Just outside the small fishing village of Javea - located a few kilometers south of the more famous coastal town of Dénia on the Costa Blanca - is a small sandy beach with pebbles.
In this bay, locals have been fishing sardines for centuries - hence the name Cala Sardinera. Large nets were lowered mornings and evenings.
Soft sand and limestone has been rounded and eroded by waves over time.
The tour starts at mirador Creu de Portixol. Here is the sign for the Cap Prim viewpoint, which is at the extreme end of a promontory, and to Cala Barraca.
To get to Cala Sardinera, follow the signs for Cap Prim. It is worth the trouble to go to Cap Prim first. Here you will experience Spanish rock nature at its best.
The path is well organized with stairs and steps so it is easy to walk.
Unsafe view areas are secured with handrails.
When you come to a new sign on a small plateau, you see Cala Sardinera on the left. There is a path to Cala Sardinera going from here. But rather head to Cap Prim first.
On the way back you get a nice overview of Cala Sardinera and the beautiful luxury homes at the top of the cliff above the bay.
Here you also have a nice view of the protected natural park with the Montgo mountain (753 m) which from the side resembles the head of an elephant and is therefore also called the elephant mountain.
When you have been to Cala Sardinera, you should also visit Cala Barraca which is one kilometer away.
The road starts at the same starting point as the route to Cala Sardinera, but goes right instead of left.
Here you go through a small forest before you reach the water.
On the way down you get a view of the cliffs of Cala Sardinera from the other side.
As you approach the water, you see a cluster of white Mediterranean houses that cling to the steep slope down to the sea from the cliff.
Down by the sea there is a great beach and a nice restaurant that is worth visiting.
The beach is of high quality and was spacious in November, but is hardly that in the high season.
Excursion of the week: Cala Sardinera and Cala Barraca
Suitable for: Everybody. Not suitable for stroller or wheelchair.
Duration: The tour is just 1 kilometer to Cala Sardinera and 0.7 km to Cala Barraca, so it takes no more than 10-15 minutes to walk to each of these places.
Get there: Drive N-332 or AP-7 from Benidorm towards Dénia. Take off to Xábia or Javea just before you reach Dénia. Then use Goggle Maps and search for: Acceso a playa del Portichol. Here you can park the car along the road just off a vantage point (mirador) in a relatively tight turn.