A WEEKEND GETAWAY TO DÉNIA

After exploring Valencia by trying new restaurants, seeing flamenco shows, and experiencing the nightlife that never ends…my friends and I decided to get off the beaten path and get out of the city for a weekend. We settled on a trip to Dénia, a smaller, coastal town in the Alicante region about an hour and a half bus ride out of Valencia.

With bus tickets that were well-priced and a beautiful villa calling our name, we set out on a Friday afternoon. Even the bus ride itself was beautiful as we passed dry, rocky mountains and lush valleys with haciendas scattered throughout. I knew the trip would be good if Dénia looked anything like the countryside that welcomed us to it.

Once we arrived at the bus station, my friends and I went to the office where we could pick up our keys to our villa home. Though the sun was blazing down on us in the Spanish mid-afternoon heat, we couldn’t help but take a walk down to the pier. Boats from all around the world were waiting there, some being washed by workers and others waiting to be boarded. Still others just floated at the dock, seemingly taking a break after their long journeys from far-off places. Some of the most intriguing finds were the Lady Esther, a super yacht from Germany that is decades old and still running with the flag of the Maltese Navy trailing behind. We also saw a yacht all the way from Tuvalu (an island in the Pacific Ocean) and several smaller boats too.

After a short taxi ride, we made it to the villa and took in the sights and the fresh scent of the sea. The walls of the Bahia Azul were all whitewashed with the classic red-roof tiles of Spain, and we could see the beach and the Balearic Sea from where we stood outside our house.

We settled into the little villa house, cranking the AC and appreciating the ceramic tiles that lined the spiral staircase. Deciding to cook dinner for ourselves that night, we set out for the Consum, a grocery store about a fifteen-minute walk from our house. On our walk over we were struck by the beauty of the countryside, once again seeing the mountains and a valley of wild growth for miles around. A small house stood in the middle of a huge plot of land, palm trees also dotting the landscape. Walking along the side of a mostly quiet road, with the mountains and wildflowers to our right and the sea to our left, we knew we had chosen the perfect weekend getaway.

The next day, Saturday, we spent the morning enjoying our little home away from home before heading out to the beach. The playa itself was perfect, with hot, soft sand and warm water of the bay punctuated by cooler undercurrents that came in from the deeper parts of the sea. We spent more time in the water than out of it, floating in the saltiness and swimming out to the end of a rocky jetty to climb up and see the views. Even from hundreds of feet off the shore, the water was still shallow enough for all of us to stand. From the jetty, we could see the whole mountain range that surrounded the area; huge, steep, jagged mountains with little towns of white houses smattering the lower sections. It was truly surreal, especially for those of us who had rarely travelled away from the East Coast of the United States. Being mindful of the currents that got stronger the further out we swam, we passed at least an hour in the beautiful water.

At some point, someone suggested we check out our villa’s pool, so we headed back to the house from the beach to regroup before going to the pool. The pool water was cool and refreshing and so close to our house’s back door that we could take a couple steps and we were there. Lined with tropical flowers and palm trees, the pool stretched all across the inside of the villa in curvy shapes that all connected. Shallow ends and deep ends were all there, as well as ample space for everyone to lay out and get a tan.

For dinner, we walked to the nearby ‘La Cuina de Anna’, a restaurant that surprised us with the variety of dishes, like fideuà, paella, and croquettes in addition to chicken or beef burgers and salads. Not only was the food stupendous, especially after a long day at the pool and beach, but also the owners were very kind to us and helped us work out how to get to the bus station for our 9 am trip back to Valencia. At home, opening the windows to get the sea breezes in and spending our night playing card games, my friends and I felt like we had found the perfect place to escape the city for a weekend. For upmarket wining and dining by the docks and also with a boat hire service, check out the review for ‘Nomada’: https://247valencia.com/nomada-restaurant-prepares-for-the-summer-in-denia-with-its-new-seasonal-menu/

Over a thousand years old, Dénia Castle is definitely worth a visit too. Contact by phone 966420260 for more information and guided tours. The next morning, we packed up and left, hopping on our bus back to Valencia. Seeing the terrain once again I couldn’t help but appreciate all the natural beauty that this southeast part of Spain has to offer at every turn. I love the bustling excitement of Valencia, and now I know that the quieter towns just outside the city are also rife with new experiences and excitement, even if they look a little different to Valencia.

If you are interested in staying in the same villa we did, go to https://bahiaazulresort.es/

To check out La Cuina de Anna, follow their Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/la_cuina_de_anna/.

Report by Fiona Pacious