What’s special about Dénia?
It’s not a rhetorical question. We spent 2 days visiting this town (the last town on our month-long exploration of the Alicante coast) and just didn’t feel it. It is by no means an unattractive town but we just didn’t see what makes Dénia such a popular place for both visitors and expats.
2 Days is not long and certainly not long enough to get to know a place in depth. So, I still want to understand “What’s special about Dénia?”
I asked people on our FB page and have also searched the internet. I’ll go more in detail on my impressions and will also tell you what other people say further down this post.
But for now, here are some photos and video taken over 3 days in Dénia.
Our Impressions of Dénia
It’s a pleasant and clean city with a quaint old town. Dénia’s most famous highlight is Dénia castle which, truth be told, is a bit uninspiring to visit. It is at its most impressive when viewed from the town and marina, these perspectives giving you an appreciation for its immensity. Unfortunately there’s just not much left of the castle so you don’t see much when visiting the grounds.
Otherwise: make sure to see Plaza de la Constitucion (home of the ayuntamiento and the main church), walk Marques de Campo (the pleasant pedestrianized main street), visit the Mercado Central, and stroll Calle Loreto where you’ll find a lot of restaurants and bars.
Adjacent to the city, the coast is dominated by a large marina. If you’re a boat enthusiast you might like that…personally I don’t like it. There are too many cities in Spain where access to nature is blocked by cement and parked boats.
Some of the cities beaches are located just north of the marina, a bit of a walk from the center of town. People say that the beaches are beautiful and sandy.
Overall, Dénia is a pleasant city and the locals are friendly. I would suggest though that it’s not the most exciting to visit. A stopover is fine, I don’t know if I’d recommend 2 nights as we did.
Where to stay in Dénia? We stayed in this apartment. Gorgeous, modern apartment, super comfortable. By far the best apartment we had on our month-long trip.
Comments on Dénia from our FB page
Jan: Lack of public transportation is frustrating here. However if you live in town you can get everywhere by walking. Yes expats. But also many Spanish. Probably a bit more expensive than places farther from ocean. I have been fortunate to find a group of American friends and also a group of Spanish friends. But I speak Spanish. There is always some fiesta or gastronomy event going on. I love living by the water, but I’m not a lie on the beach type person.
Donna: Here are my thoughts: Second visit to Denia. First back 15 years ago for a day trip and fell in love with it. In 2023, I returned. I stayed for one month in the off season. 1 week in town and 3 weeks on the beach. There are lots of restaurants and cafes. Found it pricey and not very Spanish except in the old fishing village area. The beach isn’t groomed and there are no public washrooms on the beach in low season. Unless you have a bike or car, public transportation is poor. If you are looking for a traditional Spanish location, I would steer clear, but if you want English speaking expats, you are good. The beach is sandy and safe and shallow for children. It is basically flat. The yacht club is nice to wander through and you can grab the ferry to Ibiza here.
Sonia: I’ve lived inland from Denia in Pego and I now live next door in Javea. Denia is a working Spanish town. It does have expats but that’s what gives it lots of social activities for us. We have a U3A which has everything from walking groups, sports groups, art clubs, book clubs, Spanish classes and more. If you are someone that likes to keep busy and wants to join in this location is ideal. Or if you’re new it’s a way to meet people. However it is expensive to buy and very difficult to get rentals, also because of the number of expats here and in Javea there are lots of charities. So you can volunteer, work in the shops, fundraise, walk dogs help out with horses and so on.. Downside public transport is awful.
PS. I can confirm that public transport is bad. No problems on the tram from Calpe (although the L9 only comes by once an hour). But taking the bus on to Valencia brought back memories of living in Nerja: a late bus, crowded because it originated elsewhere, and late in arriving in Valencia. Just not good.
Different perspectives on Dénia:
I found this post where the writer is quite taken with Dénia: Our Top 7 Reasons for Living in Denia, Spain as an Expat.
I thought this post also described Dénia well: Location Guide: Is Denia The Best Place to Live in Spain?
As you see, some people love Dénia and cite the sense of community, the marina (especially if you have an affinity for boating), and a reputation as a culinary destination. For them Dénia is special.
So what’s your opinion on Dénia?
Related: Visiting the beautiful town of Guadalest
Related: Is Calpe worth Visiting? And Impressions…
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