Our Top 7 Reasons for Living in Denia, Spain as an Expat
We truly don’t mean to brag, but we can’t say enough great things about living in Denia as expats. It’s been four years since we moved to Spain and three years since we first discovered this hidden gem just south of the vibrant city of Valencia.
Why did we decide to call it home? It practically checked off all the desires we had on our list for where we wanted to settle in Spain.
We have a feeling that your own criteria for your expat home base may be similar to ours, or might give you ideas of what to look for. So here are our top seven reasons for living in Denia as an expat.
#1 – Living in Denia is Authentically Spanish
Above Image – Eric cooking on the ‘barbecoa’ at the first home we had in Denia.
A lot of Mediterranean beach towns in Spain have been overrun by expats in such a way that it’s not even like being in Spain anymore. Urbanizaciones (or what us Americans like to call suburbs) have popped up like weeds in many areas. In these foreign mini-me’s you won’t hear a lick of Spanish spoken, can eat fish and chips, and may hardly interact with the locals. Or some places have had the entire town transformed into a free-for-all for drunk tourists, such as the renowned Benidorm.
Denia, on the other hand, is what we love to call authentically Spanish. For that matter, you could say it’s also authentically Valencian because let us not forget, the region of Valencia that it is in has its own strongly distinct culture and even its own language.
Above Image – Falleras and Falleros wait at the foot of the castle during the annual Fallas Festival.
There are traditional Spanish styles of architecture, local cuisine, and traditional festivals and ways of life that are still being preserved and enjoyed today. Local businesses, many of them here for generations, are supported and encouraged. There are also no large hotel chains or tall skyscrapers that fence in views of the sea.
Over time, we’re seeing that the town is doing a lot to maintain this authenticity, fostering conscious and sustainable tourism, and not allowing for over-development.
#2 – Denia is a Year-Round Town
Above Image – Every year on January 5th is the parade for Three Kings Day.
This is one of the biggest questions we get from people considering moving to Denia. A lot of the beach towns in this area are dead in the winter. And we know – we lived in the nearby tiny village of Xeraco for six months during our first winter living in Spain. While we had a great house right on the beach, it was seriously like the film set of an apocalyptic movie (you know, where no one is left on Earth, not even zombies). Okay, maybe that’s a bit exaggerated, but you get what we mean.
In Denia, however, the town is thriving all year round. Some businesses will of course still close in the winter for their holiday, but it’s usually only 2 – 4 weeks at the most and in February. Either way, there’s still plenty going on for locals in the winter. There’s still dinner shows at the local Condado Theater, live music at restaurants, and activities hosted by international groups and great language classes.
Above Image – Even in the refreshingly cooler weather of winter, people still get out in Denia, especially to walk along the beautiful Las Rotas beach and hang out at Helios.
What’s really great is that living in Denia during the winter gives you the opportunity to really feel like a local. If you’re like us and most other expats here, you’ll come to love it and have this feeling like the town and its locals are all your’s again after the influx of summer tourists have left. We also feel like Denia is not too big and not too small, which is a lot coming from us city-lovers who moved from downtown Denver and later downtown Valencia.
#3 – A Castle by the Sea
Okay! This was actually one of the biggest wishes on our list. We really wanted to live in a Spanish Mediterranean town that had a castle right on the sea. After all, we’re living in Spain, the land of more castles than westernized shopping malls (thank god). Why not enjoy having a local castle in your everyday life?
Denia’s 11th-century castle is in the heart of its historic old town, and at the edge of where the town meets the sea. Sitting romantically on top of a small hill, it’s surrounded by the old, colorful row homes and fisherman quarters of ages past. You can tour the castle, walking its ancient terraces, stone walls, and climbing up into Moorish towers.
At the top is the Archeological Museum of Denia, which we definitely recommend visiting. It’s located in what was the governor’s palace and included in the castle entry fee of €3 (for adults). Denia’s castle is also handicap accessible and is a fantastic spot for enjoying a picnic or a drink and snacks at the little cafe located at the top.
Insider Expat Tip: Once you get your residency and have your NIE card showing your Denia address, you can get into the castle for free.
No matter where you wander on the castle grounds, there are gorgeous views in every direction. You can gaze at the turquoise waters of the sea, the beaches along the coastline, the town, and the impressive mountains inland. But make sure to especially admire Denia’s beloved and closest mountain, El Montgo.
#4 – Denia has Two Marinas
Above Image – Enjoying a ‘rosado’ at the Marina el Portet.
The lure of the Mediterranean Sea was key in our expat home search. Of course, we also wanted to be walking distance to a great beach (and we got three in Denia). But that’s usually a given when you have a marina, so we didn’t list that reason here.
Both of us love this part of the world and want to sail more. This means that a good marina was top of our list. Not only does Denia come with a marina; it comes with two marinas. Double the sailboats and double the sailing lifestyle.
There’s the Marina el Portet, which is the worldwide headquarters of the Balearia Ferry company. From here you can get ferry rides to that bohemian island icon of Ibiza and the other enticing Balearic Islands.
Above Image – The Marina de Denia.
At the other end of town (which is easy walking distance) is the Marina de Denia, which is the main marina and considered to be the more upscale, yet more expensive for slipping your boat. On your way there, make sure to also stroll through the Real Club Nautico of Denia, which has a restaurant, an indoor pool and gym, and a great year-round chiringuito (beach bar) next to some of the boat slips.
Not into sailing or boats? No biggie. You can still enjoy both marinas for great dining at several delicious restaurants featuring local cuisine. Or enjoy a stunning sunset from one of the bars on the seawall while sipping on a tinto de verano (what Spaniards actually drink in summer instead of Sangria). Between the restaurants, bars, and boutique shops, Denia’s two marinas provide a great time in a stunning setting with views of the castle and the mountain Montgo.
# 5 – Denia’s Epic Culture of Gastronomy
Probably one of the best-kept secrets in all of Spain is that Denia is designated by UNESCO as a Creative City of Gastronomy. Getting to be a part of this network of cities worldwide isn’t available to just any town. Denia has a rich culinary heritage and continues to pair it creatively with the innovation of gastronomy today.
This means that the traditional recipes from generations past are not only being preserved and savored, but also shared with the world. What does this mean for you? There are so many restaurants in Denia that eating at a different one each day would take you over a year. Another great reason for living in Denia. You need time to go restaurant-hopping. And if you’re a foodie, you’ll be right at home with 3-starred Michelin restaurant Quique Dacosta and up-and-coming, innovative restaurant Aticcook.
Above Image – The annual cooking competition of the Gamba Roja de Denia takes place in the winter.
Here, the traditional Spanish and Valencian cuisines are enjoyed in very traditional ways, new creative ways, and alongside influences and dishes from other parts of the world. You’ll quickly experience that food here is a big part of everything that goes on.
Everyday life will involve shopping fresh, local produce at the weekly Friday market held outside by the Mercado Central, and taking home freshly baked bread and mouth-watering pastries from any of the artisan bakeries still owned by local families.
Like all places in Spain, Denia also loves its fiestas and has several centered on gastronomy, like the annual Gamba Roja Competition and the newer DNA Gastronomy Festival that takes place each September (update as of May 10, 2022 that the DNA festival is no longer being carried out).
Read More: Denia, A Hidden Gem Among Gastronomy Destinations in Spain
#6 – Quality of Life & Affordability
Above Image – The view from our current home in Denia (and views of the sea are just to the left).
Here in Denia, the two go hand in hand – the quality of life is superb, also because it is so affordable (shockingly so for many of us expats from the US).
Compared to similar towns further south along the popular Costa del Sol, or north in the Costa Brava, Denia is less expensive when it comes to practically all costs of living. Actually, this is the case regarding most of Spain, especially the larger cities like Madrid and Barcelona.
Above Image – Dinner on our terrace made with all local ingredients (except the hot sauce).
We’re talking primarily about housing costs, groceries, and dining out. Yet even utilities and transportation are still about half the cost or less than their equivalent in the US, for example where we were from in Denver, Colorado. Even organic foods and natural products are more affordable here, services and renowned healthcare.
Overall, you can be living in Denia very comfortably, as a couple, for around €3000 a month. Depending of course on what your lifestyle is and how much you like to shop (Denia has some great shopping).
Read More: Living Costs in Spain on the Costa Blanca
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#7 – The Community When Living in Denia
Above Image – A birthday bash with local and foreign friends.
At the heart of living in Denia is truly its wonderful community. The locals are welcoming and friendly. They love sharing their culture and traditions, stories and creativity. We love going out to have tapas and having conversations with the establishment owners who recognize us and welcome us in. They’re patient with our Spanish-speaking and say hello when we pass them elsewhere in town as well.
The international community is fantastic in Denia, with a great diversity of people from all over the world. It’s easy to see that the majority of them are living in Denia for similar reasons and value assimilating into the local community. There are also intercambio groups for learning Spanish with local Spanish-speakers learning English, taking excursions around the area, even taking dance classes, painting classes and more.
Above Image – Meeting with Denia’s Department of International Relations.
Thanks to this beautiful community of locals and foreigners, Denia also has some great resources for expats living in Denia. The ayuntamiento (town hall) even has a Department of International Relations and Citizen Participation, which teams up with foreigner-based groups such as the U3A and supports the intercambio language exchange programs.
Read More: Learn from Denia About Resources for Foreign Residents in Spain
Living in Denia as Expats
Above Image – Having a homemade paella dinner with some of our closest, local friends. Great Spanish practice!
We could really go on and on about Denia. There are many more great reasons for living here as expats. Now that we’ve been here longer, we find ourselves falling even more in love with this Mediterranean beach town. And we’re not the only ones.
Many people, locals and expats alike, say that they don’t want more people to find out about Denia and that they want to keep it to themselves. Yet we all know, especially as expats, that change is inevitable and growth is important.
Living in Denia, we see changes and growth being carried out in conscious and sustainable ways. It’s why it is the town that it is today. And we believe that it can continue that way and is attracting people who support that and want to be a part of Denia. We’re so proud to call it home. You could be too.
What are your top criteria for finding your expat home base? Do you have any in common with us? What do you think of Denia? We would love to hear your thoughts and answer any questions you have. Just comment in the discussion area below. And let us know when you’re in Denia!
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Written by Amalia & Eric
Founders & Producers of Move to Traveling
We’re Amalia and Eric – a traveling couple who are living a traveling lifestyle. Do you love to travel? Perfect! Come along…
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Hi Amelia and Eric. Loving the Blog. The information you provide and your opinions are very interesting and informative. Plus your responses to questions asked are very useful. We are a couple of Brits in our mid/late 50’s looking to move to Spain for our retirement (I retired May this year and Sharon retired last year). We have been looking at several areas and Denia is on our list of potentials although having read your blog I think it is now moved right to the top!!
We are currently looking to do a short term rental later this year, probably October – December, giving us a chance to go house hunting with the intention of making a permanent move next spring (once we have sorted visas, medical insurance, etc, etc…….. Brexit has made it so much more difficult for us Brits!!! We DID NOT vote for it by the way…….. probably the biggest mistake of the 21st century as far as the UK is concerned, but enough of politics….. apologies).
Do you know of any real estate agents we could contact with regards to a winter rental who could also show us some properties for our permanent move? We have had a good search on-line but many agents are not local and most are tailored to, lets say, the “holiday villa/apartment on an urbanisation” market which is not want we want.
We are looking more for an individual villa/finca on the outskirts of a village or small town within a few kilometres of Denia, however for the short term rental we think we would be better off actually in Denia.
Hope you can help. Many thanks, Chris & Sharon.
Great Blog, keep up the good work.
Hi Chris and Sharon! It is wonderful to have you on our blog and we’re so glad that you have found it helpful. Congratulations to you both on your retirements – what an exciting new chapter of life for you. We think that’s wonderful that you’ve decided to move to Spain and are considering Denia. We’re happy to help however we can. And we do feel for you with now having to deal with residency issues because of Brexit. We know coming from the US how it can be so much more of a hassle. But good for you that you have not let that deter you and are still pursuing your move to Spain!
First off, your idea to come for a few months to scope out properties and the area, is a fantastic idea and smart way to go. From what you shared, it sounds like the area of Jesus Pobre, a charming little village at the back of the Montgo Mountain and just a few kilometers from Denia, could be an ideal area for you. Staying in town for the few months you come this year is also a great plan. If you want any ideas for what part of town to stay in, please don’t hesitate to ask us.
Secondly, what interesting timing that just this morning I was having a call with a real estate agent we have known for years now who is based in Valencia. His name is Graham Hunt and his company, Valencia Property, also works in Denia. You can easily be in touch with them here: https://valencia-property.com/new/contact-us-with-your-requirements/vip/12/
Keep in mind though that they do not do rentals. They are ideal for your property purchase needs. One of the things we were talking about this morning is how difficult it is to find good rental companies in this area. We are trying to find one that we would feel good about referring, but so far it has been frustrating to say the least. Even those we have worked with ourselves in the past were not experiences that have caused us to want to recommend them. As you have found yourself, many of the rentals companies focus on vacation rentals. We have also experienced that many times the customer service is quite lacking. We always have hope though that this can improve. This is certainly a need that needs to be met here in Denia and the area.
Our other suggestion for your property purchase search is another wonderful real estate agent here in Denia, Paul Millward. We have already had a few readers from our blog who have worked with him and his agency and had wonderful experiences. One of them is actually closing on a villa on the outskirts of Denia in just another couple of weeks here! You can contact Paul with the following information:
Paul Millward
Tel: +34 96 648 2480
Mob: +34 637 844 891
paulmillward@grupo-garcia.es
https://grupo-garcia.es/
Going back to your rental needs for October through December, we want to suggest researching on Idealista (https://www.idealista.com/en/alquiler-viviendas/denia-alicante/). Have you already discovered this site? It is a good place to start.
The other suggestion we can make is to look on sites like AirBnB and contact the owners of properties to ask about any discounts for a rental of a few months. It’s a great opportunity for them as well and we’ve had owners come back and jump at the opportunity to rent their place out for that long during the winter months.
We will continue to look for good rental companies and determine some who we can refer. Please check back here often or subscribe to our newsletter if you want to not miss any news about that.
We would also be happy to meet up when you come in October if you like. If you need any travel planning help for your scouting trip and move, please feel free to reach out to us. We’re expanding to offer custom travel planning services for Spain and Europe, and particularly for scouting trips for moving to Spain.
We wish you all the best and are here for any other questions you have or ways we can help.
Hasta luego!
Hi Amalia and Eric
Thankyou for the prompt reply. Sorry for not getting back to you quicker but we have been away for a couple of days enjoying the unusually good (almost Spanish) weather here in the UK…. one of the advantages of being retired!!
We can confirm that we only got one email from you and that our comment and your reply has appeared on your blog under the ‘7 reasons to live in Denia’ post. We have been eagerly reading some of the other posts and particularly liked the ‘Cost of Living’ one….. Sharon heartily agrees with your sentiments on Wine….. I think it is #3 on her list of important items to consider!!
The information you provided is very useful and gives use a starting point as we formulate plans for the future and the move to Spain. We had never considered using AirBnB for longer term lets and is something we will be following up on, great idea. We will also be checking out Idealista.
We hope to have firmed up some plans by the end of August. We are pretty busy at the moment sorting out our UK situation downsizing from our current home. Sale and purchase are in progress so quite stressful, plus we need to sort through/get rid of 30+ years of stuff that just won’t fit in the new house. Once all that is all sorted we can concentrate of the Spanish leg of our journey.
We will keep a close eye on your blog for updates and new articles and no doubt will be asking more questions in the future.
Once again, many, many thanks for your help,
Keep up the good work, for us it should prove to be invaluable.
Chris & Sharon
Hi Chris, No worries and thank you as well for getting back to us, and for the encouragement and kind words. We’re so glad that we can be of help. Please stay in touch!
The wife and I are in our mid seventies and considering a month long trip to the area next Spring. We are not total strangers to foreign travel, having lived in England for almost eight years, but Spain will be a totally different creature. Finances will not be a problem, but I am curious about healthcare and insurance. I am currently covered by the VA and am sure that will not travel, and the wife is on a Medicare Advantage, and I know that will not travel either. Second would be accommodations. We would not be looking for anything very modern, but we do like some comforts. Mostly, we are interested in a quiet, friendly life. We love foods, people and site seeing. Any words of encouragement?
Hi Bruce. Thank you for enjoying our blog and for your great questions. Sorry to not be able to get back to you sooner.
It is important to get private health insurance that meets the requirements of the Spanish visa application process. There are a variety of providers out there. We do not suggest one in particular but encourage people to do good research online and make sure to confirm that the policy will meet the visa requirements. Once you are living in Spain for over a year and have residency, you can also pay to have the public health care system here in Spain, which is quite good and very inexpensive per month. But many expats prefer to have that and to keep their private insurance, or to keep just the private insurance (it can provide shorter wait times for getting appointments for specialized care).
For accommodations, I’d be happy to be of help. I offer travel consultation services and can specifically craft a scouting trip for your visit so that you have the best time possible. Please let me know if you’d like more information about this.
You can also support us as a local business and use our affiliate link for booking any accommodations on your own (we get a commission at no extra cost to you). Below is my affiliate link for booking hotels and apartments. If you send me places you like, the dates, and number of people, I can check for any exclusive discounts and better pricing I may get if I book for you. If you use the app on your mobile phone, make sure you completely close/quit the app first before clicking the link.
https://www.booking.com/index.html?aid=1653650
Choosing to visit in the Spring is a great idea. That is a lovely time of year, especially to get a feel for the local life here and what it’s like year-round. Keep in mind that in April is Semana Santa (Easter week) and that can be a busy time for travel around here, but it is not nearly as busy as it gets in the summertime, especially August.
Denia and the surrounding area of the Marina Alta are great places for creating the ‘quiet and friendly life’ that you want. There are plenty of parts of Denia that are nice and quiet but still close to the town center by car or bike. Some neighborhoods you can even walk from into town center, although depending on how quiet you want it to be, it may be around a 30-minute walk or so.
I hope that this is helpful for you and that we can be of any help to you for your trip next year and as you continue to research about living in Spain. Please let us know if you have any other questions.
Thank you!
Great article about life in Denia.Thanks for sharing. I am from London originally, but have worked in Madrid , the capital of Spain, for many years. I know Denia well, and would like to move there full-time. Any tips of activities going on would be welcome. I like sports, walking, the arts, and social activities. I’ll be there from June to October this summer, with a view to staying on beyond that date. Thanks, David.
Hi David. Thank you so much for enjoying our blog. We’re glad that the article can be of help and inspiration.
That’s great that you’re wanting to move to Denia! So effectively finding out about events here in still a bit tricky and frustrating to be honest. For example, the Musica al Castell (Valenciano name) has a great website but nothing is updated since 2021. Yet from friends we just learned that this Friday the 20th of May is the start of the 30th edition of that music festival but it seems that they’re having it back in the castle instead of the Torrecremada park where they changed it to last year… All this to say, we did some digging around and found out this page on the site of the Ayuntamiento that is supposed to list events: https://www.denia.es/va/denia/agenda/index.aspx
Make sure to search for all (or ‘tots), and just keep in mind that they sometimes do not post information until quite close to the event date.
Another good source for events is this page on the Denia website: https://www.denia.net/agenda-denia
Aside from that page, I would recommend that if you’re on Facebook, connecting with the Facebook Page Denia Connect, Ad Free Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/147602648653625. They’re quite good about posting information about upcoming events.
In June, the night of the 23rd, is the Bonfires of San Juan on the beaches. Then in mid-August is the Moors and Christians festival which is really spectacular and lasts for almost a week.
Throughout the summer, especially July, there are also concerts in the Torrecremada Park and they have movie nights on the Playa Raset.
If you would like to meet up while you’re here, please let us know! We love welcoming people to Denia.
Thank you again and take care!
Hi Amalia and Eric,
Came across your blog while doing research on Denia, and I’m very happy I did!
We are a couple in our early 60’s, live in Montreal, and have been fortunate enough to spend a couple of winters in beautiful Spain, pre Covid. We were in Frigiliana and Nerja on the Costa de Sol and while we really like that area, and Andalucia in general, we are thinking of trying out a different area next winter, for three months,
We are planning to buy a holiday home, and from our research, it looks like Denia would be a good fit for us. Any information you could give on the best areas to look for a house, in terms of proximity to restaurants, shops, transport etc would be much appreciated. We are hoping to find a place with great views and some outdoor space. We love to walk so being a 30 minute or so walk from the beach would be fine with us. We probably won’t buy a car iniitially, so being close to transport, shops etc is important.
Thanks in advance for any advice you can give us. Look forward to hearing from you!
Anne and Bob
Hi Anne and Bob. Thank you so much for enjoying our blog and commenting. That’s wonderful that you’re wanting to explore another part of Spain and are considering Denia. As you’ve seen, we certainly have found Denia to be a fantastic fit for ourselves and many others. The town is ideal for the lifestyle that you’re looking for. Eric and I still do not have a car because we’ve come to love it so much without one! Renting is always an option and we love to walk and ride our bikes to get around.
There are some great areas in Denia for the kind of home you’re looking for. But we would recommend starting with the area that is from Avenida Joan Fuster and towards Las Rotas. The neighborhoods in this area are just in from the Marina de Denia and playa Marineta Casiana. Right on the Marineta Casiana is a small hill called Hill Saint Nicolas. The homes there and around there are really beautiful and quite nice. From there, and this area in general, it’s a nice 15-20 minute walk into town and to stores and restaurants.
Some of the neighborhoods start to go up the slope of the mountain Montgo and can have great views. Just keep in mind that the homes higher up the slope get a lot less sun in the winter and the homes here are not very well insulated so they get cold inside.
For some great help in your search, we also highly recommend getting in touch with our main contact for real estate here, Paul Millward.
Here is his info:
Paul Millward
Tel: +34 96 648 2480
Mob: +34 637 844 891
paulmillward@grupo-garcia.es
https://grupo-garcia.es/
Please let us know of any questions you may still have and of when you’re here. We’d love to meet up. And if you need any help with travel arrangements, please let me know. I (Amalia) am a certified Travel Agent and can book flights, hotel, and more for you if you like.
Be in touch anytime. We hope to see you in Denia someday.
Hi to you both,
I can not take another Canadian winter, but at age 75 I don’t want to buy in Denia, just find a comfortable long, long term rental near the water and close to amenities. Would Paul be a good source to find such accommodation or do you recommend another source. So many of the listings on Idealista are for short term winter rentals. I plan to visit Denia in October 2022 and start with an AirBandB while I look for something permanent.
Love your blog.
Hi Gail. Thank you for being on our blog and sharing about how we can help you with your move to Denia.
Feel free to still contact Paul because he does come across long term rentals from time to time or can at least recommend some other good resources for long term rentals.
As you’ve noticed, it can be tricky to find a good long term rental since so many owners want to do the short term rentals in the summer and then only winter rentals. But a year-round rental is still possible!
We will let you know if we hear of anything. We also suggest that on AirBnB you can contact the owner to ask if they would be willing to do a year-long rental. Sometimes that can have great results.
Please send any other questions in the meantime, and if you would like to meet when you come to Denia in October, please let us know.
We wish you the best in your moving plans and rental search.
Hi, enjoying reading the blog and saw your query and thought I might share some information that may be of assistance. My wife and I have booked a 3 month winter villa rental in Denia via Happy in the Sun ( happyinthesun.com ) who have been good so far.
We are in Las Rotas, Denia from new years eve 2022 so will only know how good they are at that time but they have a number of properties on their books that may suit you.
Hi Terry. This is so kind and thoughtful of you to reply to Gail with this helpful information. She will get a notification of it.
Thank you as well that this great information is now here in our comments for other readers to also benefit from.
I am so grateful to you for sharing about this property group since recently some of my travel clients have had a poor experience with a property company they are renting from here in Denia. Their situation is only a couple weeks for a vacation rental, however it is still unfortunate when the communication from these kinds of businesses is not very professional or helpful. Things have been resolved yet I am glad to know of other companies to turn to and refer. I will certainly look into them and keep their information on hand.
Thank you again so much for sharing and please let me know how we can be of any help to you. We hope to meet you when you come starting at the New Year.
Dear Amalia and Eric
I am so happy to have come across your blog! This is exactly what we have been looking for. We are a couple in our 30s with a 1 year old boy. We are hoping to move to Spain in the near future to live there for a few years. My partner is learning Spanish and arranging work out there. The plan is for me to teach Pilates and also to teach English as a foreign language. We are looking for somewhere authentically Spanish (so not too touristy, but to have some expats/ English speaking people as I don’t have any Spanish whatsoever!) We have three weeks off this June to go to Spain as a test-run, to do a recce of the area and see if it’s for us before moving out there.
Do you think Denia could offer us these opportunities and be a good fit for us?
I’d really appreciate your thoughts as we’d like to do this right, and the best way is always through word of mouth I find.
Claire
Hi Claire. Thanks so much for enjoying our blog. We’re so glad you’re finding it helpful.
We think that Denia could be a great possibility for you since it is very Spanish still and has a great international community as well. Keep in mind that being in the Valencia region means that there is also the Valencia culture – they have their own language and customs and food. It’s really enjoyable and enriching as well.
The areas where it may not be the best fit would be is that in the summer it does get busier with tourists but a lot of the tourist are Spanish, especially from Madrid, and from around other parts of Europe. The other thing is that from Denia it is still a good drive of 6-7 hours to the Sierra Nevadas (that’s without stops). So the proximity to skiing may not be what you want.
We think that Denia is still always worth visiting so we hope you check it out for your scouting trip this June. We would be happy to meet up with you whenever you come.
We also suggest that you look into some of the towns outside of Granada. We know a few Americans and other expats who live right in Granada and love it. While parts are touristy, there is still a lot of authenticity to it. But again, the towns in that area may be good to look into.
If you have any other questions, or need help with any travel plans, please let us know. I, Amalia, am a travel agent as well and can help you with any bookings and arrangements you need made.
We hope to see you on our blog often! Thanks again and we wish you the best in your search for where to live in Spain one day.
Hey there and merry Christmas 🙂 Thank you so much for your experiences. My husband and I are staying for three months near denia and have the feeling that all restaurants near the beach had to close due to Covid / or are they just closed for winter? Do you by chance know anything like Helios that is still open or reopens in January? Helios seems to be closed after my first look at their Facebook page. Thanks a lot and again merry Christmas 🎄 Caro
Hi Caro. A Happy New Year to you and we hope you enjoyed a merry Christmas as well. Thanks for being on our blog. We’re so glad that you’re staying near Denia. From our experience, the restaurants down along Las Marinas are most likely closed for a few weeks or month because it’s winter and just after the holidays (not cause of COVID). Some may be open again in February or possibly sooner.
There is a small group of restaurants on the Carretera Las Marinas (right next to the Michelin star Quique Decosta restaurant) that may have some things open now or soon. Like Everest for great Nepalis and Indian food. We love them.
And one of our faves that we were just at this past Saturday for lunch is San Giuseppe’s, a block or two off the Las Marinas street (away from the sea). They have some of the best Italian food around and every Wednesday night they have a live Cuban band that plays. We highly recommend them. They also have a lovely outdoor terrace with a view of Montgo. Keep in mind that they also have a restaurant in the Marina Portet in Denia, but this one off Las Marinas is the better one. Here’s the map location: https://g.page/sangiusepperestaurante?share
Helios is most likely taking a break for vacation since it’s winter, but should be open again sometime soon I would think, or at least in February… We are not 100% sure since we have not been by there since getting back from out of town for the holidays.
If you guys would like to meet up, we would love that. I’ll email you my WhatsApp number. Keep enjoying Denia and Spain!
Hello Amalia & Eric,
I have really enjoyed reading your take on Denia, which I have been researching for quite some time now.
I am a single female (62) from Vancouver Canada, but have been living and working in London UK since 2011. I would like to find that ‘Place in the Sun’ for myself soon. I an attracted to Denia because of the weather. Sunny, pretty much all year round. I know the Costa Blanca gets quite hot during the summer months, but then the heat dissipates and the sun remains.
I am coming to Denia April 14-29th. to check things out in real time. I’ve booked a lovely apt. in Centro through Airbnb, as I will not have a car now or ever, so good public transport is of great importance to me Denia seems to have that covered. Walking, taking public transport and hopefully getting a bike will be my main modes of transportation.
I am looking to rent (winter let) initially. Not fond of urbanisations, but since I do not want to buy or rent a house, this seems to be a good alternative for me. And some if them are quite nice and small with good amenities around. Looking for a studio +
My max. rent allowance is £600 per month. If you know anyone that has connections in rentals that would be helpful. I have been on Idealista, but they charge agency fees and huge deposits.
I would appreciate any advice.
My mobile # is
+44 7415219835.
My name is Maggie. It would be lovely to meet up, possibly I know people are constantly asking to meet up with you, sk not a big deal…you can call me up when I am here.
Looking forward to seeing Denia 😀 and maybe having a contact with you.
Many thanks,
Maggie
Hi Maggie! Thanks for being on our blog and wanting to connect. We would love to meet up in April and will email you directly to arrange that. And yes, the weather really is wonderful here. Although I will say that during March it can tend to rain. We just rain for most of this past week and will have some more this week. But it is certainly not like the rain and cold that you have in the UK or Canada.
That is great that you want to utilize public transportation. We have not had a car since we moved to Spain, almost 7 years ago, and we are still happy without one. Have you discovered the DeniBus yet? It can be helpful for getting up and down the coasts here in Denia. https://www.denibus.es/lineas-regulares/
There is also the Alsa bus company, for longer trips outside of Denia. We use them a lot for getting to Valencia or Alicante when we need to fly in or out of town, or for other trips. https://www.alsa.es/
Getting around Denia with a bike is wonderful and starting out with a winter rental can be a great idea as well. You will just want to make sure that you get your rental after that arranged well before the summer since summer rentals cost a lot more. As you may be seeing, there are more winter rentals than long-term, year-round rentals. Being here in person for a time to search for a long-term place is a great idea.
For the kind of rental you’re looking for, we think that you should be able to find something that is not in an urbanization. It really depends on if you want to be in the center of town or down along the Las Marinas beach. If you’re open to being in town, there are some charming apartments in the historic districts around the castle. One of our friends who is like a sister to us is renting a beautifully renovated 3 bedroom apartment right on the Loreto Street (pedestrian street lined with restaurants) and she is paying only 550€ a month and it’s a long-term rental. So there are great possibilities out there.
We are revisiting what resources and who we would like to recommend for help with rentals and will let you know as soon as we confirm that. Right now Paul Millward is our best contact and resource for buying property, but he does sometimes have rentals as well or resources you can perhaps consider.
Paul Millward
Tel: +34 96 648 2480
Mob: +34 637 844 891
paulmillward@grupo-garcia.es
We’ll also keep our ears and eyes open for anything that may come up from friends and people we know here. We look forward to being in touch and meeting you in April. Thank you again!
Hi Amalia and Eric.
Thank you for the great blog.
My wife and I has just been to Denia in start september, for a quick visit – We are in search for a place to stay in Spain during the winter months – and later maybe permanent. We have been to several areas of Spain, but has fallen in love with Denia and the surrounding area. We are both experienced cyclist and enjoy the roads and the mountains.
We therefore will be back from the 18th of december to the 15th of january, to get a better feel of the area in winter time. We will be staying a bit closer to the city center than on our last visit – we want to avoid staying in an area that is quote: “like the film set of an apocalyptic movie (you know, where no one is left on Earth, not even zombies).”
Can you recommend some activities or events in the period above mentioned? Besides cycling of course.
Thank you in advance.
Best regards from a allready rainy Denmark
Hi Lars, We’re so glad that you’ve enjoyed our blog and are considering moving to Denia. The time that you’ll be back here is going to be full of things going on for the holidays, so the typical events of groups doing hikes, cycle rides, and such won’t be as available. A lot of people will be traveling and doing things with their families. The town has some nice events going on for the holidays but especially at Christmas, New Year’s, and Three Kings Day (June 6th), a lot of things will be closed for the holidays. The restaurants that will be open will only be open with a set menu for the holiday.
Otherwise, we would suggest enjoying hikes in the area, like along the mountain Montgo here by Denia. It’s beautiful to hike and there’s the Colonial path which is quite moderate, or the trail that goes up the sea end of the mountain to the very highest point. That hike is more intermediate.
Denia is certainly a place that will not be like an apocalyptic film set (we know what you mean by that and have been in villages that get like that in the winter time).
Good luck on your search and we hope you continue to enjoy our blog. We will be working to get more articles posted here in the coming year.
Thank you very much for your reply. We surely will try the colonial path.
Btw sorry for my late reply.
Counting the days until our departure to Denia.
Best regards
Lars Jakob.
Greeting Amalia and Eric from Ireland. I have looked at your blog many times especially during Covid when I needed a lift and always felt better having learnt more about Denia so thank you. Finally I have booked a flight and will be arriving in Denia on October 7th for a period of approx 5 weeks so I can get a flavour of the place. I am looking at options for accommodation and feel that 5 weeks is not enough for winter let and wondered if you have heard of any horror stories re AirBnB in Denia? Regarding language schools are there any you would recommend? Would also love to meet up if that would suit you guys.
Hi Ann,
Thank you so much for being on our blog. And how exciting that you will be visiting Denia soon. We would love to meet up with you so please keep us posted on when you’re here!
We have heard no bad experiences related to renting via AirBnB in Denia. We also recommend using Booking.com for apartments as well. They can tend to have better prices and more flexible cancellation terms.
For language schools, we don’t refer any one school since we don’t have first-hand experiences with any of them. We’ve done lessons in small groups with a private teacher and we would be happy to provide her contact and see if she could do some lessons with you for those weeks. Otherwise, we suggest searching on Google for the language schools here in Denia. There are a few to choose from and we’ve heard good things from other friends regarding them.
We hope to meet you soon. Just please write again, which you can do by emailing us or leaving a comment here, and we will be in touch!
Hi again Amalia & Eric,
I have arrived in Denia, so far so good. I’ve been getting my bearings and would love if you had time for a coffee /other when you are free.
You can email me if that suits as I don’t want to post my mobile details publicly.
Gracias and buenas noches
Ann
Hi Amalia & Eric,
We have moved to Denia a month ago. I am 39 and my partner is 47 and we have a 5 year old daughter. Would love to meet up for a coffee if you have time at some stage.. Out daughter has not been enrolled in a school yet and finding it hard with the adjustment period especially due to lack of language. We re hoping things will get better soon.
Hi Sage, Thank you so much for being on our blog. I’ve emailed you directly so we can meet up in Denia.
We’re glad that you’re here and are happy to do what we can to help make it better.
Thanks and talk soon!
What did you think of the area. I want to go forfew weeks for tennis and socialising. I hope it’s not too tacky. It looks nice. Any thoughts please
Hi Richard. Thanks for being on our blog and for your comment. I’m not sure if Ann will reply but we wanted to share that Denia has a few tennis clubs that our friends love. They’re quite nice. And there are many opportunities for socializing.
We hope that if you visit, you enjoy your time here.
Thank you.
Hi there,
Love your info about Denia – we are retiring and will explore that region in November. We are originally from Argentina and decided to move to Castle Rock, Colorado 37 years ago to raise our sons. Now it is time to have fun; move to a warmer place and discover Spain and the rest of Europe.
We will be selling our house next spring and buy a place in the Denia/Alicante area. Looking at houses on Idealista; we are amazed of how affordable they are!
We would like to talk to someone about the neighborhoods/surroundings any suggestions?
Thank you! Gilda
Hi Gilda! Thank you so much for being on our blog. It’s always exciting to hear from others in Colorado as well – small world.
We highly recommend Paul Millward for help with real estate and information about the neighborhoods and area.
Here is his info:
Paul Millward
Tel: +34 96 648 2480
Mob: +34 637 844 891
paulmillward@grupo-garcia.es
https://grupo-garcia.es/
We also recommend that you rent when you are first here so you can get a feel for what part of town you like and of course see places in person.
Please let us know of any other questions and of when you’re Denia if you would like to meet up.
Take care and hope you continue to enjoy our blog!
Thank you so much for your response.
We will get in touch with Paul once we book our tickets; thinking of early November and staying for a couple of weeks to scout areas. I’m retired and my husband retires after February of next year.
Big decisions to make, but also exciting, we made a big move coming from Argentina to the states years ago.
Take care, Gilda and Marcelo
Hi Amalia & Eric and thanks for these precious infos to both of you!
I have a dual citizenship US & french. I lived in Santa Barbara and stayed in a small town up hills called OJAI which I really loved !
I came back to France in Bayonne next to Biarritz just 2 weeks prior to COVID !
The situation in France is becoming too hard and strict so I decided to move to Spain. I am actually in Valencía for 1 month until august 9th.
There are things I like here and others that I don’t like and I don’t see myself living in a town that has so many old high rises buildings ! This is why I am considering outside cities and… I read your blog.
Question 1 : where is a good place to stay 2 or 3 days in Denia to have a feel and to avoid the hot & high summer months prices…
Question 2 : I am an online energetic exercices coach as well as a massage and energetic therapist.
Is there a clientele for that type of private home services in Denia ?
I was also considering going to Marbella for that but I don’t want to live too far from France for now.
Thanks for your good advices.
Take care!
Shirley
Hi Shirley. Thank you so much for being on our blog. We want to apologize for not answering your wonderful comment sooner. You have great questions. Were you able to come visit Denia while you were staying in Valencia? We would love to hear about it and about what you thought.
In case it is still helpful, we’ll answer your questions still. For good places to stay a few days in Denia, but avoid the heat and summer prices, I would recommend boutique Hotel Nou Roma. It won’t be the cheapest, but it’s charming and the location is in the historic district behind the castle, and close to the Loreto Street which is full of local restaurants and bars. The hotel is owned by a local family that has several restaurants in Denia, one of them being the restaurant in the hotel which is wonderful.
Some other possible hotels in the same area are Hostal Loreto and Art Hotel Boutique Chamarel.
Regarding the wonderful coaching you do, we think that Denia has a good clientele for that among the foreigners and locals. The people here tend to be very conscience of their health, energy, and alternative and holistic wellbeing and care.
We hope this is helpful and please reach out with any other questions. We’ll do our best to get back to you sooner.
Thank you and best wishes for wherever your travels take you!
Thanks for this article. My family and I are considering moving to Denia in January from California. My husband is spanish and we have 2 kids (9&7) do you happen to know anything about the schools or educational programs in town?
Also is Denia a dog friendly town?
Hi Alycea, You’re so welcome for the article and we’re thrilled that you’re enjoying our blog and considering moving to Denia with your family. Great questions about the education systems here. We do not have kids ourselves but we have friends who do. I know some of our closest friends with two kids around the ages of yours send their kids to Alpha & Omega here in Denia. It is a private school program and has religious affiliation but our friends are not religious at all and they have been pleased with the school for the past few years that they have been living in Denia.
This article has a good summary of the public and private schools in Denia, although it is a bit outdated (from 2021). https://www.denia.com/en/colegios/
We will see about providing some more resources on this topic soon.
Something to keep in mind that we have learned from our friends with kids is that the public schools teach more than half of their classes in the local Valencian language. This can be a point of controversy among people here but the Valencian language is strongly used in all aspects of life here. You see it on street signs and especially in the government facilities.
Regarding Denia being a dog-friendly town, we would say that it is. We don’t have a dog but we love dogs and enjoy that many of the locals and foreigners here have dogs. There are designated dog beaches and parks, and most restaurants allow dogs on their terraces and some even inside.
Please let us know of any questions you may still have or any travel planning services you may need – we can help in this area as well. And if you would like to meet when you move here, just reach out. We hope you continue to enjoy our blog and wish you the best in your move!
Hi Amalia, what rental website search tool would you recommend to view apartments/homes for rentals? Also, I am planning to visit Denia in 2022 to visit and experience the area before deciding to move, any hotels close to the beach that you recommend as well? Thanks so much, your blog is absolutely wonderful!
Best regards,
Arlene
Hi Arlene. Thanks for being on our blog and sorry that we have not been able to respond to your comment sooner.
We would recommend Kyero (https://www.kyero.com/en/denia-property-long-let-1l1232?sort=popularity_desc) and definitely Idealista (https://www.idealista.com/en/alquiler-viviendas/denia-alicante/).
For hotels, we recommend the following:
– La Posada del Mar if you want to be in the town center but with views of the water and close walking distance to the Las Marinas beach: https://www.booking.com/hotel/es/la-posada-del-mar.xu.html?aid=1653650&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2
– Hostal Oasis if you want to quite budget (it is more simple) but right on the beach in Las Marinas and walking distance into town center. It also has a good restaurant: https://www.booking.com/hotel/es/oasis-on-the-beach.xu.html?aid=1653650&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2
– Hotel Port Denia is in our favorite side of town and super close walking distance (just steps) to the Marineta Cassiana beach (sandy) and Las Rotas (rocky beaches) – our fave for snorkeling and very Mediterranean. It’s also still walking distance of town center. https://www.booking.com/hotel/es/port-denia.xu.html?aid=1653650&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2
Either way, you can’t wrong because Denia is a great size for walking and getting around easily. We do suggest that you not go too far down either Las Marinas or Las Rotas, but that also depends on whether you want to drive everywhere or want to walk places.
Please let us know if you have any other questions and if you would like to meet up when you come visit. We wish you all the best!
Hello Amilia and Eric,
I really enjoyed your article. My Girlfriend (Dutch) an me (Belgian) want to buy a house in the region, covid has slowed us down. We are due to come in July (10days) and 2 months (oct-nov). I have a particular question. As my girlfriend likes to garden, we want to by a property with some space. But I am afraid that the Denia side of the montgo is windy and colder in winter than the other side. I figured out that the wind is mainly WWN, so Denia should be on the wind side? Can you comment on this? We would like to live 75% of the year in Spain – mostly NOT July and aug.
Thanks
Donnie & Koen
Hi Koen. Thank you for enjoying our article and blog and for your great questions. We apologize that we haven’t been able to answer sooner.
We do not know as much about whether the Javea side of Montgo can be windier on average than Denia. But we do know that Denia can get some amazing wind. Javea as well though. While Javea may be a tad warmer, if you are up along the bottom of the Montgo in Javea, you’ll still end up in the shade in the winter, which is what can make it cold.
Whether in Javea or Denia, you want to look for a home that will get plenty of sun in the winter since the humidity can make it feel colder than what the temperature says. Especially if it’s windy.
Our last thought is that in Denia, you can find homes that are further down the Montgo and closer to the Marineta Cassiana beach. Those neighborhoods still get plenty of sun in the winter. It is when you get into the neighborhoods that begin to rise up the lower slope of Montgo that the homes are in the shade more and tend to stay cold.
We hope that is of some help and we wish you all the best in your search and move. Please let us know of any questions and when you are back in October let us know if you would like to meet up. We would be happy to meet you in Denia!
Hi Amelia and Eric
Great blog, thank you for sharing all the information and insights. I’m Eric and my wife is Gisselle, we’re going to be moving out to Spain soon enough, we are just scouting where would be best. Gisselle is Spanish/Italian, and my Spanish is ‘no tan mal’ (?)
I see that someone has asked about the music scene – can I ask a follow up? I’m a jazz & blues pianist and would be wanting to add what I can offer to the local live music scene – but the question is whether there would be any takers, in or around Denia? Do you see any blues or jazz bands or musicians when you are out and about? Or are there places like piano bars or hotels where a bit of live playing is (or might conceivably be) enjoyed?
Best wishes
Eric and Gisselle
Hi Eric and Gisselle. Thanks so much for being on our blog. Sorry that it’s taken a bit long to respond. I think Eric may have answered your message on our Facebook page as well. But I (Amalia) wanted to also respond here.
Pre-Covid the music scene was definitely pretty good. And even during this past year, we have seen some live music. There is a great jazz group but I can’t remember the name. I think into next year the music scene will get back to being what it was. There’s definitely still opportunity in Denia and this area as well, like neighboring Javea. Being willing to travel to other towns is key I think. The other great area for music would be Valencia which isn’t that far from us. I hope that helps! And when you make it here, let us know. We’d love to meet up!
Hello Amelia and Eric,
Given covid, we would plan to move to Denia around Nov 2021. And we would like to rent. My partner does not drive so it is important to have shops etc. nearby. However, we would like to be near seaside!
We have started to look at flats (150m min!) but are confused by the areas.
Spanish language is not a problem. So we are looking at fotocasa, yaencontre, etc. to get idea.
However, the big problem is where in Denia? I guess anything in Carr. de les Maries a Denia is out as it does seem to more holiday homes with little local facilities. Your insite would be much appreciated. (Could you email it as well?)
Thanks a lot,
Kirit
Hi Kirit. Thanks for your comment and being on our blog. You’re definitely right about heading down Carrer de les Marines – that gets further out of town center and is more holiday homes. But finding a place near town center, shops and the sea should not be a problem.
A good way to understand the areas of Denia is by relating it to where the castle is (which is in the very center of town and the historic districts) and to the mountain Montgo which is between Denia and Javea. After having lived our first two years here, first-line on the Les Marines beach, right where it’s closest to town, we found we liked the other side of town better. For three years now we’ve been between the castle and the Montgo, on a street called Avenida Joan Fuster. Being close to this street is close to everything in the very town center and we’re at the end just half a block in from the Nautical Club here so close to the sea, the Marina de Denia, and the Marineta Cassiana Beach. Just further past those things, heading out of town towards Javea, is the Las Rotas area, which is the rocky beach ideal for snorkeling and walking right along the seaside. It’s our favorite ‘beach’ area here and we prefer it over the sandy beaches. If you’re looking to rent an apartment, around the castle and between the castle and Avenida Joan Fuster or even near Marineta Casiana beach, are great areas. For a stand-alone house, just in from Marineta Casiana beach are great neighborhoods that go up to the foot of the mountain Montgo. This side of town feels more local and is still close to everything.
We don’t have a car still and love it. We walk and ride bikes everywhere and the bike paths here are nice as well.
I hope that helps and if you have any more questions just let me know. We’ll email this to you as well. We wish you well on your search and move!
Hi,
We’re from Toronto, Canada, and we’re thinking of moving in Spain for retirement/semiretirement. Renteda car and travelled from Alicante to North of abarcelona along the coast. There were a couple of places that we liked a lot, however too small… so we nerrowed out options, and, very high on the list is Denia, as it is a medium town and with life all year round. I would like to continue with the musical activity- recording, music production, basically to move with the small studio I have. How is the music scene in Denia, if you happen to know? Also, are there some local/traditionalmusic festivals? I know that Alicante and especiallyValencia may be better from this point of view, however, I would rather prefer a town like Denia…and I hope it is not too small for this.
One more thing: I learnt a lot from your blog, thank you for doing this. Flo.
Hi Florin. Thanks for being on our blog and for your comment. We love your questions. They’re great ones.
The music scene here can be pretty good. Of course, it’s a bit different now with COVID, however that is getting better and around the holidays we got to enjoy some live bands at some restaurants here and it was great.
Denia definitely has things going on year-round and wonderful local traditions. In the summer they do music concerts at some of the different parks around town, even on the main street, and up in the castle, which is really special. And it’s a variety of styles of music. The Falles festival ever March is very big here in Denia and throughout the entire Valencia region. It can be quite loud and overwhelming in Valencia, but in Denia it’s quite ideal because of the town’s size. The Moors and Christians festival also takes place in August and is spectacular – we’re talking Game of Thrones level costumes and parades and reenactments! It’s so fun and the culture here is so rich and amazing to learn about and experience. The people here are especially amazing. We just love it. There’s even more festivals but we can’t list them all there’s so many. 🙂
We hope that provides some good insight. Let us know of any other questions that you have. We wish you all the best in your move and let us know when you’re here if you want to meet up for vino! Take care!
Hi Amalia and Eric,
Thank you so much for sharing this blog, it has been very helpful and given us lots of insights in to Denia. My wife and our two daughters are planning to relocate from the UK to Denia in the very near future. Our biggest stumbling block at the moment is employment.
my wife and I are both teachers and are finding that it is near impossible to find teaching posts near the area of Denia. We would love to know if there are any type of employment opportunities in Denia?
As a side, other than Xabia International College, are there any other English speaking schools in the region?
Many Thanks,
Brad
Hi Brad. Thank you for being on our blog and for your kind comment. We’re so glad that you’re finding our information helpful. I (Amalia) apologize for not responding sooner to your comment.
It’s true that teaching positions especially right now are hard to come by. I’m sorry that you’re having trouble finding jobs. An idea would be to see what kind of online opportunities there may be right now for teachers, but realize that many of those may be along the lines of teaching English and not necessarily as well paying.
I know of the Xabia International College, but aside from that we don’t know of any other English speaking schools here. I’m really sorry. If I hear of anything, I’ll make sure to pass it on.
Keep searching though. You never know what may present itself. Please let us know of any other questions and take care!
Very nice point of view.. Im local spanish, living in Javea.. but love all over Alicante.. specially the Marina Alta area, where javea and Denia are included.
Thanks for the post, and invite you to join this wonderfull corner in Spain.
You can see more pictures and reviews about on this Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lovealicante
Hi Cristian. Thank you for enjoying our blog and for your kind comments. That’s wonderful that you’re a neighbor right next door in Javea. We hope you keep enjoying our blog and this gorgeous area!
Hi folks.
Im interested in your comment regarding the area having it’s own language. As my wife and I have identified Denia as the area that suits us best can you advise on learning Spanish. Will it be any use in the area?
Many thanks.
R&T
Dublin.
Ireland.
Hi Ronan. Thanks for being on our blog. Castilian Spanish is still the predominant language here, so you’ll have no problem finding plenty of schools and private teachers for learning Spanish. The local regional language is Valenciano which you’ll see on street signs (along side with Spanish) and you’ll hear many Valencian people speak. It’s similar to Catalan. However, it is not the primary language here. Spanish is still the more useful and widely used. The local Valencians who speak Valenciano speak Spanish as well and both sets of people are very helpful and open to those learning Spanish here. They’ll be accommodating and patient with you as you learn. 🙂
I hope that helps!
Hi Amelia and Eric. Thank you for your blog and for sharing your experience about living in Denia. It is a great help and guidance for all of us who are thinking about moving to the area. My wife and I (both 36 years old) are thinking about buying an apartment in Denia to spend some quality time during the year. We currently live in The Netherlands but we love Spain and we have really good Spanish friends that have recommended us Denia. We speak Spanish so the language is not a problem for us. Due to COVID-19 measures, we have seen a couple of apartments via video call but unfortunately right now is not possible for us to travel. One of the apartments is located in Carrer Mira-Rosa quite close to the Castillo de Denia and near to Mercadonia. The other apartment is located on Carrer de la Corona Boreal (Urbanización Marina Real). Based on you own experience, which one do you think it is a best area to live? Is it safe? Thank you very much in advance.
Jorge
Hi Jorge. Thanks for being on our blog and for your comment and questions. That’s wonderful that you’re wanting to have a place here in Denia. Both of the areas that you mentioned we know very well. The nice thing is that Denia is not that large of a town, but it’s not too small either. It’s a great size.
Both areas are definitely very safe. Our experience is that it’s safe everywhere in Denia. We’ve only heard stories of some robberies happening in vacation places that are much further down the Carretera Las Marinas, along the beach. But those tended to be places that were left empty for long periods of time and during the winter season when it’s slow and empty down there, some places have been robbed. But we don’t know how many or if it’s even happened in the last year or more. It’s the kind of thing that happens so little that it doesn’t seem to be a huge concern.
Of course, both areas that you mentioned are right in town, and they’re both very safe and wonderful locations to walk to everything. The Carrer Mira-Rosa near Mercadona and the castle is perhaps the closest of the two to the castle and the main street of Marques del Campo, as well as other fun things like the Calle de Loretto which is lined with restaurants and bars in the historic old town. We have friends who live on Carrer Mira-Rosa down at the roundabout that is the entrance to the Marina Portet. It’s a great area.
The Carrer de Corona Boreal on the other side of town is actually just past where we live on Avenida Joan Fuster! We used to live on the other side of town where the Las Marinas beach started but we do prefer this side of town because it’s closer to the Las Rotas beach which we prefer for snorkeling in the summer. It’s also still a fantastic central location for walking to everything and we have a handful of grocery stores in walking distance as well. The Urbanización Marina Real must be the new white apartment buildings they are constructing on that street…? We can see them from our atico unit. They don’t look so appealing to us – so white and bare and no balconies facing the sea – they kind of look like prisons to us and we haven’t been impressed with its aesthetic contribution to the surrounding area. But then that’s just our personal opinions and everyone’s style is different. We would however recommend seeing those places, or any place really, in person before buying. It’s always a great idea to rent for a time first while you search for what you want.
One last thing about this area is that we think it can tend to be a little quieter than the other side of town, although it does have a large secondary school right there just by the urbanización. Not sure if that can get noisy… but we’ve never noticed it from where we are.
Either way, you can’t go wrong on either side of town. We think they both have plenty of positive aspects and are both very safe. I (Amalia) feel safe walking by myself even super late at night (pre-COVID, when we could be out late) through my side of town, and anywhere in the town center, and always felt safe. What we would recommend is to be more aware of the property you’re considering purchasing or renting. Apartments here can have especially small bedrooms and not be what you think at first appearances.
We hope that helps and please let us know if you have any other questions. When you do come, we would love to meet if you like, so stay in touch! Best of everything in your property search. 🙂
Hi Amalia and Eric,
Thanks for your incredibly helpful blog. We intend moving to either Javea or Denia in the next year or so. We have visited both towns and are starting to lean toward Denia. However, we would appreciate your personal opinion on the difference between the 2 places. We are South African/ Italian but both speak ok Spanish having lived in Spain before for around 3 years. Currently we are in Asia on a work assignment. We can’t wait to get back to Spain and settle for good 😉
Thanks!
Hi Peter,
Thank you for being on our blog and for your great question. That is so neat that you’re working in Asia and wanting to move back to Spain. There’s another couple here who moved here a year ago from Bangkok (they’re British) and they were also considering Javea but decided on Denia. We’re good friends with them now and they also first contacted us here on the blog. 🙂
Both Denia and Javea are lovely places. Javea tends to be more spread out and their historic old town is a bit more inland from the sea. Denia on the other hand has their historic old town right on the sea and feels a little more cozy regarding its seafront areas and main center. Denia also has two marinas while Javea has one, and Denia has a castle right on the sea.
Denia is also has more going on year-round, from what we’ve heard from locals and foreigners. We do know that Javea has some activities year-round as well, but perhaps it’s not quite as much as Denia.
Lastly, people say that Javea can tend to feel more influenced by foreigners, whereas Denia still feels very Spanish and Valencian. Our friends we mentioned above has a brother living in Javea so that is something that they attest to from their experience and they’ve been visiting Javea since they were children.
As you can see, we favor Denia and that’s why we live here. We do enjoy visiting Javea from time to time, but for living year-round and with that local Spanish/Valencian culture and style, Denia is fantastic.
Let us know if you have any other questions. When you come, we’d love to meet up as well, wherever you decide to be.
Take care!
Amalia and Eric,
Thanks so much for your thoughtful response. This is very helpful! We are planning on coming over in December 2021 at the end of this year for around a month to check things out. We will certainly get in contact with you. Look forward to it 🙂
Hi Peter. Sorry to answer so late. We’re glad to be of any help and we look forward to meeting up whenever you come out. Please let us know when you’re here in December and we’ll meet then and show some great places to enjoy in Denia! Take care till then!
Hi, I discovered this blog/page yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed reading about my beloved Denia. We bought an apartment there in 2016 and I was so impressed I wrote not one but two books about our experiences!
Modesty forbids me to say too much more about them, but suffice it to say they have become very popular. ‘Spain Tomorrow’ in particular has done rather well. I’m sure your readers will find our experiences buying the apartment and exploring the area (Denia is referred to as ‘The nearby town’ in Spain Tomorrow on the advice of my publisher, although I gave up on trying to disguise the location in the second one after many requests from readers to identify it). If you or your readers are interested, this link will take you to all my books where you will see ‘Spain Tomorrow’ and ‘More Spain Tomorrow’…..
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bob-Able/e/B07VZBFFBZ?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_w0m_abau_000000
Hi Bob! I think we’ve come across your book before. We’d love for us readers to enjoy them as well and appreciate you sharing about them here. I think they’d be very insightful and helpful for anyone looking to move to Denia.
So are you still in Denia? Perhaps after the latest restrictions lift we can meet up and do an interview of you to feature on our blog.
Thanks for enjoying our blog and please stay in touch!
Hola Jorge,
Sorry for replying to your question. But similarly like you, we are a Dutch couple ( 32 and 40 + 2 years old baby) looking into buying a flat in Dania. Due to covid-19 our plans are indefinitely postponed. As soon as the situation allows, we’ll go there. Our intention is to rent first for about 6 months, once we get familiar with the areas; most likely we’ll buy. We have been advise to don’t buy yet, because prices will drop in the coming months.
Today we are having the first online viewing of a flat located at Calle el Labrador #5. Maybe we can exchange information about your viewings experiences or any other aspects in this regard. We are using the site Idealista to find rental properties. If know any other websites l would appreciate to hear them.
Saludos
Omar Mendez
Hello Amalia and Eric,
This site is great and a huge help. My wife and I are seriously thinking of moving to Spain to retire in about 2 years. We live in Arizona, USA, run an art school we started 23 years ago (link below) and are heading out soon. We are mid fifties (52-53), healthy and active. We love to walk the beach and in the hills and the arts and cooking, entertaining and eating out. We have been looking around Spain for a while. My wife lived in Malaga for four months long ago and then London, and now we were pretty clear after much searching that it is Valencia or Denia. My cousin lives in Barcelona and actually we were in Barcelona on a 8 day school trip when the Pandemic hit and we had to leave suddenly after 3 days. It was still worth it. The market in Barcelona was great. But it was surreal because we walked all over the world city and almost no one was there. Very unusual they told us for such a high density city.
So we have some English friends who vacation in Denia and they said to try it out, that is how I found you. We are excited to be by the sea and have a great city and airport near by. The pandemic has slowed things down a bit, but our two sons will start Uni in London in the next 10-24 months so we really want to be close to London (easy flight) but not live there. Also, we are looking to do the golden passport process for Spain and for gaining residency and then citizenship in the EU zone in ten years. We are excited for the pandemic to lift and get some flights set up, I hope, for this summer. So, here is my question, why did you move from Valencia? It would help us understand what Denia has to offer if you can compare it since you lived in the city for a while. My main concern with the bigger city is getting lost in it and not meeting people, but it is also really vibrant. And thanks for the real estate agent. I would have had no idea where to begin otherwise. That is a great help. Any insight would be fantastic. I am also on WhatsApp if you want to chat further there I am up for that, just email me. many thanks. Matt
Hi Matt! It’s so great to meet you here on our blog. We took a look at your art school as well – how amazing!
Well, gotta tell you, we’re jonesing for you to move to Denia! We’re very glad that you’ve found our blog and find it helpful. Thank you for being here and for getting in touch. We’re going to write you more directly via email and we look forward to connecting and welcoming you to Spain, whenever you come and wherever you may decide to settle.
¡Hasta luego!
Hi Matt,
My name is Ilia. I live in AZ as well and planning to move to Denia with the whole family pretty soon. If you are interested, please e-mail me , I’d be more than happy to meet and chat with you about our common adventure !
Amalia and Eric,
Thank you for sharing! Your blog is delightful!
I hope to meet you in Denia very soon,
Ilia.
Hi Ilia. Thank you so much for your kind comment and for reaching out to others on this blog. We love that sense of community and connecting. We apologize that we have not been able to respond sooner to your comment.
Please let us know whenever you are in Denia and we would love to meet. We wish you all the best!
Hi Amalia and Eric,
Thank you for sharing! It helps a lot.
We are a family of three (and pregnant) wanting to move to Denia. So far, we have not found any properties with an authentic feel for rent. Could you recommend any specific broker for nice rental places?
On another note: Would you know whether there’s a health considerate community going on? Organic food, restaurants that serve organic food, etc.
Thank you for your response in advance.
Ilona
Hi Llona. Thank you for enjoying our blog and for your great questions.
We highly recommend Paul Millward for your search for a home in Denia. While he does primarily work with property purchases, he can also help with rentals. Here’s his information:
Paul Millward
Tel: +34 96 648 2480
Mob: +34 637 844 891
paulmillward@grupo-garcia.es
https://grupo-garcia.es/
Regarding a healthy community here, I believe that there certainly is, depending on who you surround yourself with. There are many people and families who love to hike. I can already think of some dear friends with two little kids who love to hike and swim and be outdoors.
Keep in mind that what you define as ‘organic’ food will also depend on where you’re coming from. For example, for us coming from the US, Organic meant it had to come with all the certifications. Yet things here that are Bio, Ecologico, and even some things labeled as simply ‘natural’, can fall under the quality of organic. We consider that ‘organic’ includes that no pesticides are used.
There are especially more traditional markets that take place for locally sourced produce. A lot of great restaurants here focus on providing fresh, locally sourced ingredients that are grown by smaller, local producers, and they serve menus that are seasonal, based on what is the freshest and in season. In other words, a lot more here can already be ‘organic’ even if it doesn’t have a certification.
There are also certain stalls/vendors at the outdoor Friday market (mercado de viernes) who promote and specify that they are ‘Organic’ and specifically do not use pesticides. The other thing you can do at these markets is to specifically ask them if they use any pesticides. One of our favorite stores for organic products is called ‘Navarro’ and they have stores throughout Spain. Denia has one on the main street of Marques del Campo. They have a great ‘points’ system as well that you can accumulate points from every purchase and later have money to spend back into the store. There is another natural health food store that is in the town center but it’s not on the map and I can’t remember the name right now. And then out by the mall in Ondara, just a 10 minute drive from Denia towards the highway, is a large organic supermarket – I think they’re called Eco. Other mainstream supermarkets here now carry a great selection of organic products as well. Our favorite is Consum, which has a nice organic selection and an amazing points system as well that you get money back from each month.
For great restaurants that focus on being organic, I would highly recommend a place called DOA on Calle Diana. They do amazing pizzas with the option of organic flour or organic spelt for the crust, other Mediterranean dishes, and some pastas I believe. They also do take-away and have vegan dishes. Another new place here is the bakery ‘Pura Masa’ on Calle la Via who use organic flour and ingredients and have great flatbread style pizzetes they call ‘Pinsas’. And their cakes and pastries are to die for! They also have delicious detox juices and smoothies. The cafe Comedus on Calle Diana serves organic coffee and fresh pastries and organic breads.
For an amazing, nice local dinner or lunch, we love Pont Sec – this is in a traditional Spanish house just outside of the town center, and along the beautiful walking path called the ‘Via Verde’. The family is from the area and they specialize in traditional Valencian food with things like ‘cocas’ (a type of mini pizza) but made with spelt flour (that I think they grow themselves). Their bread is also made with spelt and they have a large garden behind the restaurant for their produce and any other produce they buy is from one our favorite local grower Josep who is always at the Friday Market. Their website is here: https://www.pontsec.com/
Another great restaurant that may not tout being organic but I know locally sources their ingredients, is Sancta Santorum. They’re located right in town, just off the Marques del Campo on a tiny pedestrian street called ‘Calle Sandunga’. They have a more modern style and look inside, but are very welcoming and fantastic tapas and dishes. They’re also quite affordable, even though they look a bit more upscale.
The cool thing about each of these places I’ve listed, and so many other places that are here, is the people. The people that own each of these places are wonderful and we know many of them by name. From the young couple that own DOA to the German ladies that have the Comedus cafe, Anna and her husband Pep of Pont Sec, and many others… they make their restaurants a warm and friendly experience. And we really appreciate that.
I hope that this helps and please let us know whenever you’re here so we can meet up and introduce you to others if you like. You’re also welcome to send any more questions in the meantime.
We wish you a great start to your new year and that you get to be here in Denia soon!
– Amalia
Hello. I too have become one of your fans… your blog is so helpful and inspiring and is helping me to make my dream more concrete!
I am a British expat living in Australia and now wish to return to my roots….broadly speaking..
Could you please tell me whether you think Denia is a dog friendly place?
Also would you recommend contacting a buyers agent to assist me with purchasing a property? And finally, do many people buy remotely,as as you may know…we are not even permitted to leave Australia at this strange time of COVID-19.
Also I read that it might actually take 6 months to buy a property, with all the paperwork.. do yo believe that to be true?
Thanks again for your inspiring blog… I am so very sure from even this distance.. (I was briefly there last year) that this is where I need to be!
Lorraine
Hi Loraine! Thanks for being on our blog and for your comment. Sorry that we haven’t answered sooner. But we love hearing from you and other readers. That is wonderful that you are planning to move here.
We think that Denia is a very dog-friendly place. While we don’t have a dog of our own, we love dogs and obsess over other people’s dogs when we’re out and about. Most of the restaurants allow dogs on the terrace and some even allow small ones inside. There are also some beach areas that dogs are allowed to be on and during the winter they’re usually allowed on most of the beaches, when it’s not as busy with people.
We highly recommend Paul Millward for property purchasing here:
Paul Millward
Tel: +34 96 648 2480
Mob: +34 637 844 891
paulmillward@grupo-garcia.es
https://grupo-garcia.es/
He’s very helpful and professional and knows the area and the market well. We’re not sure about how many people these days are buying remotely, but it’s certainly possible. And there could be some good deals with everything going on. Regarding how long it takes right now, we’re not sure either. We think that about 6-months a safe amount of time to allow for, although Paul would be better suited to answer that question more accurately. There must be situations where it can be processed quicker.
Please let us know if there are any other questions that you have and when you’re here, let’s meet up! Thanks again for enjoying our blog and for your kind and encouraging words. We wish you all the best in your move and hope to see you one day in Denia. 🙂
Hi Loraine, we are also sounding similar to you: in that we have lived in Australia for many years now, mainly Sydney and now Perth, but from Scotland and wanting to move back closer to home and either Spain or Portugal seems to hit the mark.
Hi Amalia and Eric! Thanks for your useful posts :). Me and my husband are actually moving from Valencia to Denia next month. I am from Spain and he is from the US, we are freelancers and we are in our early 30s. A fear we have is that it might be difficult to meet people our age, given that we both work from home and Denia is a pretty small town (and covid complicates socializing even more). Are there any places, websites, groups, etc. you would recommend? We love languages, history, music, hiking, snorkeling…any tipos will be welcome. Thanks a lot 🙂
Hola Raquel! We’re so glad that you’ve enjoyed our blog. That’s wonderful that you’re moving here to Denia soon. I (Amalia) definitely see what you mean about wondering what is available for social life at your age and with being freelancers. But I think that you’ll find that you can create a great social life for yourselves here.
For starters, we would love to meet you both to welcome you to Denia and to introduce you to people. We also love snorkeling and actually just got back from sailing to Ibiza and Formentera last weekend for about 4 nights. It was wonderful! We’re also both freelancers and work from home. I have another good friend who works from home and sometimes we like to meet up at a cafe to get outside of the house to work. Denia also has a creative shared office space called ‘Knowhere’ which is in the center and a great option for freelancers like us who want a space for working outside of the house every now and then.
I myself am in my late 30’s and most of our friends are in their 40s and older but we’re always meeting new people. With you being Spanish yourself, I think that you’ll be able to find some great people your age as well. I know of a great cafe called Codigos del Arte that has some Intercambio style nights and draws a bit of a younger crowd. I’m not sure if they’ve been open as much lately with the complications with COVID, but you could Google them and see if you find anything. I would also recommend searching for Facebook groups where you can connect with people in Denia. There is a group called Denia Connect, but it’s more so for foreigners and can tend to be an older crowd.
I’ll continue to keep a lookout for any resources I can share with you as well. And in the meantime, I’ll email you directly with my What’s App number. Feel free to reach out any time and let’s meet when you’re here.
Thanks again for being on our blog and we hope to meet you soon in Denia!
Hello Amalia and Eric,
We are in our early sixties and have lived in Spain for 10 years. We have recently moved to Denia and are renting at the moment along Les Marines. We are looking to buy a property near the centre.
We love walking and cycling
and swimming and we are still pretty active.
We enjoy meeting people and would like to get to know people with similar interests.
Any help or advice you can give us on clubs that we could join or any other suggestions would be much appreciated.
Andrew and Candace
Hi Candace! Thank you so much for being on our blog and for your comment. Welcome to Denia! That’s great that you’re here and with the things that you love to do it’s such a great place for you.
Let’s see… I’d recommend the following:
– The Club Nautico for swimming in the winter. They have a nice pool but you need to reserve swim times now because of COVID. There’s also a great ‘chiringuito’ (beach bar) in the parking lot next to the club and it’s year-round. They have great food and it’s lovely when the sun is out and to watch the kids and teens going out in the small sailboats for sailing classes.
– If you’re interested in learning Spanish there’s an intercambio group that meets at El Comercio restaurant every Friday night, starting around 18.30h and going till 21h.
– For other groups and clubs I’d recommend looking for the Denia Connect group on Facebook, if you use social media.
– There’s also the Tennis Club which is just behind the Aldi down along Las Marinas. We have quite a few friends who have joined that and are learning how to play tennis and love it. It’s great for meeting people as well.
– Down along the Las Marinas road, just past the first gas station closest to town, is the Cafe Cyclista which has information about some groups that do cycling. I think the group(s) may be quite serious cycling, like road-biking. But am not sure if they may have some information about groups that do some more casual cycling tours around the area.
Aside from this, there was a hiking group of some friends before but it’s been on hold because of COVID. If I think of anything else or hear of anything, we will let you know. And if you’de like to meet up with us sometime just reach out and let us know.
We hope you keep enjoying Denia. Abrazos (hugs)!
Hi Amalia and Eric!
Thank you for your good articles, this blog and your answers to enquiries. We really enjoy reading it and learn more about Denia.
We are a couple from Iceland currently living in the UK. We are around 60 and are starting planning for our retirement, and plan to move to Spain then. We visited Denia in September and liked it so much that we are planning to come again in December to stay for Christmas and the New Year.
And we like Denia so much that now our plans are to move there when retiring, which may be in 3-4 years time. Then we plan to buy an apartment in walking distance from the old town and centre. But until then we are interested in visiting Denia as often as we can and even stay for 1-2 months at a time.
We have lived in Denmark, Norway, Spain and now England, apart from growing up and living most of our life in Iceland.
Spain was our favourite and that´s why our plans are to move there when we retire.
Our hobbies/interests are walking, playing golf, cycling and travelling. We also enjoy sailing although we have not had much chance to do that. All of these can be done all year round in Spain, which is not the case in Iceland (where you can play golf May to September), even not in England either.
We really look forward to going to Denia again.
Kind regards, Sigrun (sigrunjandra@gmail.com) and Bjorn (bjorntor@gmail.com)
Hola Sigrun and Bjorn! Thank you so much for being on our blog and for leaving your wonderful comment. We love hearing about all the places you have lived. That is wonderful to have such experiences. We’re not surprised that you have fallen in love with Denia already and are glad that you plan on visiting as much as you can even before moving here. That will be a great way to get to know what neighborhoods you like here and want to buy a home in, even though they are all really wonderful.
We also love to walk, cycle, and sail, as well as enjoy good food and the local gastronomy. When you next visit, hopefully this Christmas and New Year’s, please contact us again if you would like to meet up. We would love to meet you and show you some great local spots if you like.
Thanks again for writing and please stay in touch!
Hi Amalia and Eric.
Thank you for your reply. We would very much like to meet you when we come in December. We are booked the 20. December. We will both stay for the first two weeks but Sigrun plans to stay until end of March. We are now looking for an apartment to rent from 20. December to 31. March. If you know of any in walking distance from centre we would be thankful if you could give us contact information.
We look forward meeting you.
Best regards Sigrun and Bjorn.
Hola Amalia and Eric,
Thank you so much for your comprehensive response and
Mr. Paul Millward’s contact information. Really appreciate it. As our dates to arrive in Spain are still uncertain, we are just doing some home work and looking for different housing options. After reading many of your comments to all of us on this blog regarding the layout of Dénia- I feel like I have already been in this town 🙂 thanks again. As much as I’m Googling and learning, if I still may ask your opinion if the street called- Calle de les Troies would be a good choice for a winter rental? It looks like it’s not too far from the center and Marineta Casiana beach. Just not sure if the area is still pedestrian friendly and not too windy and narrow.
Very much looking forward to our travels and saying thank you in person. Perhaps trying to make Eric’s legendary Pueblo Slopper. 🙂
Hi Viktoria. So glad that the comments here are helping you understand the layout of Denia. Perhaps we’ll do a more comprehensive post on it one day. And great question about Calle de les Troies. We actually have friends who live up off of that road so we know it well. It’s still walking and bike riding distance into town and some of the homes up there have great views of the sea and the mountain Montgo. But I do know that the road itself doesn’t have sidewalks and goes uphill a bit steeply when turning into it from Carrer de Denia a Xabia. It is a little windy and quite narrow when first turning onto it – the start of the road is a little quirky and can be easy to overlook. It’s good to keep in mind regarding if you’re wanting to ride bikes to and from there a lot. An electric bike can come in handy. Overall, I’d say it’s about a 30-40 minute walk from there into the center of town. The main street it’s off of, Carrer de Denia a Xabia, can be a little busy sometimes too with traffic but it does have some bit of sidewalk to walk on and then it’s not long before you get to the promenade along the Marineta Casiana and can enjoy walking or riding there instead of right on the road. So the street itself I think is not the most pedestrian-friendly, but it will most likely be less busy in winter. Please let us know if that helps.
And let us know what you think of Eric’s Pueblo Slopper recipe! Thanks!
Hi Amalia and Eric. We are also planning to move to Spain. Are there any other cities on the Costa Blanca or Valencia that you recommend. How is Denia for people of color?
Thank you Nadu
Hi Nadu,
Thank you for being on our blog and for your great question. It’s an important one. We feel that Denia is a great place for people of color and all varieties of backgrounds. The international community is very welcoming and so are the locals. During our years here so far, we’ve never experienced any kind of discrimination against people of color, which we’re very grateful for.
Another great town along the Costa Blanca that can be great for considering is Altea, although we still hear that there is not as much to do there year-round. Then for cities, there is Alicante and Valencia. Valencia is our favorite city in Spain and is that great size of not too big, but not too small when it comes to more of a metropolitan area. There’s also the town of Gandia which is a good size, right on the water, and at the end of one of the tramlines from Valencia. It’s about a 30-minute drive from Denia as well.
We hope that helps and please let us know if you have any other questions or if you’d like to meet up whenever you get to visit or move here. We wish you all the best in your journey.
Thank you both for your very informative blog and for your prompt response to my inquiry. You very obviously love Denia and are great ambassadors for the area. We will definitely get in touch when we can finally travel again. Everyone is going stir crazy! Let’s hope we can visit at least by spring if not sooner. Thanks again
Hi Nadu, You’re very welcome! We really appreciate you being here on our blog and look forward to meeting whenever you make it here. We know what you mean about going stir-crazy… it’s been so nice to be able to get out a little more after the weeks and weeks that we were in lockdown here.
Please let us know of any other questions you have and of when you’ll be here in Denia. Take care!
Sorry if this is duplicated the first one said it did not got through.
I want to thank you for your prompt and helpful reply. We will definitely look for you when we visit Denia. How do we find you?
You are great ambassadors for your community. keep up the good work 🙂
Nadu
Thanks Nadu! Your other comment did successfully post, but no worries for the two comments.
The best way to find us for when you come is to leave a comment here. I can then be in direct email contact and will be happy to share my (Amalia) number. We use What’s App a lot here in Europe for messaging. It’s free and works great. I’d recommend it for when you plan on coming over since so many people here use it.
Stay in touch!
Hola Amalia and Eric, remember us? We met you last September when we were in Denia for a week and have now moved to Valencia.
We have been there 6 weeks and were in Denia today on our way to Javea. We are reconnecting with how much we love the town of Denia and may find the city life is not for us. We have committed to a year there but have a funny feeling we may be in Denia after all. Thanks again for the wonderful blog and I have a number of questions for you since Covid.
My what’s app is 310 980 0139 ( American number)
Best,
Amanda and Herman
Oh my gosh – Amanda and Herman! It’s great to hear from you two. I’m so glad that you moved to Valencia and that you’re in the area. We’d love to connect again. But we know what you mean – Denia really captures your hear and then there’s no getting away from it, it seems. 🙂
I still have you on What’s App so will message now. Really look forward to hanging out again.
Abrazos (hugs)!
Hello again!
We did finally get to La Costa Blanca this year!
After a week of driving around we ended up buying a villa in Altea!
We will be back from December 27 2021 to January 9 (2022). I was wondering if there is some sort of social group of US expats living on the Costa Blanca that we could tap into to start making friends.
Any ideas?
Happy holidays by the way
Gracias
Hi Nadu. Congratulations on buying a home in Altea! That is wonderful. Altea really is such a charming seaside town.
We have found a lot of our US expat friends through our blog and from Facebook groups that Denia has.
I bet that there may be some great Facebook groups for expats in Altea as well and suggest starting there.
If Facebook is not your thing, you can also search online for Costa Blanca groups.
And of course you’re always welcome to connect with groups here in Denia. There is the U3A which has a chapter here in Denia and they have one close to Altea in Moraira and Teulada. Here are those websites:
https://www.u3adenia.com/
https://www.u3amoraira-teulada.org/
We hope this helps. And happy holidays to you as well!
Hola Amalia and Eric,
Thank you so much for the helpful information regarding the Calle De Les Troies street location. Like you mentioned- the terraced house we are interested to call our new home does have beautiful views and is super charming and cozy. David and I love and appreciate property’s authentic Spanish feel to it and are looking forward to hang our washed clothes to dry on the roof terrace while enjoying the nature around. During our house hunting, we also have noticed the majority of rental opportunities are apartments along Las Marinas. Is it difficult to find a terraced house or bungalow in las Rotas area for a winter or an annual contract? We really appreciate Paul Millward’s great article on your blog about real estate in Spain and wouldn’t hesitate to reach out to him when the time is right. Hopefully soon.
We definitely will report feedback after attempting to make Eric’s Pueblo Native’s Slopper. Looks great!
P.S. Love the High School Pic 🙂
Hi Viktoria, Great question about the housing along Las Rotas versus Las Marinas. There are some great places that can be found in Las Rotas, but not as much as in Las Marinas. Most of the places are a tiny bit back from the water’s edge as well, since a lot of the homes along Las Rotas are quite large, grand homes. But it definitely doesn’t hurt to search and see what be available in Las Rotas. Especially with these unusual and changing times, more properties may become available there.
And yes, keep us posted on making Eric’s Pueblo Slopper! We hope you enjoy it. Stay in touch!
Amalia and Eric,
What a stroke of luck to find your wonderful blog! My husband and I are both retired and have been thinking about moving to Spain for a long time. Now with the situation as it is in the US we are finally ready to take the plunge.
Over the years we have traveled to many parts of Spain, looking for the perfect retirement spot. About four years ago we discovered and fell in love with Valencia, where we lived for three months. But Dénia seems perfect for us in every way, especially with its proximity to Valencia. Once living in Dénia, we plan on frequent trips into the big city for our museums, Palau de Música concerts, and Turia fix!
Our dream is to find an apartment/penthouse within walking distance of markets, shops, restaurants. We are avid walkers and hope to get by without using a car unless absolutely necessary.
Can you recommend areas of town that are more quiet and good for walking? Does Dénia have an outdoor market or Mercado similar to the Rusafa Market in Valencia? How about places to walk? Any near the beach?
We want very much to infuse ourselves in the local culture. To that end, I have been studying Spanish daily for the last four years. Hopefully, we can become useful, contributing members of the community.
Our plan is to visit Dénia in the fall of 2021. Any information you could offer before our trip would be greatly appreciated. I have noted your recommendation for Paul Millard and will definitely contact him before coming to Dénia.
With warm wishes for a safe year ahead and many thanks for your helpful blog,
¡Hasta pronto!
Kate
Hi Kate! What a pleasure to have you here on our blog and to get to know you and your husband some. That’s wonderful that you lived in Valencia for a few months. We know just what you mean about loving it, but realizing that Denia was an ideal place.
We’re also big walkers, and we like to ride our bikes, so we know what you’re looking for. We still don’t have a car here either and who knows when we’ll ever get one. There’s plenty of great areas that can be a good match for what you’re looking for. The area on either side of the castle is great because that really is the heart and center of the town. There’s the old town to the back of the castle which is very charming with its rowhomes and traditional Spanish style. It’s also where the Calle de Loreto is, which is the pedestrian street lined with restaurants and bars for tapas. It’s lovely!
For what you’re looking for though, the ideal may be the side of town that we live on which is from Avenida Joan Fuster towards Las Rotas. After living 1st line at the beginning of Las Marinas for two years (on the other side of town), we came to prefer this side of town because it feels a bit more local to us. The Nautical Club of Denia and the Marina of Denia are on this side of town and the Marineta Casiana beach just before the Las Rotas beach starts. The ideal thing about this area is that it tends to be tranquil and quiet most of the time, with a variety of apartments or homes, but is still a nice walking distance into town. From where we live on Avenida Joan Fuster, it’s only 5 minutes’ walk to the Marques del Campo which is pretty much the main street in town. And just a couple minutes more to the castle. The only thing to keep in mind is that part of this area starts to go up the base of the Montgo Mountain that is here so those homes up those streets can get windy, narrow, and steeper of a climb. They aren’t the most walker-friendly either (few sidewalks, etc.). But, that’s only as you really start to go up the base of Montgo. Just in from the Nautical Club and the Marineta Casiana Beach is a great area.
Denia has a great Mercado Central right between the Marques del Campo and the castle. And every Friday there is the Mercado de Viernes which is the outdoor local market of fresh produce and local products. It used to take place alongside the Mercado Central, but since COVID it takes place on Calle la Via, which turns out to be a better spot since it’s more spacious. It’s wonderful and one of our favorite traditional things here. On average, we spend maybe 15€ and have enough wonderful local fruit and veg for the entire next week. Many of the vendors are also natural and do not spray their produce with any pesticides. This market is one of the highlights of the amazing quality of life here for such an affordable cost.
Please keep us posted on your plans and any other questions you have. Next fall will be here before we know it! We’d love to meet up as well whenever you do come. And any time you want to reach out to Paul, feel free. He’s very helpful, no matter what point of the search process you’re at.
Thanks again and stay in touch. Denia awaits you!
Hi,
thank you for the helpful information about Denia. I think this is the place I would like to retire.
I will be 61 years old next year and hope to move next year.
What do you think about aging in Denia as a single person without family around? I don’t speak Spanish but hope to learn some and I hope that will help.
Are there clinics there and a good hospital? I am healthy and active now but I am looking at the future.
Thank you!
Hi Angela, Thanks for being here on our blog. We think that Denia is a great place to retire as a single person, even without family. There is a wonderful hospital here, as well as a second one being built right now, and the clinics are good. We also have quite a few friends who are single, retired, and have no family here, and they love it. They’re also active with bike riding, walking, hiking, and snorkeling, and the intercambio groups for learning Spanish are a great way to also meet other people and make friends. It’s a really great community. Whenever you do come, please let us know and we would be happy to meet and introduce you to our friends who are living exactly the way you’ve described, and loving it. Please let us know of any other questions and we hope to see you here on our blog again soon.
Hi Amalia and Eric. My wife (Jackie) our rescue dog (Benji) and I are looking to settle (retire) in the close area of Denia next year. I lived on Mallorca for some time a few years ago and Jackie has always wanted to live in Spain, so when we met about ten years ago we started our plan and next year (2021) it will come to fruition. We have a 32ft Corvette that we will bring with us (we understand that the local marina is affordable and has moorings available for a permanent berth). Our mortgage in the UK is almost paid up, so we will be cash buyers in Denia and are looking regularly at properties on the outskirts of Denia (Montgo slopes). We are in regular touch with a couple of estate agents in the area. Your articles are hugely encouraging and add to our excitement at starting our ‘new life’ in Denia. I speak terrible basic Spanish, but keen to learn and improve. My wife is really just starting to pick up the basics. We really want to become a ‘local’ couple, mixing with the Spanish residents as well as other nationalities. We’re friendly, open-minded, 60-year-olds with a lot of life to live and looking to make life long friends. We had booked to come over at the end of this month, but Covid-19 has prevented that. So it looks like next spring now (2021). We’d love to keep in touch with you guys and maybe meet up when we come over on our property search. But in between whiles, take care, and thank you for a great blog! With best wishes.
Hi Malcolm and Jackie, Thank you so much for introducing yourselves. We’re thrilled that you’re liking our blog and find the posts helpful and inspiring. It sounds like you’re as ready as you can be to make the move over here. The time will go by fast and next thing you know, 2021 will be here. And you’ll be in Denia!
We would so love to meet up with you both and to meet your Benji (we love dogs!).
I was going to recommend Paul Millward for your real estate search, then today he let me know that you got in touch. That’s wonderful and we know he’ll be a great help to you in whatever capacity you choose.
And how wonderful that you like sailing. We love sailing as well (Eric is actually out sailing today with the guys). What’s nice about Denia is that we have the two marinas (split into three areas for slips) – El Portet Marina, the Nautical Club, and the Marina de Denia. We live closest to the Nautical Club and the Marina de Denia and tend to prefer them for hanging out. We don’t have a boat of our own (yet), but friends who do, have their boats in those two areas and when we charter a boat we sail out of the Marina de Denia.
You mentioned that you have a 32ft Corvette. What kind of boat is that? I’m not familiar with it but would love to learn about it.
Please stay in touch and let us know of any other questions you have that can help with your move. We’re also going to be posting a series of real estate posts soon that are written by Paul. So stay tuned for those.
Again, it’s a pleasure meeting you here and we look forward to meeting you in person. We’ll make sure to introduce you to some more fantastic people here, local Spaniards and foreigners.
¡Hasta Luego!
Hello! I’d just finished honing in on Dénia as a potential future home when I came across your article. Thanks for this. I’m from Denver myself, am living on east coast of US with my sailboat racing husband. Dénia meets one of his criteria, having a yacht club with a J70 one-design fleet. (Don’t ask, just nod. Sigh.)
One of my besties from Holland just bought a place in Dénia under the massif. I guess that part of the city is a ‘suburb’? It’s all houses with pools and views. I would LOVE some intel on the characters of the different neighborhoods in and around Dénia so that when we go there this winter I will know where to concentrate our efforts. I used to live in Italy and worked at a realty company helping people get settled so I know first hand the importance of inside intel. ANY thoughts or tips you wish to share would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much and keep up the good work, your articles are nicely done. Cheers,
Okay finally read all the other comments. So Las Rotas then. Sorry I asked before reading.
If we do end up settling there, I think a Colorado Club is in order!
Hi Kristin, Thanks so much for your comments and great questions. We love sharing inside intel as well. It’s the best way to get to know a place. And even though you’ve read the other comments, we’re still happy to get back to you and be in touch. A Colorado club would be awesome! That is so neat that you’re also from Denver!
Well, as you saw, we love recommending the Las Rotas neighborhood and side of town. There are some things to keep in mind which will make more sense once you’re here in person. For example, Las Rotas is also the beautiful long stretch of rocky beaches and coastline that extends away from town. There’s beautiful homes there and some apartments, but it’s further away for walking into town. Are you guys looking for a stand-alone house/villa or are you open to an apartment/penthouse kind of set up?
So yes, the area where your friend bought her house just below the mountain Montgo feels a bit more like a suburb, but at the same time not like we know of suburbs in the US. It’s still quite Spanish with tiny narrow streets that wind up where the mountain slopes upwards. Of course, it is also further away for walking into town. But the thing to keep in mind about living up along the bottom of Montgo is that the further up you go, the less sun you get in the winter. And winter here does get cold because it’s that wet, humid cold you feel to your bones. And the homes can get pretty chilly. Having sunlight in the winter is really helpful. Are you going to be here year-round?
Another thing is that some friends of ours were just looking for a new place and it seemed to them that a lot of the areas along the Montgo have power lines in the view. But of course, there’s plenty of places that have great views as well.
Since your hubby loves to sail, I’d recommend looking in the neighborhood that is just in from the Marineta Cassiana and the Marina de Denia. The Nautical Club is also in this area, just off the street that we live on which is called Avenida Joan Fuster, where it intersects with Carretera Denia a Javea. We love the nautical club and they have a great ‘chiringuito’ (beach bar) that is all-year-round, open all day. We’ll take you there if you like when you’re here visiting.
Another particularly nice area in the Las Rotas is the hill Saint Nicolas. It’s a small hill that is just above the Marineta Cassiana beach and there are some lovely villas along all sides of that hill. These areas are also still walking distance into town. As you can see, getting to walk into town here is a big deal, at least for us, because once you’re here, people tend to realize that it’s so nice to not drive as much. Especially for when you’re going out at night for some drinks and such. There are of course taxis and prices are pretty inexpensive as well.
We hope that helps. Here’s also our top recommendation for an agent who is awesome at helping to find places:
Paul Millward
Tel: +34 96 648 2480
Mob: +34 637 844 891
paulmillward@grupo-garcia.es
https://grupo-garcia.es/
Let us know if we can meet up whenever you come out and please stay in touch. Enjoy your summer!
Hi there it was so lovely to read your blog. We live in Cape Town South Africa and looking to move to Denia (or nearby) in next couple of years. We are waiting for our youngest son to finish high school and move to Spain so that we can be closer to our 2 elder sons who work on yachts. My husband is Spanish and was born and lived in Aguilar de Campoo and also lived in Santander we have been there many times while living in London and Cape Town. We have 3 surfer boys and I work in marketing and advertising for big retail brands and advertising agencies. We have close friends in Javea and family across Spain, Netherlands and UK so moving to spain would bring us closer and give our sons more opportunity to find work. As beautiful as Cape Town is there are big issues that need to be solved. Next year we would love to come visit look at some property, see type of jobs available mostly for me (my husband near retirement) maybe teaching English or working in tourism industry. Our youngest son could have a gap year play football and waterpolo and discover The area. Would love to hear more about Denia and will see if I can follow you on social media. Thanks again. Warm regards from SA (still in the scary Covid19 lockdown)
Jacqueline
Hi Jacqueline, It’s wonderful to have you on our blog, and thanks for sharing about your interest in Denia. You and your family sound so awesome – what a diverse bunch doing exciting things. We love sailing so love to hear that your elder songs are working on yachts is really cool. And my youngest brother loves to surf as well and is living in Florida now to be near the beach.
That’s neat that you already know other amazing parts of Spain. We have yet to make it to Santander believe it or not and it’s definitely on our list.
You mentioned family in UK and Netherlands as well. Are you from one of those places?
Like you’re saying, Spain is definitely going to be a great place to be closer to the rest of your family and the quality of life here is very good. Every country has its issues of course and Spain is certainly no exception, yet it really has improved in so many good ways in recent years and is a safe and wonderful place to live. From the sounds of it, you’ll really do great here.
Please let us know of any questions you have that we can help with. And certainly keep us posted on when you visit. We would love to meet up with you.
If you like, here is our favorite person to recommend for any real estate needs. Paul is originally British but has lived in Spain for years now. He and his company are great and we are soon publishing a series of real estate posts that he has guest written:
Paul Millward
Tel: +34 96 648 2480
Mob: +34 637 844 891
paulmillward@grupo-garcia.es
https://grupo-garcia.es/
Best wishes in everything and we hope to stay connected and see you here on our blog often. P.S. We hope that your COVID lockdown is over soon, just like our’s. It is already getting a lot better here.
Hi what is Els poblets like. We are looking to buy in or near Denia and have seen a beautiful beach side house. Would you recommend this area? We are both in are mid 40s so we would like to meet new people and have a busy social life.
Hi Jacqueline! Thank you for being on our blog and leaving your great questions. Els Poblets can be very nice and provides some great deals property-wise, from what we’ve heard. It does get really empty and quiet in winter though. And from what we’ve seen riding bikes through there, the actual village and its center are a good bit inland from the beach.
It doesn’t have the social life that Denia has but if you’re willing to drive or love bike riding, it’s close enough to easily be in Denia and so many of the other beautiful places around here.
Aside from this, we really don’t know the area that well. Our personal thoughts are that we prefer living right in Denia because we love meeting new people and have a busy social life. And we have a few friends who moved here and first lived a little bit outside of Denia, like in La Xara, and then wanted to move into Denia as soon as possible and eventually did before their first year hear was up.
Let us know of any other questions and we hope that this helps a bit. And whenever you’re here next, feel free to be in touch if you’d like to meet up!
Thanks again and take care.
Hi Amalia and Eric. Thanks for your great blog. We decided to buy an apartment in Marina Real II in Denia and will be moving there permanently in 2021. Originally from the Netherlands but having lived the last 20 years in Ontario we feel Denia is the place to retire. We have visited a few times and love the little town mentality and the access to Valencia and Alicante. If we have questions/need recommendations we will certainly send you guys an email if that is ok with you. Thanks in advance Rob & Nancy van der Sluis
Hi Rob and Nancy. It’s great to get your comment and learn of your appreciation for Denia. That’s great that you’ll be moving here and whenever you’re here for any visits in the meantime, please let us know. We love meeting new people and would love to meet up if you like.
And yes, please feel free to contact us with any questions and for recommendations that can be of help to your move.
Denia is certainly a wonderful and special place to live in. We continue to be enthralled with it every day, even after four years of being here now.
We hope to see you here on our blog again soon and wish you all the best.
Thanks for your response! We will certainly stay in touch and hope to meeting with in lovely Denia at some point
Hello Amalia and Eric,
Where the areas to look for a house in Denia if you are looking for a house with a small garden close to the city? With walking distance to restaurants, cafes etc.
We are currently living in NJ, 4 adults retired or close to retirement.
I have been searching but can’t figure out the areas.
Your information is inspiring to learn more about Denia.
Thanks,
Martin
Hi Martin, Thank you for enjoying our blog and for your great question. We would recommend looking in the area of town that is just inland from the Marineta Casiana beach and the Marina de Denia. This side of town is also right before the Las Rotas beach starts. That’s the rocky stretch of beaches that is great for snorkeling and walking. This area is also technically referred to by the municipality as the Las Rotas neighborhood or zone.
If you look on a map, find Avenida Joan Fuster and then look south-west from there. This area also includes what people here refer to as ‘living up on the Montgo’, the mountain here. Of course, the higher up towards the sloping edge of Montgo you go, the further of a walk it is into town. That’s why we recommend looking in from Marineta Casiana Beach. It may be hard to tell on a map, but this area has loads of little streets and tucked away neighborhoods with various kinds of homes, many of which have gardens. From here, it can be about a 15-minute walk into the center. And there are also wonderful restaurants and shops along the way, such as in the Marina de Denia and in the neighborhood itself.
Another way to understand the areas is to reference where the castle is. That’s in the very center of town and the historic district. The Las Rotas neighborhood and Avenida Joan Fuster are south-west of that. To the other side of the castle is the Las Marinas area and beaches. There are also houses there, but even more apartments. The houses that are there are a bit further out to walk into town. Perhaps more like a 20-30 minute walk depending on how far out you go.
That’s exciting that you’re looking to move here. Please let us know of any other questions you have. We hope to see you here on our blog often and who knows – maybe even in Denia one day!
Take care and best wishes for your move.
Hola Amalia and Eric,
My name is Viktoria.
I really enjoy reading your blog about Denia. Thank you so much for taking time to answer questions and provide some very valuable information. My husband David and I love to travel and are working our way to relocate from US to Spain or Portugal. We have visited Barcelona a couple of years ago and really enjoy our time there. Denia looks very charming and beautiful and we are super excited to make this cozy town our home base while we are exploring the rest of the country.
We feel very fortunate and blessed to be able enjoy the magic of both mountains and the ocean near our home in US and we have found Denia’s gorgeous Montgo natural park and the cozy local fishing marina will be wonderful to meet.
Dave was born in US and does speak good Spanish. And I
( Viktoria ) was born in Estonia and so excited to learn the language. Thank you for providing schools info in Dénia in the previous comments.
Currently we are looking on “Idealista“ , “kyero” and
”think Spain” for a short term ( we think about 3 months ) to get to know the area and feel the vibe. We are looking to be next to the green area ( not sure how far away would be from El Montgo neighborhood but looks very pretty ) hopefully walking distance to town to enjoy local markets and community life. Dave and I enjoy walking and outdoors so we wouldn’t mind some extra steps to make it.
We have learned from the previous comments that you would recommend Mr. Paul Millward as a realtor in Denia and Mr. Dominic Finan of Marina Alta Living to help with the rental property. Would that be ok to contact them?
Thank you again for all you do and great pictures. Dave loves to bbq and is looking forward to learn
how to host a parrillada.
Kind regards,
Vika.
Hi Viktoria,
Thanks so much for enjoying our blog and sharing about your own journey. That’s really exciting that you’re looking to spend some time in Denia. We’re glad that our articles can be of help to you and please let us know of any other questions. And when you’re here, we’d love to meet up so stay in touch.
And yes, you can definitely contact Dominic and Paul. They want their information to be shared and will be happy to hear from you.
From what you have described that you and Dave enjoy, we think you’re going to have a wonderful time in Denia.
We hope to stay in touch and to see you here often on our blog.
Thank you!
Greetings Amalia and Eric,
Thank you so much for your response.
Our prayers and thoughts are with Spain and all those affected by Coronavirus around the globe.
Hope everyone are staying safe and positive.
Peace and love. 🙏
Viktoria and Dave
Hi Victoria. Thank you so much for your kind thoughts. We really appreciate that and are sorry to not reply sooner. We are doing well and very grateful for our wonderful health and the lovely place where we live. We hope that you and Dave and your family are also well. We look forward to when this too passes. And we will be making efforts to get back to writing regularly. We have actually been kept busy with our work even through these strange times.
Please stay in touch. Sending you peace and love as well!
Hola Amalia and Eric,
Hope this message finds you and your loved ones safe and well.
Despite the challenging times we are living in-David and I are staying positive and continue to pursue our dream of living in Spain. . We are in the process to get a year long visa and are very excited about our journey.
Denia and Mijas ( Malaga area ) are both appealing to us and we are planning to split our time between the two of them. With the prayers that the visa will be granted to us , David and I will be in Spain around October and Costa Blanca is our first stop. 🙂
We are looking forward to find a cozy little place to rent and call home, meet the locals and explore the surroundings. In our understanding the town is very quiet and laid back during the off-season months. Being rookies and new to the area, we are looking to stay close to town and amenities. David and I love to walk and are planning to get bicycles.
We are researching winter- let’s rentals and were wondering how far out of the Denia center can we live without feeling isolated during the off-season? Are BBQ’s usually allowed in common areas in complexes or are they allowed on the terraces/balconies? We did some inquiries on the properties and have learned that some of the businesses are closing during the winter months and resuming operation in spring. Any suggestions and information would be greatly appreciated and I truly can’t thank you enough for running this wonderful blog.
Kind regards,
Viktoria.
Hi Viktoria,
Thank you so much for writing and being here on our blog. That is exciting news that you are moving forward with your plans to be in Spain. October is a wonderful time of year here. And yes, it is definitely a more laid-back, local feel since there’s not as many tourists/visitors (even during these interesting times we have a good amount of visitors right now in the summer but certainly not as much as usual).
In regards to walking distance to the center, we would say that the beginning of Las Marinas beach area, the beginning of Las Rotas beach area (or end of Marineta Casiana beach) are the furthest out you would want to be if you want a walk into the center to take no more than 15-20 minutes. You can go more inland as well, or up along the bottom half of Montgo, but many of the streets up there are narrow, windy, and uphill – they’re not as pedestrian-friendly. Of course, if it’s a matter of not feeling isolated and you plan to cycle often as you mentioned, then you could go out further down along the Las Marinas and the Las Rotas and be just fine. It will be quieter for sure during those months and not as many neighbors, but the ride into town will be around 20-30 minutes depending on how far out you go. As you may have seen in some of other comments, our favorite neighborhood in Denia is the area just inland from the Marineta Casiana beach and the Marina de Denia. We love this side of town and moved here after two years of living front-line on the Las Marinas beach on the other side of town. We’re just in from the Nautical Club, on Avenida Joan Fuster. From that street over towards the Marineta Casiana beach, is a great area and still considered in town. We also prefer this side because we love the Las Rotas beach which is rocky and best for snorkeling, rather than the sandy beach of Las Marinas. Although we do have the lovely, smaller sandy beach of Marineta Casiana on the way to Las Rotas so best of worlds.
Most complexes do allow BBQs but that also depends. For example, our building doesn’t allow them even though we have a top-floor unit and huge terraces but that was something that was decided only a couple years ago by our building community president and some of the owners, not everyone so it’s not a town-wide mandate (it really is a shame cause our place came with a gas grill on the terrace – so we sneak in some grilling every now and then, honestly).
And regarding businesses closing… Yes, some businesses close but not many do so for the entire winter. They may take a month or so off. Otherwise, Denia stays quite active year-round with plenty still open (certainly much more open than many of the beach towns and villages in this area during winter). There should still be plenty open regarding professional services and the great restaurants here.
If you need any further help in your rental search, we highly recommend Paul Millward. He specializes in purchasing but can help with rentals as well, and he’s very knowledgable and responsive:
Paul Millward
Tel: +34 96 648 2480
Mob: +34 637 844 891
paulmillward@grupo-garcia.es
https://grupo-garcia.es/
I hope that helps for now. Please don’t hesitate to let us know of any other questions that you have. And we would love to meet up whenever you arrive here in Denia so stay in touch if you like. You’re going to love it here!
Best regards!
I’m coming through there this week, looking for a part of the year place to live besides Alaska. Can you recommend a real estate agent? I’d be looking for a project house , fixer upper. Also curious about local trades and what it takes to work in Spain . I am a General Contractor. Thanks for any recommendations.
Hi Matthew. Thanks for being on our blog and for the great question.
We highly recommend Paul Millward for a great real estate agent here in Denia. We just emailed you directly all his contact information so you can follow up as you wish. Please check your spam folder if you’re not seeing the email at first.
That’s great that you’re going to be in Denia this week. Let us know if you’d like to meet up. Have a great time!
Hi
I’m moving to Denia this week as a permanent move and your blog has really inspired me!
I’m moving there on my own and I need to learn Spanish and find activities that will help me meet me new friends. Do you have any tips to help me on this?
Thanks
Deirdre
Hi Deirdre,
Thanks so much for your comment and being on our blog. We just emailed you some resources for enjoying living in Denia. Here are some for the language schools as well: We recommend Lingualogic https://lingualogic.es/cursos/cursos-para-adultos and here’s a page with a list of all the main language schools here in Denia: http://www.denia.net/spanish-schools
We hope to be in touch and welcome to Denia!
Hi Both
Unfortunately I didn’t receive your email, could you try again?
Many thanks
Deirdre
Hi Deirdre,
Thanks for letting us know. I just forwarded it to you. Make sure to check your spam folder as well in case it went there. And let us know if you still don’t get it.
Thanks.
Good morning, I am thinking of moving to Denia this year and would like to purchase near the beach. Can you suggest a good realtor and information on dual citizenship
Hi Franko. We have a great reference for a wonderful realtor here in Denia.
Here is his information:
Paul Millward
Tel: +34 96 648 2480
Mob: +34 637 844 891
paulmillward@grupo-garcia.es
https://grupo-garcia.es/
Please tell him that Amalia and Eric from Move to Traveling referred you.
Regarding information on Dual Citizenship, we would suggest asking your local Spanish consulate. Are you in the US? The paperwork required for processing your Spanish citizenship usually starts from within your current native country where you’re living and have citizenship and the documentation required can vary according to the embassy (at least in the US). Regarding the topic in general, I (Amalia) have dual nationality with the US and Spain. I got my Spanish second. And I had to start the process in the US and then complete it in Spain. Also, some say that you can’t have dual citizenship with the US and other countries, but that’s obviously not true since I have it and others I know have it as well.
Hope that helps and let us know of anything else. We hope to see you here on our blog often. Thank you.
Hi I love Denia not familar with Las Rotas would appreciate your opinion as to what it is like in the winter
Thank You Loz
Hi Liz, If you love Denia than you should really get to know Las Rotas. It’s on the western side of town and starts right where the Marineta Casiana Beach ends (this beach is right next to the Marina de Denia). In the winter it can feel pretty chilly because it’s humid and right on the water. But it’s still a wonderful place to go walking. Many locals and visitors walk along Las Rotas in the winter and stop for a drink or lunch at one of the few restaurants that are spread out right on the rocks and with great views of the water. It’s also easy, level walking and parts of pedestrian-only. From about halfway down Las Rotas, you can get a great view of the Cape Saint Antonio (Cabo San Antonio) and especially from the very end of Las Rotas.
Oh, and keep in mind that there is a DeniBus that for only 1.50€ each way goes from the end of Marques del Campo to the end of Las Rotas, with optional stops along the way. Here’s the schedule: https://www.denibus.es/wp-content/uploads//2013/06/LasRotas.jpg.
Getting back to what it’s like in winter – there’s plenty of days of sun and when the sun is out it’s so nice. Being in the shade can be chilly, so wear layers. It can also get windy some days, especially in the afternoon so mid-morning/mid-day is ideal for walking along Las Rotas.
We hope that this helps. Please let us know of any other questions you have and we’d love to hear what you think of Las Rotas. Hope to see you here on our blog often. Thank you!
Perfect that I came across this article… We live just outside of Denver and are planning a trip to Denia this summer. I have read a great deal about Denia and wanted to visit to see if it makes sense as a place for us to retire. We will be celebrating a few things on this trip and will be bringing our college-bound son and two HS age children. Can you recommend an area of Denia we should look at for lodging to keep all happy and entertained?
Hi Miguel. Thanks so much for enjoying our post. We love meeting fellow Coloradans too. How great that you’re right outside of Denver where we used to live. So it will be your first time coming to Denia? What time of year are you planning for the trip?
We have some great ideas as to where to stay. If you’re here in summer and want to be on the beach, we’d recommend somewhere along the Carretera de Las Marinas, but not further down than kilometer 1 or so. That way you’re still close enough to town to walk or ride bikes in.
But an ideal area is just in from the Marina Portet (remember that Denia has 2 Marinas). There’s plenty of vacation apartments for rent in that area on AirBnB or other sites. It’s also where the fisherman’s quarter is, the new Els Magazinos (restaurants and rooftops), and best of all the Castle and steps to the main street Marques de Campo. But even in this area, you’re very close to walk down to the El Raset Beach which is right at the beginning of the stretch of Las Marinas beaches (the sandy beaches).
If you’re coming in winter/early spring, the water will still be quite cold (up until about mid/late-May), then you can consider charmingly renovated units in the old historic part of town that is behind the castle (the end opposite the water). The center of that area is Calle Loreto which is the pedestrian street lined with restaurants and bars.
Another beach option for summer (May – end of September/early October), is the other side of town just in from the Marina de Denia. This is the Las Rotas area where we live and that is very local. It has the Nautical Club, Marina de Denia, and the Marineta Casiana Beach which is a sandy beach in a very tranquil bay that has a promenade and is great for paddleboarding. From there’s it’s only steps to still walk into the center of town, but also only steps to go the other direction and walk along Las Rotas, which is a long stretch of gorgeous rocky inlets. It’s beautiful and ideal for snorkeling with a lot more sea life to see because it’s a protected area. Just in from the Marineta Casiana Beach are many apartments or even houses that can be rented as well as along Las Rotas, but that’s getting further away from town center.
Overall, Denia is such a great size, that staying in either of these areas will still have you close to everything. The furthest away area would be going down Las Marinas beaches or Las Rotas beaches. We really recommend staying in a place where you won’t need to use the car because driving and parking here is a pain in the summer and will not be relaxing. And there really are so many places in town that are practically ‘at the beach’ and with plenty variety for all members of your family to enjoy the town and themselves.
Let us know of any other questions you have and if you would like us to email you directly. We’re happy to help and would love to meet up for a drink if you like when you’re here. Thanks for your comment and we hope to see you here on our blog often. Have a great trip!
Wow – just last night I watched a Househunters International show on Denia (not sure when it was filmed, but housing prices are low compared to Toronto Canada). This site is full of very interesting information – it seems you have become full time Denia supporters and consultants. On behalf of all of us, thanks so much for taking the time to impart lots of useful information.
We’ve already made plans for travel up to late September of this year, but are thinking of going to Denia for 6 weeks or so. I checked and it looks as if October is the wettest month in Denia, but still fairly warm. We were in Spain this October (Andalucia), and it seemed very dry/arid/parched. In your experience, are we likely to get a lot of rain? When it rains, is it mostly short showers, or are we likely to see days of rain?
Hi Cynthia, Thank you so much for enjoying our blog and for your kind words. We really do love Denia! That’s great that you’re making plans to visit as well. It’s hard to say when the rain will come, but this area is more green and verdant than Andalucia. October can have more rain than other months, but it just really depends. This past October we did have some rainstorms, but it can still be a great month to visit because it’s not too hot or too cold. When it does rain, it tends to be short showers, but once or twice a winter we get what they call the ‘gota fria’ which is usually a good two to three days of heavy rain and very strong winds. It can flood some during those storms as well.
We hope that this helps and please stay in touch with any other questions. If you like, we’d be happy to meet up in Denia whenever you do visit. Happy travels!
Hi Amalia and Eric!
I really appreciate your article about Denia! Especially the part about it being a year-round town. I was lucky enough to make some great friends who live in Denia and I’ve spent several months with them in both the winter and summer seasons and can testify that one is no better than the other! I love this town any time of the year and the winter time is great to get the local experience.
I’m a recent college grad and I’m hoping to spend the upcoming summer living and working full-time in Denia. My Spanish is quite good, but not perfect. I also know that there are many english tourists in Denia during the summer. Do you guys have any general advice or know of any businesses that may be hiring for seasonal work in Denia? I’d greatly appreciate any pointers!
– John
Hi John, It’s great to have you here on our blog and thanks for your great questions. We love that you’ve been able to experience Denia at different times of the year and that you appreciate you so much. We continue to just love it and even yesterday got back from traveling and loved ‘coming home’ to Denia.
Congrats on having graduated! From what you’ve expressed, we think that teaching English here in Denia could be a great job possibility. We don’t know of exact language schools that teach English, but we know that they exist here and we’d recommend searching for them online and contacting them. Aside from that, we’re not really sure unless we knew more about what experience you have and what kind of work you’d like to do. What did you get your degree in? Is it something that you could get online work for yourself and work online while in Denia? There’s English teaching jobs that are online too. Or do you have experience sailing? Maybe you could contact the Denia Nautical Club about possible jobs. If you’d like to be in touch more via email, just let us know here and we’ll shoot an email over to you as well. Let us know of any other questions you have and we hope the best for you and your aspirations this year!
Hi is it possible I could have a contact for the club as I’m looking to move to Spain but would like to look the roles on offer.
Best wishes Sonia
Hi Sonia, Thanks for being on our blog. We assume that you mean contact for the Real Club Nautico (the Denia Nautical Club). Here is their website where you can get plenty of info on how to best contact them: https://cndenia.es/.
Let us know of any other questions you have and we hope to see you often on our blog. Happy Travels!
Hi Sonia!
If your contact at the club could help me get an application in there that would be super! Are you looking to move to Dénia or elsewhere in Spain? Do you sail or row?
– John
Real Club Nautico! That’s a great idea, I used to workout there when my friends were rowing. I do have experience working at a sailing club in Connecticut so that’s a great idea. I did reach out to the only english school I could find in Dénia and they reached back to me with a potential interest. And I’m exploring online teaching options so that’s a possibility too.
My degree is in International Studies. I was working part-time in school at high-scale restaurants and a summer camp while on break. I would also be interested in au pair or nannying jobs which I’m looking into online. If you two knew any families who may be interested in private english lessons, babysitting, or miscellaneous labor that would be a great connection for me! The last time I was in Dénia I got by painting fences for neighbors and I have plenty of experience in landscape and handyman work. Please feel free to reach out to me via email!
Well John, we think you’re doing a great job at creating wonderful opportunities for you to enjoy spending more time in Denia this summer. Definitely pursue the Nautical Club and the other ideas you mentioned.
And actually, the babysitting idea could be great. We have some friends who could possibly use your help so we’re going to email you directly as well to chat more about this.
Thanks so much for enjoying our blog and hope to see you here often (and in Denia later this year)!
Hello!
I have enjoyed reading your blogs! Thank you for sharing your experiences. And to my surprise I recognised Cayetano and Amparo on one of the pictures. I´ve worked with Amparo briefly.
Will keep following you.
Happy new year!
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie. That is so neat that you know Cayetano and Amparo! They are amazing people.
We’re so glad that you like our blog and thank you for continuing to enjoy it. Do you live in Denia as well?
We wish a very happy New Year for you too! Thank you.
Hi Amalia and Eric,
Yes, I also live in Dénia. Since 1,5 year now. I am absolutely loving everything Dénia has to offer and do not see myself leaving here anytime soon!
Before I lived in Málaga for a while and although I also really love Málaga, it became too touristy for me. Dénia has just the perfect balance between locals and foreigners, as you also described.
Maybe we´ll run in to each other once!
Have a nice weekend.
Hi Stephanie. That’s so neat that you live here as well. It’s especially great to hear your perspective and experience of Denia after living in Malaga. We continue to love Denia and appreciate how it’s maintaining its great local culture and foreign community.
It would be great to run into you! Feel free to let us know if you ever want to meet up. Thanks!
Hello there! Your blog is 100% accurate. This past summer we visited all of Spain for a few weeks with the intention of finding a possible area to relocate from Miami, Florida (US). We made a last minute stop in Denia to visit a restaurant that was added to the “Worlds Top 100 Restaurants” list just a few days prior. We had no idea what we were in for. What a beautiful surprise. We fell so in love with Denia that even our children (12 & 10) were sad to leave so soon. On our way to Granada we all agreed that Denia was moving to the top of the list for us. After visiting Marbella, Seville, Cordoba & Madrid, it became clear that Denia would most likely be our new home. We came home, did our research and planned a trip back to visit schools and meet with realtors. We bought land and we are now in the process of building our new home in Denia and selling our home here to move there. We will be there in June!! It truly is a special place that can only be understood by visiting. Once infected with its charm, you’re just never quite the same. We’ve been all over the world, and we have seen some beautiful places, but no place that ever felt like home. Denia had us at “hello”……
Hi Mel! We love hearing your story and are so glad that you’ve enjoyed our blog and most importantly, Denia. That’s fantastic that you’re building a home here and moving here in June! We have other new friends who we met here through the blog that are also from Miami and visited this past year, fell in love, and want to come live for a year to consider retiring here.
Please stay in touch and let us know of any other questions. We would love to meet up anytime you’re here next or once you’ve moved here. Although we don’t have kids, we have friends who have kids around your age and we would be happy to introduce you to them if you like. Welcome to Denia! We hope to be in touch and that you continue to enjoy our blog. Happy holidays!
Hi Amalia and Eric, Thank you for all your great information about Denia. Currently I live in Washington State, USA, beautiful in the summer but nasty and rainy in the winter. After a few years of coaxing from my son, I have decided to move to a place sunny and warmer all year long. Reason #1 cost of living, reason #2 making friends and #3 medical insurance will be very important to me. I am 75 and adventurous, love history and museums and am excited to learn a new language. Living on the water, as I do now, or very near the water with a view would be another of MY 7 reasons to move anywhere. As I read your blog I thought Denia could fit well for me, maybe even all year round. I’d like to keep my budget at about $2500 a month. After reading this what are your thoughts? Would a visit to check out Denia be more than worth it? Email me please if you can. Heather
Hi Heather. We saw your same comment on our other post about Denia, A Hidden Gem Among Gastronomy Destinations, and we answered it there. But we’ll also email you as well. Thank you!
Greetings,
Am planning to relocate to Spain in 2020 on a non-working visa. I know the country well and am fluent in the language. Presently I am in the process of filing my application at the Spanish Consulate in Los Angeles. The one requirement I am stumbling on is the required medical insurance. Being a senior most companies on the list the Consulate provided won’t even talk to me. Anyone has any ideas on where to purchase medical coverage that will comply with Spanish law? Muchas gracias.
Hi Frank, Thank you for being here on our blog and for your great question. The required medical insurance is a big factor for moving to Spain. We used Sanitas and their expat plan for a year while Eric was getting his residency but that was a different process since I (Amalia) have dual nationality with Spain. We didn’t have to apply through a consulate in the US. I would still recommend trying to get one of the medical companies on the consulate list to talk with you. Aside from that, we also highly recommend this blog post from another expat family living in Spain: https://wagonersabroad.com/private-health-insurance-spain-non-lucrative-visa-medical/
We hope that this helps and please let us know of any other questions you have. May your application and move go great and we hope to see you on our blog again. Thank you.
Hi we are looking to come and stay in Denia for January and February 2021. Will there be plenty of bars and restaurants open and can you advise me of and winter let agents who can help us to find a 2 bedroom property to rent for 2 adults and a small well trained dog for around 700 euros per month. Thanks.
Hi Colin, Thanks for your comment and great questions. Yes, January and February still has a lot of great bars and restaurants open. In January there’s also Three Kings Day on the 5th which is a big holiday here in Spain. It’s their version of Santa Clause and Denia has a beautiful parade that night and the streets are all still directed for the holidays. It’s very nice. Later in January and some in February, there may be some restaurants closed for a week or two of their vacation time, but plenty of places are still open. We’ll be coming out soon with more restaurant recommendations so stay tuned for that.
And for a winter let, we would recommend Dominic Finan of Marina Alta Living: https://www.marinaaltaliving.com/. Let him know that we sent you.
Let us know of any other questions you have. Thanks for enjoying our blog and we hope that it can be of further help to you.
Your blog has been fodder for a LOT of daydreams for us.
¡We live in Evergreen, Colorado!
We are thinking of retiring to Spain, and thanks to you, Denia is top of the list to check out. We want to spend 4-6 weeks there this winter. We probably can’t retire for another 5-10 years, but we are thinking of spending a few months every winter to build up friendships and community in the place we eventually choose to retire year-round.
We have traveled all over the world, including four times in Valencia for Fallas and an eight year stint in Latin America. So we are both Spanish speakers, although we need to get used to Iberian accents and pace. And one of us has German citizenship, so as long as the E.U. holds together, immigration should be fairly easy.
We’ve looked on Kyero, VRBO, Airbnb, Facebook, and idealista. It looks like pickings are pretty slim for short term rentals. Any other ideas of how to find a place would be greatly appreciated. We want to be walking distance from the center of Denia.
Thanks so much for whetting our appetites and turning us on to Denia as an area to explore!
Hi Rona,
It’s wonderful to get your great comment and we’re so glad that you’re enjoying our site and now interested in Denia. That is so neat that you live in Evergreen, CO! We know it well. Being from Colorado, you’ll really like the mountains here in Denia and the Valencia Community, but that we have the sea too.
Coming to visit is a great way to get a solid idea for whether or not it’s the place for you to retire. And yes, with one of you having German citizenship, it will make the process easier getting Spanish residency as well. FYI – Fallas is quite nice in Denia and not as ‘overwhelming’ and loud as it can be for some in Valencia. So enjoying that festival here can be really nice, especially since you’re familiar with it.
The various property sites you’re looking at are good sources and we recommend continuing to look there to have an idea of real estate here, as well as to find good places for when you come to visit. If you want to be within easy walking distance of everywhere, we recommend looking near the castle and in between the two marinas (Marind de Denia and Marina El Portet).
Please let us know of any other questions you have and of your plans to come to visit. We would love to meet up with you and can be in more direct contact after this!
Thanks again for enjoying our blog. We’re going to get back to posting more often here pretty soon (we’ve taken a bit of a break the past month). Hasta luego!
I moved to Valencia more than a year ago from Denver, and am loving Spain. My sister is coming to visit in January from the US Midwest, to scout out Spain as a move, as well. I’ve not been to Denia yet, but based on your great info, I plan to put this on our itinerary during her visit. Thanks so much!
Hi Lauren, It’s great to meet you here and thanks so much for enjoying our blog and leaving a comment. That’s so neat that you’re from Denver as well and we’re glad to hear that you’re enjoying Valencia. When your sister comes to visit and you come to Denia, let us know if you’d like to meet up. We’d love to show you a good tapas place here and meet you in person. Bringing your sister to Denia is a great idea for her visit and we hope you like it as well. It really is beautiful and the people are great. If you want to get together sometime, just let us know and I’ll email you directly. Thanks again and enjoy your holidays!
Hi Amalia and Eric,
I was wondering when searching for places to live, what you consider as the nicest area of Denia, or certain streets that are nice. I would like a little greenery, also to be walking distance to cafes and the beach, I would prefer a little house, but is an apt. more realistic there? It will be my husband and I and we’d like a 2 bed, 2 bath that is not in a highrise. From all the reading, is it best to find a place on a FB expat page, or through idealista? I put long term rental in my search, but not many come up. I’m from CA-nearLA, and I understand to get the non-lucrative visa you have to have a rental lined up for 6 months. Seems challenging as I understand to get residency and utilities, you have to already live there. .I love your blog and appreciate any advice-it seems daunting from so far away! Also-I know this is a lot of topics but do you like life in Denia more than in Valencia.
Hi Donna,
Thank you so much for enjoying our blog and for your great questions. We’re excited to hear that you’re considering Denia for living in Spain. And we’re happy to answer your questions as best as we can.
There really are a lot of nice areas of Denia and to really get a feel for them and where you would personally prefer to be, we recommend visiting for a few weeks beforehand or moving here with just a short-term rental at first so you can look for a more long-term place. We personally have lived right on the Las Marinas beach, very close walking distance to town, but then came to love the other side of town closer to the Las Rotas beach. Now we live on a street called Avenida Joan Fuster. But we’re in an apartment. We would recommend looking in the neighborhoods just east of our street and in from the Marineta Casiana Beach and the Marina de Denia. This side of town tends to be more ‘local’ than the other side of town and there are various streets that have lovely little houses and bungalows. But you don’t know it at first until you go walking down them. They especially have a lot of greenery like you want, which is really lovely. While there are a lot of apartments here, we think you could still find something that is a house or perhaps a townhouse/bungalow style. This area is also still walking distance into town. Also, don’t be surprised if you find that most units are at least 3 beds/2bths, but there won’t be much of a price difference. It’s simply like that here because it’s such a family-oriented destination for Spanish families from Madrid.
For searching for places we recommend looking on every site you can, both FB expat pages and Idealista. We’ve heard that right now there doesn’t seem to be a lot of long-term rentals on the market, however you never know when becomes available so look everywhere that you can. There’s also a good site called Kyero. We do also know an agent who we could put you in touch with if you like. Just let us know.
Regarding the visa, we’ve heard from friends here who moved here from San Francisco/Silicon Valley area that it actually depends on the consulate so what you’re saying about a rental lined up may be specific to the LA consulate. It really does make it a pain and from what we understood, having a rental lined up was not a requirement for the visa. Did you get that information from the consulate itself? Those same friends wrote a guest post here for us and we recently interviewed them to do a post about the actual non-lucrative visa process. We’re simply working on getting it published soon but would love for you to benefit from it when it comes out. In the meantime, here’s their first post: https://www.movetotraveling.com/retire-in-spain-american-couples-story-part-i/.
We’re really glad that you’re pursuing retiring here and know that it seems daunting at first. But we’d say it’s definitely worth it. Our process has been quite different than most expats since I (Amalia) have had dual nationality with Spain for some years, so we didn’t have to apply for visas. But that’s why we’re interviewing others here to provide as much helpful information as possible.
And lastly, we do like life in Denia more than living in Valencia. And we thought before that we would be city people all our lives. But when we discovered Denia it simply changed. We still love Valencia but prefer it for visiting, which is easy to do since it’s pretty close to Denia. But even for year-round living, Denia is so marvelous. A true hidden gem. Once again though, it really does depend on personal preference. Valencia can be a great choice for living in Spain as well. It’s our favorite city in Spain and we would recommend it for city living to anyone.
Please stay in touch and let us know of any other questions you have and if you’d like to be in touch more directly via email. Take care and hasta luego!
Hi my wife and I are in Denia at camping los llanos with our 14 year old boy looking at staying for a long length of time and was wondering if there is any English teenager that here could meet with or English speaking you no what I mean to as we don’t speak Spanish at mo and we have been traveling for three weeks with friends that have three little kids but feel he need more many thanks any help would be appropriate
Hi Chris. Thanks for being on our blog and reaching out to us. We’ve been trying to think of anyone we know who has teenagers around your son’s age, but we don’t anyone. You could look into some of the youth groups here in Denia that the city helps to coordinate, but they’re in Spanish or Valencian. Just in case here’s some information: https://www.facebook.com/Joventutdenia. It could be a great way for him to learn Spanish. If we think of anything else, we will definitely let you know. Hope you have a great time here in Denia and let us know if you have other questions. Thank you!
Hello again Amalia & Eric. We have finally arrived in Denia. Any chance we can meet up with you. Perhaps you could email me.
Thanks
Jayne & Graeme
Hi Jayne! So glad you’re in Denia. We just emailed you and hope that we can meet while you’re here. Thanks so much for reaching out and looking forward to hearing of how you’re enjoying Denia.
My son is a new exchange student spending the next 11 months in Denia. He has mentioned some interested in learning to sail but his host family are not sailers. Can you offer us some guidance on how he can get involved? He is 17
Hello Anita. Thanks so much for reaching out to us and being here on our blog. We also love sailing and usually go with friends since we don’t have our own boat, but it’s not as often as we’d like (quite yet). For your son, we would recommend that he, or you, contact the Denia Club Nautico (the local nautical club) https://cndenia.es/. We live very close by and walk through there often, seeing that they have programs for kids and young adults of all ages.
Just this past weekend they had a regatta for young adults. We know that they have programs/classes that your son could benefit from. Aside from that, we’re not sure of any other resources, but if we learn of any we will share about it with you. We hope that your son has a great time here in Denia and please let us know of any other questions you have or if we can be of help to him further while he’s here. Thank you and we hope to see you on our site often!
Hello, Thank you for your postings. Questions;
1. Is Denia warm enough in the Winter to still enjoy the sea?
2. Does Denia have enough culture for smb who enjoys theatre, opera, musical concerts etc…?
3. Are beaches nice and long enough for walking?
4. When does wáter become warm enough to swim comfortably
5. Is the surf rough or more placid?
Thanks very much
Hi Vladimir. You’re welcome and we’re glad that you like our posts. Thanks for commenting here and asking your great questions. Here are our thoughts:
1. It gets chilly in the winter here in Denia and is usually too cold to swim in the sea. The Mediterranean tends to be pretty cold anyway since it’s so deep. Some people still go scuba diving with wetsuits and everything or paddleboarding on a sunny warm day. It really depends on your tolerance for the cold.
2. Denia has great year-round community and activities, including live music at restaurants. The local arts and culture like theatre and classical music concerts are primarily in Spanish or Valencian. There’s also a lot of local festivals year-round which is great to enjoy. In the summer there’s a jazz concert series as well. There’s no live opera here, but the local performance theatre Condado does live-stream events of some of the performances that take place in Madrid. Valencia is also only an hour’s drive away for more culture and art.
3. The beaches here are lovely for walking and nice and long. The Las Marinas is especially a very long stretch of sandy beach that goes and goes and goes for many kilometers. The Las Rotas beach at the other end of town is rocky and great for snorkeling but also wonderful for walking along with few cars and areas that are just for walking and riding bikes. That goes quite a nice long ways as well, about 4 kilometers or more.
4. The time that the water is warm enough to swim in really depends on personal preference. But we’d say end of May depend on the year and how the weather is being. Within June it’s quite nice but in my opinion (Amalia speaking here) still crisp and cool. But I’m a small person and easily get cold.
5. The surf is typically more placid along the Las Marinas beaches but can also be very still along Las Rotas too (the rocky beach). This really depends on the time of year as well and in winter the water can get rougher and there is more surf, especially along Las Rotas. It’s very beautiful.
We hope that helps! We’d love to hear your thoughts and if you have any other questions about Denia or Spain. Thank you again for being on our site and please continue enjoying it!
We recently bought a house in Denia and plan to retire there one day. We fell in love with Denia just as you did 🙂 We have a question about residency. Would you be able to explain the process for someone that didn’t qualify for a golden visa? Thank you!
Hi Geni. That’s great that you’ve bought a house here in Denia and we’re glad that you love it as well. Great question about the residency options. Are you American then? We know that many of the American expats who just moved here in the last year have gotten the non-lucrative visa, which involves showing that you have enough money to support yourself and not work while you’re living in Spain. It’s usually perfect for when you’re retired and moving here. Since our situation is different with me (Amalia) having dual nationality and also being Spanish, we have not spoken on this much. But, the good news is that we just did an interview of an expat couple who moved here last year and went through that process. We’ll soon be writing specifically about the process, the valuable tips from what they learned, and key details to pay attention to in the process. We hope you stay in touch to benefit from that.
In the meantime though, we recommend this great article https://gentlecycle.net/how-we-and-many-of-our-readers-got-their-spanish-non-lucrative-visas-updated-january-2019/. It’s what our friends followed for getting their non-lucrative visa for moving to Spain and it’s kept pretty updated.
Please stay in touch and let us know of any questions you have. And next time you’re in Denia, let us know if you’d like to meet up. Thank you and ‘hasta luego’!
Thank you so much for the info! Yes, we are from Los Angeles. The plan is to retire in Denia in about 5 years.
We would love to meet you guys next time we’re in town. We haven’t met anyone from the US in Denia so far. Hasta luego!!
You’re so welcome Geni. Yes, there are not many Americans here in Denia, although more have moved here in the past year. Denia continues to be a hidden-gem and great place to live. We’d love to meet as well when you’re in town. So stay in touch. We’re happy to be of help. Hasta luego!
We lived in LA as well and are also considering Denia, we just spent a week there and really liked the area up in the hills. Looks a lot like the hills of LA but not as crowded. Enjoy your trip, Amanda
Hi Geni, I have been looking at every town near Valencia, and keep coming back to Denia as the ideal. We live in Aliso Viejo (near Laguna). Wewould like to retire there in about 4 more years. If you’d like to stay in touch my email is donniemontgomery@att.net. I’m also going to reach out to Amanda from LA below as well, as it does not seem that Denia has a lot of Americans there. Really enjoy your blog Amanda & Eric!
Hi, I am visiting Denia on November 22nd, does anyone know an British estate agent?
Many thanks
Ara
Hi Ara. Thanks for sharing your question here. There are several estate agents here in Denia who are British. Our recommendation would be to join the Facebook Group ‘Denia Connect’ and ask there for references for British estate agents here in Denia. That would be a great way to go if you use Facebook. Either way, we’ll email you directly a couple of referrals that could be a great start. Let us know of any other questions you have and we hope that your visit in November goes well. Hope to see you here on our site often!
Hi. You can try home espana. I just bought a house there from
Them.
Thanks for sharing your resource Talin! Hope you continue to enjoy our site.
Hi Amalia and Eric
What a fantastic blog you are a breath of fresh air. We are sailors and have lived onboard our yacht for five years sailing the Mediterranean. We are looking at marinas in Denia. Then we hope to rent a villa with a view to buying and living in permanently Whilst still sailing in the season. It’s a big change for us and I would appreciate any tips. We hope to arrive somewhen in October. No specific dates as we are waiting for good winds to cross from Sicily, Sardinia then the Balearic Islands.
Many thanks Jayne and Graeme
Hello Jayne and Graeme,
Thank you so much. We’re thrilled that you like our blog and hope it can continue to be helpful to you. Your sailing lifestyle and this next chapter of your adventure sounds so amazing. We love sailing as well although we aren’t quite the sailors that you are. Denia is a fantastic place to consider, especially since it has two marinas to choose from and is so central along Spain’s Mediterranean Coast.
We would love to stay in touch and give any tips. From what you’ve told us so far, we would recommend the Marina de Denia and the neighborhoods just in from that marina and the Marineta Casiana beach. Of course, to have views though, you could consider the villas just along the bottom of the mountain Montgo. You could also consider down along the beautiful Las Rotas beach depending on how far out of town or close to town center you want to be.
Definitely stay in touch and let us know what other questions you have and what other resources you may need. We would love to meet whenever you arrive in October. Thanks again and continue enjoying yourselves sailing on the Med!
Thank you Amalia and Eric for your message and all the good info. We will let you know when we arrive. You are both so kind. Jayne and Graeme.
HI there – we live in Spain inland from Alicante and want to move back to the coast – Looking at Denia area but want to be close to the beach etc. Interested in your blog – do you live near the sea and how is Denia in the winter – Do all the restaurants stay open, is there much going on up there in the town during the winter??
Which is the best aeas to live we have looked at Las Marinas a bit built up etc but lovely beach and lots of facilities. Perhaps a bit too holiday ish to live there. Would appreciate your opinion.
Rachel
Hi Rachel, Thank you for enjoying our site and for your comment. Great questions and that’s wonderful that you’re considering Denia to be closer to the sea and have a place that is active and with things to do year-round.
We know what you mean about Las Marinas. It’s great, but we lived there, front-line on the beach and still close to town, for our first two years and it was great, but felt more developed and touristy. Now for over a year we live on the other side of town, just a block in from the Nautical Club. We love it because we’re only a 5-minute walk to the Marineta Casiana (sandy beach/smaller bay) and less than that to the Marina de Denia. From there, it’s only another minute and we’re in the rocky coves of Las Rotas which is just gorgeous for snorkeling. It goes for quite a ways down the coast, is great for walking and riding bikes, and has little restaurants along it right on the water. But overall, this whole area and side of town is more local. And we’re literally in the center of town still, only 3 minutes from the Marques del Campo and maybe 5 minutes to the castle.
Denia is great year-round, even in the winter. There are many restaurants open year-round, plenty of cultural events, local concerts, shows, and a great international community that is active and with plenty going on in the winter. It’s another reason why we chose Denia.
From what you’ve shared, we would suggest looking into places close to the Marineta Casiana beach and the Marina de Denia. Keep in mind that Denia has two marinas, the Marina Portet at the Las Marinas end of town, and the Marina de Denia, at the Marineta Casiana and Las Rotas end of town.
We hope that helps! Please stay in touch and let us know of any other questions and how the search is going.
¡Hasta luego!
Hola
My name is Beatriz.
I’m Spanish but have been in the UK for many years.
I’m currently purchasing an apartment in Denia Km 9, and I’m looking forward to spending some time over there.
It is very interesting to read all the different alternatives for the area.
Delighted to come upon your site.
Kind regards
Hola Beatriz.
Thank you for your comment and for enjoying our site. We’re so glad that you find it interesting. And congratulations on buying a place here. The Las Marinas beach where you’re purchasing is so beautiful, as you probably already know.
Please do stay in touch and ask any questions you may have or let us know how we can be of help with any resources you need as you start to spend time in Denia. If you’d like to meet up when you’re next here, just let us know as well.
Enjoy spending time in Spain again and we hope to see you here on our site again often.
Thank you and hasta luego!
Hi Amelia and Eric,
We are going to be in Denia tomorrow for a week checking it out after being in Valencia for a week. We love Valencia but found it to busy and noisy for us.
We are retiring ( kind of) and moving in January from the US.
We love what you wrote about Denia and think it could be a good fit for us, we want water, sailing, nature, good food and great community. We are in our mid 60’s and I am a chef and my husband is a home remodeling man.
We are looking forward to spending the week there.
If you have time to meet let us know.
Best,
Amanda and Herman
Hi Amanda,
Thanks so much for reaching out. We would love to meet up with you while you’re in Denia and have sent you an email directly with our contact info. That’s wonderful that you’re moving here in January. We know what you mean about Valencia as well. We spent our first four months there and really loved it, but then discovered Denia and love the balance here of community and culture, but not as busy and noisy as Valencia. And yeah, it looks like Denia will be a great fit for you and the things that you love to do! We live super close to the Nautical Club and love sailing and the sea as well.
So look forward to meeting this week and thanks for being on our site. We hope to see you here again soon.
We will see you guys this weekend, either Saturday or Sunday is good.
Best,
Amanda
We enjoyed meeting you both so much and want to thank you once again for all your recommendations and tips. We had the best evening with you eating, drinking and walking around Denia. It’s a great town.
We are still in the research stage of our journey and will keep you posted of what we find.
We had a great week in Denia, thank you again,
Amanda and Herman
Hi Amanda and Herman. Thank you for your sweet message. And you’re most welcome. We had a fantastic time with you both as well and really enjoyed getting to show you a bit of Denia and getting to know you. Continue to enjoy researching and considering all the wonderful possibilities. We look forward to hearing about what you find and decide on. And if you have any questions we can help with, just let us know. We hope to see you one day again and in the meantime, we wish you all the best! Abrazos (hugs) from Denia.
Hi – I’m looking to move to Spain on a part time basis. My husband is not yet willing to make a full time commitment. We are in our 60’s so medical facilities are important. What is the medical situation in Denia? Good hospital? English speaking doctors/dentists?
Thanks!
Hi Andrea. It’s great to meet you and have you on our site. We love hearing that you’re looking to move to Spain. And of course, we think Denia is a great option to consider. We took some time today to ask some good friends, an expat couple here (Scottish), about the healthcare and hospitals well in Denia. We have access to it but don’t use it that much and they’ve been longer than we have.
We’ll email you more directly everything she shared, but we can definitely confirm there is a nice main hospital and a smaller one. As well as two health centers. In the summer there is an additional, smaller health center down along the Las Marinas beach. Most of the staff do speak English and from our friend’s experience (and that includes dentists), they simply appreciate that you show some effort to try and speak some Spanish. But they’ll definitely answer you in English. You’re given a written report after you visit the hospital, with your symptoms, diagnosis, medication, and follow-up.
Overall, our friends say that it’s much better here than in the UK. And they have had some major health issues while living here, so that says a lot. We would also agree that the healthcare professionals and experience overall here are much better than in the US.
Please let us know of any other questions that you have. We hope to see you again soon here and that this next part of your journey goes great. Maybe we’ll see you one day in Denia! Let us know.
Hi, from NY but now living in Ruzafa Valencia since January. I really love it here but just a little bit busy for me. Thinking of staying here another year and then finding someplace a bit more laid back. Is life without a car a possibility there? Thanks.
Hi Gennaro, Thanks for commenting here. We lived in Valencia’s Barrio del Carmen for our first four months in Spain and we know Ruzafa pretty well. Valencia is great! But yes, it can get really busy. Living in Denia without a car is definitely possible. It depends on how much you might be coming and going from the town and for what reasons. For example, if you need to leave Denia for work, you may want a car. But otherwise, getting around the town itself is great on a bike or even just walking. There’s plenty of great grocery stores and the local market within easy walking distance. And there is a nice bus system along the waterfront. There’s also good buses via Alsa that go to Alicante and Valencia. We love to travel and even after 3 years of living in Denia we still do not have a car. We have our bikes and when we need to go further we get the bus to Alicante or Valencia. There are also car rental places here that you can use and many of our other American expat friends in Denia do that every other month or so for a few days or a trip they may go on, but otherwise some of them don’t have cars either. Denia is definitely a great place for being somewhere more laidback, but it still has a great local and international community year-round with plenty to do if you like being social. And it’s still within easy travel distance to Valencia and other areas. Oh, and by next summer they are hoping to have the train finally re-opened that goes from Denia to Alicante. It’s a local tram that right now still works from Calpe to Alicante, but the portion from Denia to Calpe is being repaired. For now, there is a nice bus system that replaces that portion from Denia to Calpe for the same amount of time and the same price (really cheap). And it’s a very pretty ride. Please let us know if you have any other questions that we can help with. And if you come to visit Denia and want to meet up, we’d love to grab a drink with you and tell you more about Denia. Hope to see you here on our site again. Thanks and best of everything!
Thanks so much for all this information. Sorry it talk so long to get back to you. I didn’t realize you had sent a reply. Yes, I visited Denia and went on a beautiful hike overlooking the sea all around and then had a very nice dinner in the town. It felt very comfortable. I’m still torn as to what to do so I am staying put for now and continue trying to improve my Spanish. I literally just retired nine days before moving to Valencia( on a non-lucr visa so besides the where do I want to live problem (and I use the word problem loosely) I am also dealing with the what do I want to do problem. I was a professional musician so one may retire from work but being an artist is part of who I am. I love hiking and being out in nature as well as just chilling on the beach. I have also discovered Chulilla for hiking though it would be a bit quiet to live there for me. Again, thanks for all the information and the next time I am in Denia I will let you know and maybe we can have that drink together.
Hey Gennaro. No problem about getting back to us. It sounds like you’re definitely at an exciting and changing chapter of your life. We’re glad that you enjoyed Denia. The hiking here is great. Did you go to the top of Montgo? We enjoy hiking as well and walk and ride bikes to get around town. And we know what you mean about being an artist. Eric is a graphic designer, animator, and film producer. He can’t be still for long and loves making things with his hands as well. And my mother is a professional musician and painter. So we get it! Well, keep in touch whenever you like and continue enjoying Valencia and Spain. !Hasta luego!
Hola. I am in Dénia for the weekend. This morning hiked up Montgó. Beautiful. I have definitely decided this is the place for me. So next trying to find a rental and exactly where. So I am walking walking walking All around. If you have any free time and can get together for a drink that would be great. Thanks. I feel way more relaxed here than in Valencia, really great. Thanks again for all the info
Hi Gennaro. We’re so glad that you’re enjoying Denia and have connected with how special it is here for many of us. That is great that you want to make it your home as well. We’ve hiked up the Montgo as well and just love it. We would be happy to try and meet up this weekend while you’re here and will reach out to you. We’ve removed your number from here as well, as you requested and so it is not public when this comment is published. We hope we can be of any further help and that you continue to enjoy our blog. Thank you and we’ll be in touch soon.
Dear Amalia and Eric,
I am sold on Denia! Thank-you so much for your description of this beautiful place. I feel like my husband and I will fit right in Denia for so many reasons. I have one question, and that is: how far is the nearest international airport? My husband travels regularly to the African continent for work and needs to be somewhat near an international airport.
Thanks so much, Sally Nedelcovych
T
Hi Sally! Great to meet you here and have you on our site. We’re so glad that you’re enjoying our posts and find the information helpful. With your enthusiasm, we think you’ll love Denia as well and fit right in.
Great question about nearest airports. So Denia actually has two international airports in either direction. To the southwest is Alicante’s international airport and to the northeast is Valencia’s international airport. Each one is about the same distance away, just over a 1-hour drive. There are also buses that go to each one. Some other great news is that right now the quickest route to each is a toll road, but at the end of this year, they’re removing the tolls and the road will be completely free. So pretty great timing. When are you looking to move to Denia?
We hope that this information helps. Please stay in touch and let us know of any other questions you have or resources you may need. And we hope to see you here on our site again soon.
!Hasta Luego!
Hi
I’m travelling since may
I left the states for good since I’m originally from Dublin , Ireland ( weather not so good there!!)
I’m looking at Portugal but friends suggest I take a serious look at Denia .. I’m a single 55 woman looking to still work as a hair stylist part time .. look forward to hearing your thoughts .. I plan on being in Denia mid September:)
Thanks
Clare
Ps
My eldest son lives in Vail 🙂
Hi Clare! It’s great to have you here on our site and thanks for commenting. We agree that Denia is definitely worth considering. We don’t know as much about Portugal but have been to Lisbon and a small town called Monsaraz near the Spanish border. We found the country to be charming and quite a bit rustic.
In addition to the great things about Denia that we mentioned in our article, we think it can also be a great place for your kind of work as a hairstylist. One that Amalia has gone to is Coast Hair Salon (http://coast-hair.es/en/coast-hair-salon-denia/) which is owned and ran by a British woman so they speak English and have a mainly international clientele.
If you like, we’d love to meet up whenever you’re here visiting in September. One of our friends who recently moved here is also from Ireland (possibly Dublin). Small world. Maybe she could join us in meeting you as well.
And that is so neat that your son lives in Vail. We remember it well from when we lived in Colorado. It’s a gorgeous place. Look forward to being in touch and hope you continue to enjoy our blog. Thank you!
Hi Amelia
I just sent a message
Not sure it went through
We are here now until next Tuesday
Would love to meet up !!!
Kind regards
Clare
Hi Clare! Yes, we got both of your comments. We’re looking forward to meeting you as well and thanks again for being here on our site and reaching out to us. See you soon!
Hi looking at moving to the area and woukd love to ask youcsome questions ..we live in Washington state …maybe cliser to parguedor? Or i did find a homevonlinecthat i loved ..i am an artist and husband a musican . is this a good town for us ?
Hi Hilarie, Thanks for being on our blog and commenting. That’s great that you want to move to this area. It’s beautiful and such a great place to live. Did you mean Pedreguer, the small town just inland from Denia? It can be very nice. We haven’t spent much time there but have passed through before. It depends on how close to the sea you want to be. Prices may be a bit lower there so good real estate opportunities perhaps. It can be a great town depending on what you’re looking for. Let us know if you want to be in touch more directly through email and we’re happy to answer any other questions you have as best we can. Hope to see you on our site again. Thank you!