Xabia is a coastal town located in the comarca of Marina Alta, in the province of Alicante, Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. Situated behind a wide bay and sheltered between two rocky headlands, the town has become a very popular small seaside resort and market town. Flat agricultural land stretches for miles inland, cut by small streams and used primarily for growing citrus & olive trees. The Natural Park of Montgo was declared in 1987, dominated by the 753 m peak of Montgo, the second-highest peak so close to the sea in the whole Mediterranean. The park stretches across the area of La Plana to the Cape of Saint Antoni.
Xabia is protected from harsh winter winds of the north by the massif of Montgó (753 m / 2,471 ft) and it enjoys a unique micro-climate that the World Health Organisation named as one of the healthiest in the world.[1] There are more recorded hours of sunshine per year in Xabia than in any other place in Spain, making it a popular destination for Northern Europeans during the cold winter months.
Since the 1970s Jávea / Xabia has become a popular place for affluent northern European expatriates to purchase retirement villas and the town has a very active and contentious property industry. Around 12,000 British people now live in the area, as well as many Germans and some Dutch. The British have brought with them their traditional zeal for voluntary & charitable work, and they run or support many local charitable causes. In 2003 two Brits Tony Cabban (since resigned ) and Amanda Dean were elected to the local council. The town's population is now around 28,500; but this is greatly swelled to over 100,000 by the annual influx of summer tourists, with Spanish tourists predominating at the height of August.
Since 2000, Xabia's infrastructure has been undergoing significant expansion and improvement work, but the local government has successfully restricted the height and types of new buildings and thus helping to retain as much of the town's character as possible. Many new estates of villas have been built in the wooded hills around the bay whilst many apartment complexes are being constructed along the coastal strip between the port and the Arenal. The plain remains largely untouched and the groves still produce many tonnes of oranges each year.
Xabia / Jávea has good road connections to regional capitals and both Alicante and Valencia airports are just over an hour's drive away. There are regular and direct coach links to both Alicante and Valencia as well as a daily service to Madrid. The nearest rail station is at Gata de Gorgos, about 10 km inland, with a regular service to Alicante.
The town can be split into three distinct areas: the old town, the port and the Arenal.
