Villajoyosa, which means joyful or happy town, is located between the city of Alicante and the lively tourist centre of Benidorm. The historic Casco Antiguo (Old Town) is built within the original castle walls which date back many centuries. The town has a beautiful beach (Blue Flag) of golden sand and clear water. There are many seafront bars and restaurants which offer a wide choice of international cuisine.
Villajoyosa has been listed as a Spanish cultural heritage town. The multi-coloured houses of the characterful “Casco Antiguo” (Old Town) are regarded by many as an architectural treasure. Most of our properties are within the Old Town and a short walk from the beach. The modern market town of Villajoyosa has a wide range of shops to suit all tastes and pockets. There is a traditional market every Thursday.
Hstory about Villajoyosa
Villajoyosa had its first settlers in the Bronze Age. The area where the old town is located, was an Iberian town and there is every reason to identify it with Alonis of classical texts. The excavations of the Necropolis of Poble Nou, the longest currently known to the Iberian culture (VI BC) have provided many military and everyday materials displayed in the Municipal Museum.
In Roman times the area experienced a boom resulting in linking the city with Alona. To support this we have archaeological remains in the Municipal Archaeological Museum. During the Middle Ages the coast was depopulated by the pirate threat in the eighth century and the area was Islamized until 1300 when Admiral James II, Bernat d'en Sarria, took over the town and founded Villajoyosa. The name means "joyful town", an attractive name for the new Christian settlers of the Northeast peninsular.
The city had a castle that protected it, but we the one see today is more recent, from the sixteenth century. It is an example of Renaissance architecture and the tower looks out onto a garden.
According to tradition, the inhabitants of Villajoyosa asked the intercession of the saint of the day to repel a major attack by Barbary pirates. Since then, on the July 29 Santa Marta is venerated as patron of the city, and since 1694 the Moors and Christians fiesta is celebrated in her honour.
