Denia - a pearl on Costa Blanca

Benvinguts, Bienvenidos, Welcome!

Just between Valencia and Alicante

Few years ago my boyfriend and I decided to leave our small country for a while and see how people live in the big World. It wasn't very difficult to choose a destination - we wanted a small town, in a warm country so we connect to a friend in Spain and he said: "Come to Denia!". Two months after that we were at his place in anticipation of many new experiences. Finding an accommodation, a job, getting used to local habits and customs was not easy but we accepted it like a challenge and it worth it.

Everyday we were out around the streets of that old city enjoying the weather, the buildings, the greenery, everything. Denia's history starts far away, hundreds of years BC and it has been ruled by Iberians, Greek, Roman, Arab and Christians and all of them have left something of their culture that still exist. A wonderful place of feeling the history is Denia Castle. Situated on the hill in the center of the city, it gives spectacular view to the Mediterranean and the mountain on the other side, as well as to the colourful rooves of the buildings.

View from the Castle

...and the yacht port

We couldn't live there for 3 months without visiting the coast (although it was autumn). I remember we were sunbathing on 1- st of November - something impossible to happen in Bulgaria. The beaches were not crowded after mid of September but the water was still warm and great for swimming. We also loved to discover the beaches by night - there were few discos that offered good music and drinks and party people. Walking by the yacht port was something I loved to do. In sunny days we just went out having a walk by the port alley and then we were sitting on a bench watching the boats, the water and dreaming of the freedom of the sea. The only think I regret we didn't do, was not going to Ibiza. Denia is the closest port to the Balearic islands (Ibiza and Minorca) and there are regular lines by Balearia ferries. We were looking for cheap tickets and finally we realised that we want to go almost for free - well...no way.

Calle Marques de Campo

As I said in the beginning our favourite activity was walking around the streets. Just under the Castle there are winding narrow streets, waited to be discovered. Going down to the center is the main street - Marques de Campo. It is a lovely street with high trees that keep it shadow - perfect in the hot weather. Marques de Campo was full of shops, cafes and restaurants where we frequently stopped to have  cafe con leche, una  caña or sangria and of course the famous tapas. Talking about restaurants I cannot miss to mention the food. I worked in a restaurant - El Comercio, which offers a wide range of Spanish and Mediterrean food and I had the chance to try many delicious meals. And my favorite is still seafood paella.

Denia is also a place where you can go shopping. It was hard for me to resist the shoes and pants everytime I entered a fashion store. Every Monday there was a market at Torrecremada parking from 9am to 2pm, where people were selling clothes, shoes, blankets, dishes, etc. Although the quality didn't seem to be perfect, prices were low and it was full of people. That market was part of Costa Blanca Markets that took place every day in different cities along the coast. In the middle of October, at the same place they built the Feria, one of those amazing places that we remember from the childhood with lots of attractions, candy-floss and shooting ranges. La fira de Tots Sants connects people from all agaes with its attractions, raffles and fast food, they all seemed so happy. It was a great place for spending the evening from 5pm untill midnight.

Thus, 3 months have passed and we had to go home. I didn't want to leave but that time(2006) Bulgaria was still not in the EU and we were not allowed to stay as much as we want. I still miss the city...Denia will be always in my thoughts and most important - it will stay in my heart.