Granadella- Our favourite beach.

The Costa Blanca is famous, all over the world, for its stunning award winning beaches. You would think it would be difficult to pick a favourite, but for the team at Jacaranda Spain, we have the jewel in the crown for you.

Cala Granadella, in Javea, is the whole package. This stunning cove is situated at the bottom of steep cliffs in La Granadella Forest Park. It is 160 metres, small but cozy, stoney beach covered with round white pebbles and it has held its Blue Flag since 1989. The sea is crystal clear with a rainbow of turquoise, green and blue. It is perfect for snorkellers, divers, paddle boarders and kayakers. The coastline here is rugged and punctuated with sea caves and kayaking is the very best way to explore the dramatic cliffs and inlets. La terreta sea kayak offer organised excursions that cover up to 9 km of this beautiful part of the coastline.

   

Another great way to see the area is from the many mapped hiking routes, which vary in length and difficulty, depending on how seasoned a hiker you are. It has to be said this method of exploration is better left until late September, when  the temperatures during the day are in the early 20s rather than 30s.

Our recent beach day was an all together more chilled experience. The weather threatened to put a stop to our plans. With grey skies and the odd rumble of thunder, the forecast for most of the Marina Alta was decidedly stormy. We decided to stick to our guns and defy the weather (actually, we googled the weather and- no rain on the beach!) We arrived at 9 am and, quite honestly, its the only time to arrive here in the summer. Between the months of July and August Granadella, like a lot of the beaches, is over crowded, to say the least. The problem here is the parking. There is a small car park behind the beach but by 9am its almost always full. It´s a one way system, so you literally have to drive until you find a space. The road is a steep climb, which is fine walking down to the beach but always keep in mind the climb back to the car in the heat of the day.

 As we were reasonably early, we found a space quickly and vowed to take our photos from the top later on. Our day here always starts with a coffee at the little cafe nearest to the beach, we normally book a table for lunch at the same time. However, horror of horrors, the little family owned cafe was no longer. A smart, new one with trendy, rustic tables and smartly dressed, English speaking waiters instead of the rough and ready, Spanish only owner, who was brusque but accomodating. La Bandideta is a great place for coffee and the food is probably great, but we were mourning the loss of our "go to place" for rustic "sardinas a la plancha" and sangria. We booked instead,Restaurante Sur, which is next door.

We went to the spot where we pitched up earlier and left our fold up chairs and cool box. We wiled away the morning with a kindle and the occasional dip in the sea.  This IS what Sunday mornings were made for! By 1pm we were hungry and sun sated, so we packed up and went for lunch. 

"Sardinas a la plancha" were delicious and we followed with "Arroz del Senyoret". This translates as gentleman´s style rice, so it is paella with all the shellfish peeled and de-shelled. To finish off (literally!!) we shared a blueberry cheesecake and washed it down with a chilled glass of white wine. The terrace at Restarante Sur is gorgeous, blissfully shaded, with a great ambience. This IS what Sunday afternoons are made for.

 

 

Homeward bound we made our way back to the car and headed uphill. If you had to park further up, you will find you are handsomely rewarded for the climb. A fitting way to end a super Sunday day out is to stop at the top and just gaze at the best view this coast has to offer.