The Best Sail of the Season

There was a good force 4 south-westerly wind forecast, which was due to increase to force 5 after a couple of hours, but with it coming off the land the sea state should remain low. We untied our lines in Valencia and set off on a 30 nm journey continuing South along the coast. There were lots of container ships anchored just outside of the port so we motored around them first before hoisting the sails.

The wind was already a little stronger than expected and we started with a reef in both sails, but it soon increased to 35 kts and more reefs were needed. Ziggy handles sailing close hauled in stronger winds really well and she was flying along at 7-8 knots with 3 reefs in each sail, our toe rail almost in the water and waves crashing over the bow.

As we continued along the coast the wind strength kept changing as it came over the different landscapes and we had a busy time adjusting the sails. It calmed down as we passed the larger hills and so the reefs were shook out for a while until it picked up speed again as it blew through the valleys, and the sails were quickly reefed.

With good speed all the way, it didn’t take us long to arrive at Gandia, (feeling very salty) where we anchored close to the beach and in calmer water taking protection from the mountains and breakwater. Later the sun went down leaving a colourful sky.

The water was very clear which meant that the many poisonous jellyfish in the water were easy to identify, definitely no swimming here!

The wind was due to continue blowing for two more days and our next trip would be heading straight into it, so we sat it out in the anchorage. After a couple of days the wind did drop and then turned North, swell started to build through the night making it more uncomfortable, so we left as the sun was rising and continued on our journey, 50 nm around the coast.

The wind was blowing 15 kts so we had good sail until we rounded the headland near Denia. Our change of direction coincided with the wind dropping and we had to motor for the last few hours. The rock formations and caves were an interesting distraction along this part of the coast.

The skyscrapers then dominated the coastline as we passed Benidorm and crossed the Greenwich meridian from east to west longitudes.

After 10 hours, we arrived at Villajoyosa and moored in the marina where the marinaros were very helpful, particularly as some late afternoon wind caught our bow on the way into the slip and we went in slightly sideways.

Villajoyosa (The joyful town) is situated on the Costa Blanca coast. It is known for its brightly coloured houses, historic port, blue flag sandy beaches, shallow clear water and chocolate industries.

There is some evidence that a village was present here as far back as the Bronze Age (1800BC), but the town became economically prosperous and flourished under the Roman Empire. However, Villajoyosa was a risky place to settle as pirates were a constant threat on this stretch of coastline, eventually it fell to wrack and ruin, until a more fortified town was built in the 16th century.

The historic centre has cobbled alleyways and staircases, ancient architecture and remains of the defensive castle and old town walls.

Built on top of the old walls are some colourful ‘hanging houses’ overlooking an 18th century bridge and a dry riverbed which is now an urban park.

The brightly coloured houses are found throughout the town, as well as along the seafront promenade. The story suggests that they were painted as fishermen needed bright buildings to guide them home in poor weather.

Among the painted houses, there was also plenty of street art and murals on the side of houses.

Villajoyosa is famous for chocolate and often referred to as the ‘chocolate city’ due to it being the home of three factories, Valor, Pérez and Clavileño.

Valor is Spain’s most popular chocolate maker. Established in 1881, it is still a family run business. We stopped at their chocolate cafe to taste it, it did not disappoint ( I didn’t eat all of those churros myself!).

There is a coastal path from Villajoyosa to Benidorm described as a two hour hike along the beautiful coastline with stunning views. It was an unusually hot day for this time of year with no breeze, but as we hadn’t been to Benidorm before, we decided to go for a walk.

It started with a short walk along a nice coastal path, I thought that this would be an easy walk, until we came to some steep steps which elevated us quickly towards the cliff top and views of the next cove.

The terrain was hilly with a good path (most of the way) leading us up and over the first cliff and back down into the beach of Torres.

This was the halfway point, the path then took us up again and over the next rugged cliff top, the views were stunning of the sea with waves crashing into the rocks below.

As we started to descend, we could see the skyscrapers of Benidorm ahead.

After two hours we arrived at the first beach in the area of Benidorm, Cala de Finestrat, which was a popular sandy beach, nearly 300 meters long with cafes and bars. We were starting to flag in the heat and managed to find some seats in one of the very busy cafes for some much needed refreshments.

Feeling reinvigorated, we continued on and headed towards the skyscrapers and Benidorm’s famous Levante Beach.

The Grand Hotel Bali is one of the tallest hotels in Europe with 52 floors and 924 steps up to a height of 186 meters. It is a venue used for tower running competitions, the current record is 4 minutes 23 seconds. They also host ‘Extreme World Base Jumping Championships’.

Access to its rooftop terrace is allowed, I think it would have taken us more like four hours to climb the steps to the top, so we took the glass external elevator instead. From the top we had panoramic views over Benidorm and beyond.

Back down to earth, we strolled along the smart tree lined promenade beside the beautiful sandy Levante beach.

We eventually arrived at the final cove, Poniente beach. The main shopping streets had everything you needed for a holiday in the sun.

Love swans sit on the promenade overlooking another wide sandy beach, lined with tourist bars.

Benidorm was granted its first Town Charter in 1325 when the castle and the first fortifications were built. It experienced significant growth, after its second Town Charter in 1666, with the arrival of tourism which continues to this day.

Castell de Benidorm was high up on the hill. In 2019, excavations of site uncovered remains of the medieval castle.

Now, the site offers great views, it seems a very popular spot to watch the sun set.

Benidorm has been made famous by the old TV sitcom ‘Benidorm’. The hotel and bar filmed in the series are still used (with different names), we tried to look in as we passed but the Solana resort was surrounded by fences, and it was too early for the Neptune bar to start partying.

As Benidorm is known for its lively nightlife and the sun was starting to go down, we thought it must be time to find a bar, there were plenty to choose from.

After a few drinks and music entertainment, it was time to leave and return to Ziggy. It was far too dark to hike the 12 miles back to Villajoyosa, and there were plenty of taxis available, so it was an easy decision to make.