You should also think about these 4 fishing villages in Spain once.

Spain remains the ultimate holiday destination, I think. For a weekend getaway or a truly sunny vacation; you have so many destinations here. And oh, the food. Just for that, I would head to Spain. Now cities like Barcelona, Valencia, and Madrid have become a bit standard — sounds a bit diva-like, but well — you’ve seen them all eventually. Especially if you’re heading towards the Spanish sun for a week or longer, you don’t want to spend the whole week in a big city. Especially if there’s no beach nearby. And a big city doesn’t always give me the real holiday feeling; I need some peace for that. Well, peace, beach, good food, and the sun, these Spanish villages have all the ingredients for an ultimate vacation.

The villages of Moraira, Javea, Altea, and Dénia are located close to each other. Between Alicante and Valencia, so you can fly into either of these airports if you’re heading this way. Rent a car and go for it, although I’ve also done it by train/bus and that was perfectly doable (though it took a bit longer). Dénia is the largest town, but I personally always prefer to stay in Moraira. Anyway, you can reach each village by car in no time, but I find the beach and the restaurants in Moraira the most enjoyable. For example, at Nautico Morairo, where you have a view over the harbor and a good sunset at the Upperclub (on the first floor).

I visit Javea and Altea for the wonderful beach clubs, such as La Siesta, Bay Club Altea, and Olla Beach Bar. If you want a fine dining evening, definitely head towards Dénia. It’s bursting with incredibly good restaurants. Quique Dacosta has three stars, BonAmb has two, and Casa Papa has one as well. Not to be confused with restaurant Ca Pepe — no star, but incredibly delicious. You can already tell: a trip to these villages is also a culinary highlight.

You can find these villages in the Costa Blanca, and I often combine a holiday here with a weekend in Valencia. This way, you have the hustle and bustle of the city, but afterwards, you can relax in these fishing villages. Especially relaxing, yes, because the nightlife here — which you might have expected — is not super vibrant. You can drink cocktails and there are plenty of terraces, but if you want to party, you can go to Dénia or to the Moli Blanc in Javea. If you still have energy left after your day at the beach, of course...

Are you already booking? You definitely won’t regret it. You want to have these Spanish fishing villages on your bucket list when you’re ready for a vacation and the Spanish sun. And we all have that, right?