A Trip to Denia

Back in March, we decided to take a trip up the coast to a city called Denia. We had heard good things about it and wanted to get a feel for the town. 

Normally we would take public transportation for a trip like this, but we also wanted to explore some of the hill towns between Alicante and Denia so we rented a car, packed up and off we went.

On the way to Denia, we made a stop at El Castell de Guadalest. Guadelest is a small town in the hills between Denia and Alicante. The castle there looked quite interesting and so we took the detour.

  

The castle predates the thirteenth century and has a vibrant history. Anyone interested in reading more can Click HERE  

After exploring the castle we continued on to our destination.

One of the things that keeps happening to us is that we unwittingly choose to travel to places during festivals and celebrations. This has happened to us a number of times and although not planned, we have enjoyed the experiences that we would otherwise have missed.

Such was the case with this trip. The week that we had booked our hotel turned out to be the week of the Fallas Festival which ended on St. Joseph's Day. 

We had booked a room at an eclectic hotel in the old town area of the city.  Traffic is restricted in the area, so we had to contact the hotel when we arrived so that they could lower the mechanical bollard to the street where we could park our vehicle.

Because of the festival, several streets were blocked off and Google Maps led us the wrong way a couple of times, but eventually we did make it to the parking lot.

We had a wonderful large room in an old building with windows facing toward the interior courtyard. This proved to be very fortunate as a part of the festival apparently involves setting off firecrackers in the street throughout the day during the week leading up to the event. 🧨🧨🧨🧨Because of the room's location, we were spared the worst of it during the night. 

We found the city to be quite pleasant and friendly. As we walked through it we encountered the large paper mâché sculptures (Fallas) that had been constructed over the past year.

These sculptures were incredibly elaborate, and the details were fascinating. There were about a dozen of these sculptures, and most had accompanying children's Fallas that were much smaller in scale.

  

Denia is a port city and is the primary ferry landing for ships servicing the islands of Mallorca and Elvissa. 

There is also a small castle above the town along with a museum.

We found some very good restaurants close by to our hotel, although we were unable to locate a pub with a proper Guinness as St. Patty's Day fell on a Monday and many of the pubs were closed.

On St. Joseph's Day, the main street became a parade route as each Falla district gives an offering of flowers at the main church in the city. The processions are a thing to behold as costumed men, women and children parade down the avenue accompanied by marching bands. The processions go on for hours and thus seating is set up alongside the avenue. Beware, however, as you are expected to pay for your seat. People patrol the avenue looking to make sure everyone has paid their fee. 

All this leads up to the main event, the cremation of the Fallas. Yes, these magnificent pieces of art are set ablaze, one by one, initiated with the setting off of fireworks from the sculptures.

The next morning the city was cleaning up the sites and quiet had returned. 

Overall, we had a wonderful time in Denia, although we may want to return some time when we won't have to dodge firecrackers all day.