Rafol de Almunia - The Old Church and the Town Hall
The town of Rafol de Almunia is a quiet but extremely friendly little inland town. One of our favourite restaurants is located in Rafol de Almunia by the side of the municipal sports grounds where there is excellent tennis courts and a huge swimming pool. The restaurant, called "The Piscina" ( The Swimming Pool"), serves typical Spanish food. The ladies who run the restaurant are very welcoming and the food is out of this world, but the cost is not. For a 4 course meal with a half bottle of wine and coffee it will set you back €8.50 gas at Aug. 2012)..
Pego - The Main Square
Pego is probably our most visited town. It is much larger than Rafol de Almunia and is about 10 minutes from our villa by car. The picture shows the main square in Pego where the Municipality building is located. Sitting in one of the two cafe's in the square by the fountain with the old Church in the background is one of the best places to be early in the morning or in the cool of the evening.
Pego has a host of supermarkets (including Aldi, and Lidl is close by), shops and restaurants of all types, and boasts a good market on a Thursday morning where you can buy fresh fruit and vegitables as well as all sorts of household goods and clothes.
Pego has a host of supermarkets (including Aldi, and Lidl is close by), shops and restaurants of all types, and boasts a good market on a Thursday morning where you can buy fresh fruit and vegitables as well as all sorts of household goods and clothes.
Pego - 3 Kings Parade
Although these days the majority of Spain celebrates Christmas with a special family meal, January 6th and the 3 Kings Parade or dia de Los Reyes in Spanish - is virtually as important as Christmas itself in Spain, especially for the children, as this is the days they get their presents. The fun start on the evening of 5th January (12th night) with the 3 Kings (Melchor, Gaspar and Balthasar) leading a procession through the streets with bands playing and floats laden with presents and helpers throwing sweets for the children. The 3 Kings make their way to the upstairs balcony of the Town Hall in Pego and then they throw presents to the eagerly waiting children down below in the main square. This is a fun evening for everyone in the Town, not just for the children. Then next morning at home, the children wake up to find their presents have been left overnight by the 3 Kings.
Denia - Popular Street for Shopping and Enjoying a Coffee
This is the street called Marcos de Campo, which is one of the most popular streets in Denia where you can enjoy a coffee and tostado (toasted baguette with your choice of topping) by the side of the road and watch the world go by. The Port of Denia is a matter of minutes from this street where you can take a trip to some of the other coastal resorts or catch a fast ferry to both Ibiza and Majorca. Denia's markets are held on a Friday morning for fresh fruit and vegetables and a non-food market on a Monday morning.
Denia Marina
This is Denia Marina. There are two marinas in Denia and this picture shows the larger and newer of the two. The area has many bars and restaurants available to suit all pockets and are all open to the general public. This is a lovely area to have a walk in the mornings and stop for a coffee or a stroll in the evening. Walk along the walkway that stretches out to sea and the mouth of the harbour, to be followed by a refreshing cocktail relaxing by the side of the yachts.
Denia Beach
This one of the two major beaches in Denia looking towards the famous Montgo Mountain, which is popular with trekkers and hill walkers as it is located in and surrounded by a natural park. You can reach Denia beach from Monte Pego in less than 20 minutes drive.
Javea - The Old Town in Javea
Javea is a fairly large town about 25 minutes drive from Monte Pego. The town is split into three distinct areas; the Port with it's own Marina, the Old Town with historic townhouses and shops and thirdly, the Arenal, which is the sandy beach location. There are loads of shops and restaurants and the local cinema shows movies in English around 3 times per week. Javea has a weekly market on a Thursday which is located in the Old Town and offers fantastic fresh produce alongside clothes, shoes and handbags together with everything for the home you could wish for.
The Arenal Beach in Javea
The Arenal Beach in Javea is very popular with families. It is situated in a lovely bay with restaurants, ice cream shops, cafe's and bars along the wide prom. On the street leading from and behind the promenade where you can shop till you drop.
Oliva - Local Village
Oliva stretches for quite a distance and has a sandy beach which is frequented by wind surfers and other water sports enthusiasts. From Monte Pego, you can reach the Oliva beaches in approximately 30 minutes. Oliva is home to the Oliva Nova Golf Course and sports facility and is home to the Monte Pego Golf Society. Oliva holds a market on Friday each week which has a large fruit and vegetables section, together with clothing and household goods.
Oliva - Oliva Nova Beach
This is one of the many beaches on this stretch of the shoreline and is very popular for water sports. The closer you are to the small town of Els Poblets (which is our closest beach, about 15 minutes by car), the quieter the beach resorts become but there is still a wide choice of excellent bars, coffee shops and restaurants.
El Verger (sometimes known as El Vergel)
El Verger is a small but friendly town about 10 minutes from Monte Pego and links with Ondara. El Verger has the best resaurant for chicken in the area called BB's, but more commonly known as the Chicken Shack . They sell roast chicken to die for and the 'T' Bone steak........I've never seen anything so big. Around the outskirts of the village there are many restaurants and do it yourself stores. There's is also a small weekly market held on a Friday morning.
El Verger - Moors & Christians Fiesta
Almost 150 celebrations of Moors and Christians take place over the length and breadth of Spain. The origins lie in the battles following the re-conquest in the 16th and 17th century. Groups of "Moors and Christians" drove through town, accompanied by noisy bands,. A "battle" ensued with skirmishes and dances, ending with the triumph of the followers of the Cross, who surround the Moors and defeat them. Then it's conversion or death for the Moors, and finally homage to the Patron Saint of the Town. All this goes on amidst the noise of fireworks and the ringing of bells. This photo shows part of the procession in the local Town of El Verger which takes place annually in August.
Ondara
The small town of Ondara boasts one of the oldest bull rings in Spain. As well as being the location where the Portal de La Marina (the new shopping center) lies, it is also home to one of the best tapas restaurants in the area and ha a small weekly market on a Tuesday morning.