Javea Old Town: Walking Route, Sights and Visitor Guide

Javea’s Historic Centre, also known as Xàbia Històrica, offers a different experience from the town’s beaches and waterfront.

Narrow streets, white façades, arched doorways and decorative ironwork reflect its development from a medieval settlement into a town shaped by farming and trade. Look out for tosca stone, which gives many of its buildings their characteristic warm colour.

The route below follows the existing walk from the church through the Old Town to Montaner Park and the Riurau d’Arnauda.

Walking Route at a Glance

• Start: Sant Bertomeu Church, Plaça de l’Església.

• Finish: Riurau d’Arnauda, Montaner Park.

• Suggested time: Allow approximately 60–90 minutes for a leisurely outdoor walk, including short sightseeing stops.

• With indoor visits: Allow around 2½–3 hours, or longer if adding lunch.

• Suggested visiting time: A Tuesday-to-Friday morning gives you an opportunity to combine the walk with several interiors.

• Terrain: Town streets and park paths, with some slopes and potentially uneven surfaces.

These are planning estimates, rather than measured walking times. Your visit will depend on pace, opening hours and how long you spend at each stop.

Walking Route Maps

The route is split into two sections to make it easier to follow:

Open walking map: Church → Municipal Market → Soler Blasco Museum → Ca Lambert

Open walking map: Ca Lambert → Santa Anna Chapel → Placeta del Convent → Avinguda Príncep d’Astúries → Riurau d’Arnauda

The maps connect the named stops; follow the street-by-street description below where automatic directions suggest a different path.

Begin in Plaça de l’Església, beside the Church of Sant Bertomeu, also known as San Bartolomé.

The building combines religious and defensive features, reflecting the need to protect the town as well as provide a place of worship. Its main construction dates from the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries, with later alterations.

Take time to look at the stonework, entrances and bell tower before continuing around the square. Tower access should not be assumed to be included in a normal visit.

Suggested stop: Around 10–15 minutes outside, with additional time if the church is open.

Next to the church is the Mercado Municipal de Abastos, Javea’s indoor food market.

The present market opened in 1946, on the site of an earlier convent. It makes a useful stop for browsing food stalls and taking a break before continuing the walk.

Around the church, look out for the Palau dels Sapena, Casa dels Bolufer and Town Hall. Enjoy their façades from the public streets; this route does not assume that their interiors are open to visitors.

Suggested stop: Allow around 15–25 minutes for browsing, or longer for refreshments.

The indoor market is separate from the Thursday outdoor market in Plaça de la Constitució. If visiting on a Thursday, you could browse the outdoor stalls before starting the route.

Read our Javea Thursday Market guide.

From the church and Town Hall area, follow Carrer de les Primícies to the Soler Blasco Archaeological and Ethnological Museum.

Housed in the historic Casa-Palau d’Antoni Banyuls, the museum introduces Javea’s past through archaeological finds and objects associated with traditional life.

Suggested stop: Allow approximately 30-45 minutes for an introductory visit.

See our Soler Blasco Museum guide for more information.

Continue along Carrer Major to Ca Lambert, the exhibition space in the former Casa de Tena. This building once housed a pharmacy and now hosts cultural activities and changing exhibitions.

Suggested stop: Allow around 15–30 minutes if an exhibition interests you.

Make the short detour along Carrer d’Avall to Capella de Santa Anna.

This small Gothic chapel is the surviving part of a hospital built in 1502. Its tosca-stone construction and ribbed vault make it an interesting contrast to the larger church at the start of the walk.

Suggested stop: Around 10 minutes, depending on access.

Return to Carrer Major and continue down to Placeta del Convent, where you will find the Convent de les Agustines. Treat this as an exterior stop unless an advertised service or event provides access.

The square is also a natural place to pause before the final part of the route.

Walk up Avinguda Príncep d’Astúries, looking for the reconstructed section of the former town walls.

The walls help explain the compact layout of the older streets. Much of the original defensive circuit was removed as the town expanded, so the reconstruction should not be mistaken for a complete surviving medieval wall.

Continue into Montaner Park to reach the Riurau dels Català d’Arnauda.

The riurau reflects the importance of the raisin trade to Javea. These open-sided structures sheltered grapes laid out on drying mats. This example was relocated to the park and is now also used for community and cultural activities.

Suggested stop: Allow around 15-20 minutes for the park and riurau.

Check the Javea events guide if you would like to combine your visit with an advertised market, concert or other activity.

Parking for Javea Old Town

Two municipal underground car parks serve the Historic Centre:

Plaça de la Constitució car park
A practical option for combining the walk with the Thursday market or Montaner Park.

Portal del Clot car park
An alternative for approaching the Old Town from the Placeta del Convent side.

Both are paid car parks. Check the displayed tariff, vehicle-height limits and pedestrian access arrangements on arrival.

For official information, see the municipal underground parking page.

Aim for a signed car park rather than trying to drive through the narrow historic streets.

Suggested Stops and Visiting Tips

For a relaxed morning, begin with the church and market, continue to the museum and Ca Lambert, then visit Santa Anna Chapel before its published lunchtime closure.

Leave time for refreshments around the market or church square, or finish with lunch near Placeta del Convent. Check menus and opening days before choosing a restaurant.

Wear comfortable shoes and take water in warm weather. If travelling with a wheelchair or pushchair, ask Tourist Info about suitable approaches and building entrances: this walk has not been verified as a fully step-free route.

For a guided introduction, see our Javea guided walking tours guide.

If You Enjoyed This, You May Enjoy

• Soler Blasco Museum

• Javea Thursday Market

• Things to Do in Javea