyosa is definitely worth it.
Happy travels!