Just over an hours tram ride from Benidorm

With the bright lights, cheap beer and alluring beaches of Benidorm, the coastal resort of Denia looms in the shadow of its more popular cousin. However, 80 minutes north up the Costa Blanca lies this hidden gem laden with cultural delights. Being a Londoner, I expected the price of a 80 minute ride on a state-of-the-art, fully air-coned tram to exceed my budget for both dinner AND a night on the town, but was shocked when the price for two of us to get there and back didn´t even top 10 euros - we got on in Altea a little further down the line from Benidorm.

Plenty of street cafes like in Benidorm

Upon arrival, having never been there before, we ventured to the tourist office to find a map and a list of things to do according to the locals. Armed with both of these, we set out to begin our adventure. Meandering a few roads down from the tourist office, we found ourselves on the main road going through Denia- Marques De Campo. The road itself is an oasis- sheltered from the sun by huge trees which rustle in the occasional sea breeze coming from the marina. The pavements are lined with tables from the various bars, cafes and restaurants of which a majority have free wifi - where we made a quick pit-stop at a bakery (the chocolate croissants well and truly seduced me)

We continued towards the castle which is brilliantly sign-posted, with pictures of the castle and arrows above street signs. As you would expect with any well thought out castle, the Denia castle was at the top of a very steep hill with more steps than Covent Garden tube station. The sweltering heat made the incline seem never ending, and didn't help by the fact that what little water I had left was now at a mellow above-room temperature!

Spectacular views on a par with the Mirador

Having finally reached the very top (make sure that you wear fairly sensible shoes as it is rather uneven), the views over Denia marina and the Mediterranean were spectacular. They reminded me of the views attained from the Mirador in Benidorm, where you see both the Levante and Poniente from one spot. Not detracting from the awe of the castle itself, it is incredible how a structure dating back to the Roman Empire is still standing today (albeit only slightly in places).

 

Asides from the castle, there is also a museum included in the 3 euro entry cost. The air conditioned room came as a very welcome relief and allowed a lot of time to look over all of the artifacts. Despite not being able to read Valenciano, the picture diagrams explaining various objects left me with a new breadth of knowledge of 11th century pottery and ceramics.

Like Tapas Alley restaurant wise

With the castle closing at half past one for siesta (it reopens at five), we took the long and winding path back down to street level in search of lunch, stopping on the way to take a few more holiday snaps of our beautiful surroundings. The roads facing the marina are lined with more restaurants than you can count, and as well as the typical menu of the day places, there are also pizza restaurants and sushi bars, as well as a selection of normal bars if you just want to sit back and take in the view. Sticking to the theme of full-on Spanish culture, we went for a mixed paella which had in it chicken, pork, clams, muscles, baby octopus and squid, and was absolutely delicious.

Plenty of bars along the beach

Following lunch, we took a stroll around the marina to see what was on the other side. While on the marina side there is a rather swanky white-clad bar, backing onto this is a small beach and the most fabulous boho inspired beach bar, complete with beach beds and DJ. We stopped for a drink and a rest (sight seeing and eating is hard work!) and admired the array of water sports in front of us. As it turns out, the positioning of this little beach and its deep waters next to the harbor make it the perfect location for kite surfing if you are that way inclined- if not the cocktails are equally delicious as the view before you.

Well recommended day trip from Benidorm

Having taken full advantage of the fact that I didn't have to drive back from Denia, we meandered back to the train station which was only 10 minutes from where we had ended up. All in all, our day trip to Denia was wonderful and I would definitely recommend it. Whether you are looking for a bit of culture, a different drinking venue, or a day of kite surfing, Denia is well worth a visit while you are in this part of the world.