A guide to moving to

Villajoyosa

Browse properties in Villajoyosa

Why move to Villajoyosa

Bright and beautiful, the name of Villajoyosa means the city of joy. It’s a vibrant town among sandy, sunbathing-friendly beaches and peaceful bays, with transport links to Benidorm and Alicante.

Bold, brightly coloured townhouses demarcate this ancient walled town from 3 kilometres of palm brushed beach. Settled by anyone who was anyone in Spanish history — the Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, Moors and finally, built in its current image by an Admiral in Aragon’s navy in 1293 — it has capitalised on its position on the mouth of the river Amadorio as a trading post. Firstly for olives, cereals and wine until it became a shipbuilding port and finally, in the 19th century, Villajoyosa began its history of chocolate production and distribution. The ubiquitous Valor brand of chocolate is still made here and distributed to supermarkets all over Spain.  

Playa del Centro is the largest and best-serviced beach, running alongside the traditional town centre. It has Blue Flag status, various sports facilities, accessible entrance points and an extensive children’s playground right on the sand. Other beaches worth visiting include Playa del Xarco, a small cove with a defensive tower on the headlands, Playa del Paraíso, almost as long but much quieter than the main strip, and Cala Mallaeta, a cliff-edged cove sought by both naturists and naturalists.

The Moros y Cristianos festival held in Villajoyosa is a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest, an honorary distinction given by the Government of Spain. It celebrates a past spent scuppering the Barbary Pirates.

Community

Sandwiched between Benidorm and Alicante, this is a favourite town with European tourists, but because of its industrial history, it has a majority Spanish population.

Property

The town centre is apartment-heavy, with a range of modern and renovated amongst traditional builds. Villas are available if you’re willing to move towards the urbanised town edges or the nearby satellite villages.

Amenities

Not only does Villajoyosa have everything you need for modern life, but there’s also a chocolate museum and cafe. There is a thriving daily fish market, a weekly produce market and a flea market on weekends.

Transport

Alicante is just 32 kilometres down the road and the international airport there is the third busiest coastal airport in Spain. The Alicante Metro Tram is a cheap and easy way to travel to either Benidorm or Alicante. There’s also an ALSA bus service connecting Villajoyosa and Benidorm, but it takes longer and isn’t as frequent.  

Employment

There are plenty of job openings in Villajoyosa with some requiring English, German or Swedish speakers. The location is perfect for looking further afield, with both Benidorm and Alicante within commutable distance.

Health

The Centro de Salud Almassera de Tonda runs a 24-hour public medical service in Villajoyosa and the Centro Medico La Creueta offers a private facility with specialised healthcare options.  The Centro Municipal Assistencia Hospital Asilo Santa Marta is on the Career Alacant and the region’s general hospital Hospital Marina Baixa is just 10 minutes drive towards Benidorm.

Schools

There are numerous options for school-aged children; to find the best one for your family, speak to the local Town Hall. Elian’s British School La Nucía offers a UK based curriculum and there are various private school options in Benidorm and Alicante.   

Cost of living

This is not the cheapest place to buy a property in Spain, but the price of day to day life is considerably lower than in urban northern European.