The town of Villajoyosa, mostly called La Vila or Alonis in historic times, is located south of Benidorm. It is the capital of la Marina Baixa and as a result, it has easy access from the AP-7 motorway and the N-332.

Amadorio river and reservoir

The town has 15 kilometres of coastline and the river Amador flows from the artificial reservoir with the same name. They build the dam to create the reservoir in the late ´50s. It has a height of 63 meters and a total span of 318 meters, containing water for the surrounding towns.

History

In ancient times the river amadorio provided the water for the first settlement in the bronze age. After a huge growth in Roman age, it became the town of “Alonis”. This ancient town was situated between the Calle Colon and the old town. The town received its present name around 1300 and became Christian. It was left inhabited for many years before that. The defensive church walls were built in the 16th century and the remains are still very present in the old town. These landmarks and the coloured fisherman’s houses are a true ode to the significance of its name “happy villa”.

Economy

With so many fisherman´s houses, it is clear that fishing has been one of the main economic activities of this town. In recent years tourism and the chocolate industry have become other main activities in and around Villajoyosa.

Sightseeing

With the chocolate industry being very present nowadays there even are museums dedicated to this industry. Together with this, there are lots of other things to see and enjoy, such as the many watchtowers along the coastline and the remains of the thermal baths in the calle colon. Check our event calendar for information about the upcoming events and activities in Villajoyosa.