Jávea rewards the explorer willing to leave the beach. The old town (el poble) is the most architecturally coherent part — the fortified Gothic church of San Bartolomé stands at its centre, built partly from the local Tosca sandstone that gives the town its distinctive pale colour. Cap de Sant Antoni to the north is a marine reserve with some of the clearest water on the Costa Blanca, and the lighthouse road offers panoramic views over the bay and the Montgó massif. La Granadella cove, reached by a winding road south of the port, is one of the finest unspoiled inlets on this stretch of coast.
The Montgó natural park rises directly behind the town to 753 metres and is excellent walking country, with trails leading to cave paintings and panoramic ridge walks. Several local dive operators take clients into the Cap de Sant Antoni marine reserve, where the seabed is protected and the visibility is exceptional.