Leaving Xabia or Javea

There are a lot of towns along the Costa Blanca that have been ruined by tourism....Xabia or Javea where we spent 13 nights doing a house exchange is not one of them....While there are a significant number of tourists each year, and a good number of people from other parts of Europe with second homes in the town, Javea has somehow managed to keep its charm and character.The town is divided into three main areas: the Port (where we stayed) with a pebble beach; the Old Town perched on a hill; and Arenal, a more traditional seaside area with a sandy beach (our least favourite of the three). Each has its own distinctive character.One of the most significant heritage sites is a 16th C church in the Old Town. I mention this to give some sense of the age of the place. However, a much more interesting church was built in the 1970's in the Port area, and is designed to reflect the sea going character of the place. While it is squeezed into the existing street fabric, it's a very striking building, both inside and out...quite remarkable.We stayed in a very modern new house in a very desirable area just up the hill from the Port and its parade of seafront restaurants. We didn't need to drive...we could walk down the hill to the Port or into the Old Town...which was fortunate since we not only exchanged houses, but we exchanged cars and I did not want to take any chances drinking and driving....although the Spaniards do it, they also have very stringent regulations.In addition to the beaches, restaurants and fine shops, there was a delightful golf course where we met some very friendly and helpful people...Thanks especially to Brian whose restaurant recommendation was superb.So goodbye to Javea...we thoroughly enjoyed our time there, and can highly recommend it as a good place to visit, or indeed live. We didn't meet one person with any regrets about moving there! And why should they have regrets? It's paradise.