
Villajoyosa Beach
Golden sand, colorful old town, chocolate on the side




About
Platja de Villajoyosa stretches roughly 600 metres along the Costa Blanca, its golden sand meeting calm blue water in a setting that feels genuinely lived-in rather than manufactured for tourists. The beach sits right at the foot of Villajoyosa's famously painted old town — a wall of candy-colored houses that tumbles down to the seafront and makes the backdrop unlike anything else on this coastline. It's a family-oriented spot with easy access, safe swimming conditions, and a moderate pace that suits a long, unhurried morning. The blue flag flies here, a reliable signal that water quality and facilities meet consistent standards. Come for the sand, stay for the town.
How to get there
Getting here is straightforward from almost any direction. You can walk from Villajoyosa center in about 5 minutes, catch a bus in 3 minutes, or hop the tram from Creueta or La Vila stops in around 8 minutes — all run daily. Drivers coming off the N-332 are about 5 minutes away; paid underground parking is available near the beach at Doctor Esquerdo and Creueta, open 24 hours, at roughly 1.80 € per hour or 19.80 € for a full day. No entry fee for the beach itself.
Who it's for
For couples
The combination of a calm blue-water beach and a genuinely photogenic old town makes Villajoyosa an easy choice for couples who want more than just sand — an evening walk through the painted streets after a beach afternoon is hard to beat on this stretch of coast.
For families
Safe swimming, easy access by bus or tram, golden sand, and the Valor Chocolate Museum nearby make this a practical and genuinely enjoyable family day out — kids get the beach, parents get the paella, everyone gets the chocolate tasting.
Our take
Feet in the sand, eyes on the screen
Platja de Villajoyosa earns its place on the Costa Blanca not by being the longest or the flashiest beach, but by having genuine character behind it. The blue water is calm, the golden sand is well-kept, and the blue flag means the basics are consistently handled. What sets it apart is the old town — those painted houses aren't a backdrop, they're the whole point, and they're steps away. The Valor Chocolate Museum is a legitimately good afternoon activity, not just a tourist checkbox. Skip August if you can; June and September give you the same beach with room to breathe. This is a beach that rewards people who actually want to explore a town, not just lie on sand.
What to do
Just 0.1 km from the beach, Les Cases de Colors — the iconic row of painted houses — is worth a slow walk along the seafront wall. Head 0.5 km inland to explore the Old Town of Villajoyosa proper, where the colorful hanging houses are built directly into the old city walls. Two kilometres away, the Valor Chocolate Museum offers free tours and tastings of Spain's famous chocolate, which is reason enough to plan an afternoon around it. If you want to go deeper into local history, Vilamuseu at 1 km holds Phoenician jewelry and Roman artifacts that put the town's long past into sharp focus.
The painted facades of Les Cases de Colors just 0.1 km from the beach are the defining shot — frame them from the sand at golden hour for maximum color contrast.
The Old Town walls at 0.5 km offer a second angle, with the colorful hanging houses stacked above the seafront. Shoot the blue water and golden sand from the eastern end of the beach for a clean, uncluttered composition.
Where to eat
For rice dishes and paella right by the water, La Mar de Salat – Arroces y Paellas is just 0.2 km from the beach and the obvious first stop. Taverna Valenciana El Pòsit at 0.9 km leans into regional Valencian cooking, while Restaurant Hogar del Pescador at 1.1 km is the classic fisherman's-house option for fresh seafood. If you're willing to travel a little further, La Mejillonera in Benidorm (9.5 km) and La Cava Aragonesa (9.4 km) both carry strong reputations and high review volumes.
Where to stay
Gran Hotel Bali at 6.6 km is one of the tallest hotels in Europe and a solid mid-range anchor for the area, rated 4/5 across nearly 21,000 reviews. For something more upscale, Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa at 7.6 km (4.5/5) and Meliá Villaitana at 9.5 km (4.4/5) offer resort-style comfort within easy reach of the beach. Magic Robin Hood at 14.2 km is the quirky outlier — a themed castle hotel that works surprisingly well for families.
Photography
The best single shot on this beach is from the waterline looking back at the old town's painted facades — shoot in the soft light of early morning before the sun gets harsh and the foreground fills with swimmers. For a wider composition, the area around Les Cases de Colors (0.1 km) gives you the full sweep of colorful architecture against blue sky and golden sand.
Good to know
Always check the flag before you enter the water — green means safe, yellow means caution, red means stay out, and purple signals marine hazards like jellyfish. Rip currents and jellyfish are real Mediterranean risks here, so never ignore a yellow or red flag regardless of how calm the surface looks. August brings peak summer visitor numbers; if you want space on the sand and shorter queues everywhere in town, aim for June, early July, or September instead. The tram is genuinely the easiest option if you're staying anywhere along the Benidorm–Alicante corridor.
Map
Nearby places
La Mar de Salat - Arroces y Paellas
Restaurant "Hogar del Pescador"
Taverna Valenciana El Pòsit
Benidorm Palace
La Mejillonera, Restaurante Benidorm
Bar Mariano's
La Cartuja
La Cava Aragonesa
Magic Robin Hood
Gran Hotel Bali
Meliá Villaitana
Hotel Helios
Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa
Things to see around Villajoyosa
Valor Chocolate Museum
Free tours and tastings of Spain's famous chocolate.
Vilamuseu
Phoenician jewelry, Roman artifacts, ancient collections.
Old Town Villajoyosa
Colorful hanging houses on old city walls.
Frequently asked
The information on this page is provided for guidance only and may evolve. Access conditions, safety and infrastructure can change without notice. Always check official sources before traveling.
Nearest beaches
Other family beaches in Spain
Reviews of this beach
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Photo credits
Sources and licenses for the photos shown above.
- Photo 1 — po.psi.que · source · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Photo 2 — Carlos SGP · source · CC0 1.0
- Photo 3 — Diego Delso · source · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo 4 — brqxng · source · Public Domain








