Villajoyosa On The Costa Blanca Is Not Far From Our Apartment In Guardamar
The name Villajoyosa means "joyful or happy town". Villajoyosa is situated at the mouth of the River Sella on the Costa Blanca and is the main town of the La Marina region.
Villajoyosa is much older than Benidorm and it is said that the local think that it is close enough to Benidorm whilst being far enough away!
In this region you will find olive, carob and almond trees, as well as a number of palms, pines and prickly pears. Tomato plantations have now largely replaced the considerable number of vines that used to be prevalent in the area.
Villajoyosa, like many of the other east coast towns, was subjected to attacks by the Barbary Coast Pirates. According to legend and possibly a little history, on the 29th of July 1538 36 boats carrying Algerians arrived to ransack the town but the inhabitants were able to fight them off thanks to the intercession of Saint Martha. Since that day, she has been the towns Patron Saint a fact which is commemorated with the regular re-enactment of the landing of the Moors.
In addition to tourism, Villajoyosa is the home of both chocolate-makers and fishermen, a strange combination but both of which are deeply rooted in Villajoyosa's history.
The original and older part of Villajoyosa has been declared an historic monument and there are still various bridges remaining from the time of the Romans.
The church of Villajoyosa is a Gothic building with renaissance doorways, although these have been somewhat changed by Neo-classical alterations carried out in the 18th century.
If you are not interested by the history of Villajoyosa you are sure to be interested by the beaches, they are typical of the sort of beaches you would expect from the Costa Blanca. Villajoyosa has a vivid daily fish market that starts at around 5pm, it is definitely worth a visit especially during the summer. In addition to the sometimes crowded fish market, Villajoyosa's old town centre and it's promenade invite visitors to relax and have a nice coffee or a meal in one of the restaurants and bars around.
