Denia, a small town on the Costa Blanca in Spain, isn’t as visited by tourists staying in Alicante and Benidorm as it should be. Easy to get to by train direct from Alicante and Benidorm, Denia is a gorgeous little town of around 30,000 inhabitants, with lots of fun things to see and do.
Spend a Day on One of Denia’s Beaches – Every year, Denia is one of the Costa Blanca towns that receives the European Union Blue Flag, for having some of the best and cleanest beaches in Europe. Sunbathe, swim or sail from one of Denia’s beaches. You’ll have a great day out here.
Denia’s Castle – Another fun thing to do in Denia is to visit the town’s castle. It dates back to the 11th and 12th centuries, with additions added onto it in the 15th century. Today, although some of the castle was destroyed during the Spanish War of Succession, it’s still a wonderful place to visit to admire the architecture, visit the castle’s museum and to see the stunning views out over Denia’s coastline. It’s also easily accessible from the center of town.
Denia’s castle is open every day, although opening times vary depending on the time of the year. Admission fee is currently 3 € for adults, 2 € for pensioners and 1 € for children over the age of 8 years old.
Toy Museum – Denia has a lovely, if small, Toy Museum which showcases all the dolls the town was once famous for producing. Many of the toys are of the old wooden or metal variety from the early 20th century, with a gorgeous selection of dolls from the 1930s to the 1960s.
The Toy Museum in Denia is open every day, but just mornings. The entrance is free though, so it’s a great way to spend an hour, admiring all the work that went into these amazing toys.
You’ll find the museum in the old train station building on Calderon Street. It’s now an art center, with the Toy Museum located upstairs on the first floor.
Hike in Mount Montgó Natural Park – Located just a few minutes outside Denia, the Mount Montgó Natural Park is absolutely gorgeous. Plus, not only will you see an amazing display of protected flora and fauna, but a huge variety of birds as well.
Look for owls, ravens and eagles or, for sightings of the animal variety, you may well see badgers, genets and rabbits. Don’t forget your camera either, as you’ll get some beautiful photos on the signed hiking trails.
For more information, check out the park’s website.
Denia’s Food – One of the cutest town’s for cafes, restaurants and bars, you’ll find a great number of excellent choices here, whether you’re looking for a quick cafe con leche, an apple pie or cake snack, a casual lunch, or a full four-course meal. Many of Denia’s cafes and restaurants also have sidewalk cafes, which are simply lovely, especially when the weather is nice.
We highly recommend Restaurante No. 11 on the main street. On our last trip to Denia, it was one of the nicest cafes we ate at, and the staff was lovely. But we knew it must be good before we even ate there, as every time we walked by the window it was packed with happy looking customers.