HBG

Gee, it's nice to hear of all those familiar places. You could be right, I've been away a while. I thought the sequence was Balcon al Mar, Costa Nova, Javea Park, Cala Blanca, the port and then the old town to the left.

No matter, you're right about the damp in the mountains, even if facing the sun. But the soft, whistling wind through the pine trees, every day, with blazing sun and little coves you could climb down to blew me away.

And I'd forgotten about Javea Park, full of English bars and junkies and those horrible blocks of flats, but the tennis club was just over the road and the beach on the other side. It reminds me of where I live now, and I don't even have a tennis club.

lynnxa

I live in Jávea port & would never want to live anywhere else - I can walk everywhere I want to go to on a daily basis, cycle to the other parts (Arenal & Old Town) if I want to

walk to the shops, beach, bars restaurants & cinema - dd2 takes the school bus but from sept will walk with her sis to school

Benitachell - I'm told the primary school is good

Cumbre del Sol - great views - great for hols but a long drive from everything

Moraira - a ghost town in winter

poolboy

I had a near miss buying a house on Balcon al Mar, spot on re the lack of sun (even in summer) so the wrong side of the urb & you will be miserable.

I'd rent for 3 months to get started as there may be lots of other things you hadn't considered, the age demographic may be one!

Good luck with the move & reading this forum should give you a good insight.

expat2be

Good luck with the move, I hope it all goes well! We hope to move to Javea in the not too distant future but have decided to delay things for a few years while the global economy situation works itself out and the kids get through school.

perdiu83

I would certainly recommend Benitachell as it has by far the best Spanish primary school in the area, and is only 10 minutes from Javea and the motorway junction.

It just depends what you want - near the beach, up a hill ( Cumbre), crazy night life (Javea Arenal) - choice is yours!

Chao

Perdiu 83

noelrosie

We know quite a few couples in Balcon al Mar ... friends of friends etc., but they are all aged 60+ and whenever we've visited, the only younger people about seem to be holidaymakers!

lynnxa

yes you're right - not many families with kids there for sure!

Mitzyboy

Got to admit, we have been to Javea quite a lot over the years ..... my Photography group is there now. Out of the whole area, I would side with lynnxa and say the port end is where I would choose if I lived there.

Nigeljay

The quote on Moraira is somewhat harsh. I find that Moriara, Javea and everywhere seems very quiet in the winter compared to the summer. I wouldn't have said that Moraira is any worse than Javea in that respect and we visit both frequently that time of year. Let me declare my bias in that our place is in Moraira as my wife preferred it to Javea when we were buying. Our kids are all grown however and I cannot comment on the schools although as has been mentioned elsewhere I hear very good things about the school in Benitachell which is only a ten minute drive from Moraira.

Mitzyboy

Sorry Nige, Javea (and Denia) is always quite busy to me, but obviously more so in the summer of course. Last I went to Moraira out of season I'm afraid it was closed That may be an unfair comment of course, but it's just my experience

Nigeljay

Can't comment on Denia as we don't go there much. However I stick to my comment on Javea vs. Moraira in winter. Now if you want busy, I'm always impressed at how Benidorm can be swarming with people even in mid Feb. Moraira remains open but the sidewalk bars and cafes aren't as well populated, particularly on cool days. Of course you have to factor in that Javea and Denia are larger towns than Moraira in the first place although Javea often doesn't come across that way because it is rather spread out and somewhat disjointed. i love the Cabo la Nao area. Unfortunately the Arenal has been a building site in one part or other since we came to the area in 2006.

By the way I hope the port area of Javea isn't spoiled by the removal of the cafe tables along the front due to the Ley de Costasrequirements. I haven't been since they reported that they were told to take them away. Are they still putting them out along there?

johnnyone

I'd like to know the answer to that as I shall not visit if that is the case.
If the ban is implemented it is an act of sheer stupidity on the part of the authorities.

macgirl

Hi Lilly!
Nobody mentioned one thing: your child will be teached in Valencian at the state school, not in Spanish.
If you need local shops and restaurants, you should live near the Arenal. Besides, the Arenal state school is the "less" valencianist of all.
Good luck!

macgirl

>>>I'd like to know the answer to that as I shall not visit if that is the case.

Instead, you can vote and try to change things. Less than a third of expats living in Javea are voting!!!

>>>If the ban is implemented it is an act of sheer stupidity on the part of the authorities.

Yes to both questions: it is stupidity and they removed all the tables.

lynnxa

it's a shame about the tables along the front - but I don't think it has spoiled anything - although the restaurant owners aren't too happy!

they are still allowed tables outside the restaurants - just not right at the water edge - so they have lost some, but not all of their outside seating

one bar did try to sneak them back afaik - but they were unceremoniously closed down by the police - only for a few hours, but the point was made

if anything - you can at least get to the benches without having to weave through tables - & you don't feel as if you have to buy a drink to sit on one!!

I stand by what I said about Moraira though- although I do love to visit, to me it does die in winter - which Jávea never does - although our first winter here in 2003 almost everything was closed - including the hotels - over the xmas period. They don't do that anymore, and haven't for several years.

I remember one fiesta weekend - it was either easter-ish or October-ish, so not dead of winter - we decided to drive over there for the day. All that was open were the bars right on the front (and not even all of them) - go back a street & every bar was shut!!!