Living in Jávea or what life is like for a resident who was a once a holiday maker.
Have you ever wondered what it is like to live in Jávea? We chatted with four people from the team of Jessica Bataille The Lifestyle Company who were once visitors and who now live in this corner of the Mediterranean where until the low season arrives, feels just like being on one long holiday.
Living in Jávea all year round is possible. We interviewed four people who used to spend the summer in this paradise and now enjoy it 12 months of the year.
Sanne van der Linden, Daniel Garrido, Nacho Piera and Axel Lundberg discovered Jávea in very different ways. And a few years later, they back came to stay. We spoke with them to find out about their experiences. What is it like to live in Jávea all year round?
Jávea: first sensations
“I encounted Jávea in 2017, although I had never heard of it previously. I was on holiday with my family in Denia and one day we drove down the Cuesta de San Antonio and saw the bay of Jávea. It was love at first sight. The green slopes, the flowers, the rustic houses and the impressive Montgó with the sea right next to it… I fell in love!”. Sanne van der Linden (our Magic Manager) is from Amsterdam, but her dream had always been to live in a warm country close to the sea. In July 2019 she moved to Jávea with her partner and their two children. “I feel very lucky and grateful to be able to live here now.”
Daniel Garrido (The Stay Residences Manager) is from Linares (Jaén) and after several international adventures in the United States and Turkey came to live in Jávea for family reasons, without previously visiting the area. “I’d been told wonderful things and I had seen many photos and read about the town. As the minutes and days went by I discovered new corners, and Jávea got me completely hooked”.
Nacho Piera, our Graphic Designer and Illustrator is from Valencia but his parents spent the summers in Jávea since they were little. “Since I was born we have not missed a summer here and I always wished for August to come so we could to go to Jávea, to spend the day at La Granadella or Moraig with my family and friends. I also remember going to catch crabs on the beach. I spent the mornings in the rocks with a net, but I was terrible at ir. As a teenager I also enjoyed coming with my group of friends from all over Spain”.
Axel Lundberg, Content Creator and Community Manager also from Valencia sums it up in a single sentence: “Jávea has its own magic and the power to attract anyone”.
Jávea in low season
Most travelers know Jávea in the warmer months, in spring and summer, but during the year it also offers a multitude of activities to enjoy the Mediterranean, such as the calm of January, perfect for paddle surf and sailing or the luxury to be able to eat sea urchins from controlled fishing in the colder months.
The best of winter in Jávea? They all agree: tranquility. Sanne, for example loves to go to Cala Granadella in the less touristy months. “Being alone on this beach is magical”.
What to do in Jávea when the tourists leave
Nacho and Axel agree surfing. “In winter, when the water is cold, storms come in and only ten of us are in the water.” Nacho also likes to go to watch the sunset at one of the lookouts, dive in Cala Blanca or Portitxol or go to coves in the autumn, when they are completely empty and the temperature still allows you to bath. Axel finishes with a plan for nature, “walking trails in the forest areas around Jávea, in the Montgó Natural Park is also a privilege”.
Daniel’s list is a long as it appetizing: “read or listen to music near the sea at sunset when it is calm, go to the municipal market to buy local produce, the fish market or to a producer directly, eat in the beach bars with the family after an intense morning on the beach, view the coves from the sea and if it is possible, snorkel or kayak or stroll through the old town at night with its warm lighting and charm”.
Jávea: that place to stay
“When I sometimes go to Valencia at the weekend, 15 minutes after seeing the streets full of cars and traffic lights, I remember why I like being in Jávea so much. For me it has always been the place where I feel a lot of joy and excitement when I arrive and some sadness when I leave. I am learning a lot about Jávea in the workplace because I have a job that gives me many opportunities. It is also still that place that I want to return to whenever I am away. It is one of my favorite places to surf, where I live very calmly, at my own pace and where I enjoy the sea like a big kid whenever I like”.
For Sanne, Jávea is her weakness: “it is my paradise, where I feel at home. It is the place where I want my children to grow up, where I want to create memories with them. I’ve always wanted to travel, but now i just want to be in Jávea”. And Daniel agrees, “Jávea is home. I believe that a person should never feel chained to a city or town, but should have a place as a base. I have created a family here and I don’t think there can be many better places to do it.”.
