Playa de la Granadella: a practical guide to Javea's famous cove

Granadella is a 160 metre pebble cove wedged between pine covered cliffs, a ten minute drive south of Javea. The water is the clearest I know on this coast, the beach flies a Blue Flag, and Spanish media keep voting it one of the best beaches in the country. That fame comes with a catch: in summer, getting in is the hard part. This guide covers both the beauty and the logistics.

What Granadella actually is

Forget sand: Granadella is smooth white pebbles that slope quickly into deep, glass clear water. The cove is small, about 160 metres wide, closed in on both sides by rocky points that keep the water calm on most days. That combination of pebbles and rock is exactly why the water stays so clear: there is no sand to churn up.

Facilities are deliberately basic. There are showers, kayak and snorkel rental in season, and two beach restaurants. No promenade, no shops, no hotels. The pine forest behind the cove is a protected area, which is why Granadella still looks the way it does on postcards.

Snorkelling and kayaking: the main event

Granadella is the best snorkelling spot in Javea. Swim along the rocks on either side of the cove and you float over seagrass meadows, shoals of saddled seabream and the occasional octopus. Bring your own mask if you can; rentals run out on busy days. If you want to know where else that works: our guide to snorkelling and diving in the Marina Alta lists the coves from Dénia to Moraira.

The classic outing is a kayak trip along the cliffs to the sea caves south of the cove, including the Cova del Llop Marí, a cave you can paddle into when the sea is calm. Rentals at the beach work fine for this; count on two to three hours for the round trip and go in the morning, before the wind picks up.

The summer access rule: come early or do not come by car

The road down to Granadella is a single narrow lane, and parking at the bottom holds only a modest number of cars. In July and August the access road closes as soon as the parking fills, and that regularly happens before ten in the morning. After that, the barrier stays down until enough cars leave.

Three ways around it: arrive before half past nine, come after five in the afternoon when the day crowd drains away and the light turns golden, or skip the car entirely. Outside high season the problem disappears; a sunny October Tuesday gives you the cove almost to yourself.

The walk to the fort: the view that sells Javea

From the parking area a marked path climbs through the pines to the ruins of the Castell de la Granadella, an eighteenth century coastal fort built to keep pirates out of the bay. The fort itself is a shell, but the clifftop view over the cove and the open sea is the best free viewpoint in Javea. Count on 45 minutes up and down, wear real shoes, and take water: there is no shade on the last stretch. That path is part of the PR-CV 354, the demanding circular that starts here; the route with distances and times is in our guide to walking in Jávea. How this bay compares with the other seven in the municipality is in our overview of the beaches and coves of Jávea.

Eating, and three practical notes

The two restaurants at the beach trade on their location and know it, but sitting above that water with a cold drink and a plate of fish is worth the premium once. Book ahead in summer or eat early. The budget alternative: picnic on the pebbles, then coffee at the restaurant.

Three things people wish they had known: pebbles are hard on feet, so bring water shoes; there is no natural shade on the beach itself, so a parasol earns its space in the car; and the cove faces east, meaning morning sun and afternoon shade creeping in from the cliffs.

Granadella is one of many: our guide to the most beautiful beaches of the Costa Blanca puts it in context, and after the beach, the restaurants of Javea are ten minutes away.

About the authorMilo Schuijt

Milo Schuijt is an entrepreneur and DJ on the Costa Blanca. He writes about the places where he lives, works and plays: from beach bars to the housing market.