The Montgó is the mountain that defines this coast, a great limestone whale of a massif, 753 metres high, standing between Dénia and Xàbia and visible from far out at sea. It is a natural park, with rare plants, Mediterranean scrub and cliffs where birds of prey nest, and its profile is the one that sailors used for centuries as a landmark. Xàbia, known to English speakers as Jávea, lies at its foot, a town of about 30,000 people in three parts: a walled old town on a hill, a harbour district, and a long arc of beach, the Arenal.
The old town is worth time. Its fortified Gothic church of San Bartolomé, built with battlements and thick walls to resist pirate raids, dominates the narrow lanes, and a market hall and a handful of old gates survive. Xàbia was a centre for the Moscatel grape and for raisin production, and the wine and the dried fruit have a long history, with vineyards on the slopes of the Montgó still producing sweet wines. The coast has dramatic capes: the Cap de la Nau, the easternmost point of the province, and the Cap de Sant Antoni, with cliffs and small coves.
The Coves Santes, the holy caves, are in the cliffs of this coast, and the name suggests that the site has long been special to local people. Caves and shelters in the area have yielded prehistoric finds, and the region is part of the larger Valencian world of Levantine painted rock, listed by UNESCO in 1998. Access to such places is limited, so ask at the tourist office in Xàbia about what is open and what is not.
For a rider, the coast is a pleasure in the off-season and a trial in high summer. The roads along the cliffs have bends and good views, but the traffic in July and August is very heavy, and parking near the beaches is hard. Early morning and the shoulder months, April to June and September to October, are better. Fuel stations are easy to find in Xàbia and Dénia. Try arroz a banda or the red prawns of Dénia, which are among the best in Spain, and the local sweet Moscatel with a dessert.