Things to do in Denia
DAY TRIPS BY BOAT
A daytrip to Ibiza or Formentera is possible with the catamaran ferry connection from Denia harbour (the Balearia Ferry). The crossing takes only 2 hours with the fast catamaran, or 4 hours with the traditional ferry.
Timeschedules and tariffs you can find at www.balearia.com
is Ibiza and Formentera perhaps a little too far? You can take a trip to one of many tourist boats to the nearby village Javea (Xabia), Altea or Calpe. These boats pass the caves of Las rotas (Les Rotes), the cape of San Antonia and the cape of de la Nao – the most eastly situated part of the Iberian peninsula.
And why not rent a luxury yacht with captain for 1 day??
MONTGÓ NATURAL PARK
The Natural Park rises 753 metres above sea level and shelters over 650 vegetable species. Amongst these we must point out the kermes oak, the red lavender, maritime fennel, rockrose species, the Valencia rock violet, the rock scabious, the black sabine or the palmetto.
As far as fauna is concerned, you can watch birds as the yellow legged seagull or the Audouin seagull, several crows, ravens and birds of prey (the partridge eagle, a couple of royal owls, common kestrel ad the pilgrim falcon), reptiles, amphibians and mammals such as the fox, rabbit, badger, genet, etc.
The Montgó Nature Reserve has its own Interpretation Centre that provides detailed information on this privileged setting and organizes guided excursions year-round. The centre houses a wheelchair-accessible exhibition on the ecosystems of the Montgó and the Nature Reserve of the San Antonio Cape Sea Floor, main routes, traditional uses and diverse activities for visitors to the Nature Park.
THE CASTLE
Of all the monuments in Dénia, sovereignly one stands above all others. Dénia Castle, with its more than two thousand years of history, brings together in one exhibition traces that different cultures have left in our city over the years.
The castle is located in the town itself, only a short distance from the Town hall and can be reached on foot through a narrow street.
The castle is open every day except major festivals from 10.00 to 13.00 and then from 15.00 to 18.00. However, in August and September, the castle is open for a little longer. There are also some special nights when the castle is open till 12:30 am. Find out more about the timings here before planning the visit.
THE PORT
The harbour of Denia has a triple function. First of all its fish auction. The fresh caught fish is being sold in the early morning.
Secondly the marina of Denia is one of the most popular marinas of the Costa Blanca. The port is full of recreational yachts and there are a lot of restaurants and terraces to enjoy some food or a nice drink. Also, watersports such as jet skiing can be done here.
Thirdly you can travel by ferry to the Balearic Islands. For travelling from the mainland to Mallorca, Ibiza or Formentera, Denia is the departure port.
TRIP TO VALENCIA
Valencia, a beautiful city one hour from Denia. The cathedral, palaces, churches and botanic gardens are sights worthwhile seeing, and the food markets are great to stroll through. The third biggest city of Spain has many shopping centers and well known luxury shops. Also the sea and beaches are really nice.
By bus or by train. Drive to trainstation Xeraco, where you can parc your car for free and within half an hour you are in the center of Valencia. You can also take a direct bus from Denia to Valencia, these can be booked through www.goeuro.es .
Here you can book several citytrips at: www.morevalencia.com .
We have done several tours with this company and so far they have only been great! Very nice and personal tours.
ALGAR WATERFALLS, THE NATURAL RESERVE AND A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE
A real recommendation in the summer, also a nice cooling down!
The Algar river flows near Altea into the Mediterranean see. On the way it crosses the small village of Callosa d’en Sarria, about 15 kilometers from both Benidorm and Altea.
There the river flows into beautiful waterfalls, cascading near rocks that form natural pools. Under the name of “Les Fonts de l’Algar”, the whole area is nature reserve and therefore protected. Callosa is moreover an agricultural area where they grow loquat of nispera, the local yellow or orange fruits.
Not only the waterfalls in the nature reserve are worthwhile seeing, you can also enjoy the Mediterranean flora and fauna. There is a tree garden open for visitors.
Callosa itself is a medieval city from which the history is still visible in the historic Fortalesa de Bernia. There is also the intregal El Poador de la Font Mayor, a washing place built in 1786 with space for more than 70 people.
Golf courses
Denia has several beautiful golf courses:
Oliva Nova: Designed and built by Seve Ballesteros, the Oliva Nova Golf Club course extends to around 50 hectares. It is a par 72 links course of 6,350 m with a slope of 120, the main characteristic of which is that 15 of its 18 holes include water obstacles. The only holes that have no water obstacles are numbers 2, 13 and 14. This is a technical course over gently undulating ground. It is easy to walk, and adheres to the traditional formula of four par 3s, four par 5s and ten par 4s, where good strokes are rewarded and bad ones are not, and, as Seve himself says: This course offers great possibilities to all golfers, as it has short, medium and long holes, and fairways with left and right doglegs. I think it poses a challenge to any golfer. The amen corner of the course is at the 13th, 14th and 15th holes, where strategy and the wind are determining factors. To date, the course has hosted various official competitions, including tournaments for Spanish professional players. It was on this course that the Peugeot Golf Tour began. So far, the best score has been that of Miguel Ángel Jiménez in January 1999 with 63 strokes, 9 under par.
La Sella Golf
Enjoy a 27-hole round of golf at La Sella Golf in Denia, designed by José María Olazábal. It’s known internationally for its excellent conditions for playing golf throughout the year. It lies next to Montgó natural park, and is surrounded by Mediterranean woodland and hills. Pine trees, orange trees, olives and almonds add colour to the course. La Sella Golf consist of three courses, which can be combined. It is varied and thought provoking, and moderate in length and, if you know how to use all of your clubs, you will be able to get a good result. The designer, with the expert help of José María Olazábal, designed the course in such a way that if you miss the green, you will need all the virtuosity of the Spanish Champion to save the par.