Cala Sardinera (Jávea)

Cala Sardinera: the unspoilt cove of Cap Prim

Cala Sardinera hides on the northern side of Cap Prim, the headland that closes Portitxol bay in Jávea (Xàbia). It is an unspoilt cove of pebbles and boulders, about 200 metres long, reachable only on foot or by sea. The town council explains the name: this used to be the best spot to set the sardinales, the fine sardine nets cast twice a day, at sunrise and sunset.

Today it is one of Jávea’s least crowded coves precisely because it has no car park of its own and no facilities. If you want the postcard cove with a beach bar, that is Granadella; if you want silence and a living seabed, it is this one.

How to get to Cala Sardinera

By car: drive up to the Creu del Portitxol viewpoint (trailhead coordinates: 38.7565, 0.2189). There is a very small free parking area that fills quickly at weekends and all summer. The usual alternative is to park at the Guillermo Pons roundabout and walk down via Passeig de l’Escala d’Empúries or Camí Calablanca.

Important: the barrier-and-paid-parking scheme Jávea runs in summer (€9/day, 2 June to 6 September 2026, 9:00–19:00) applies to Granadella and Barraca–Portitxol, not to the Creu del Portitxol viewpoint or Sardinera.

On foot from the viewpoint: follow the SL-CV 98 (Cap Prim) local trail. It is 1 km, 15 to 20 minutes, easy and suitable for children as far as the turn-off to the cove. The final descent is uneven, over loose stone: wear closed shoes and bring water shoes for the pebbles.

By sea: by kayak or paddleboard from Barraca cove (Portitxol) you round the headland in a few minutes.

What you’ll find

About 200 metres of pebbles and boulders below the cliff, with very clear water and a seabed the municipal tourism site describes as “teeming with life”. Off the cove lies the largest concentration of mooring buoys on the whole Jávea coast, placed so boats don’t damage the posidonia; you will see yachts moored here almost every summer day.

Facilities: none. No lifeguard or rescue post; the Red Cross patrols the coast by boat in summer. No showers, no bar, no artificial shade. Bring water and carry your rubbish out.

Nudism: not a designated naturist cove. Jávea’s only naturist cove is Ambolo, closed due to rockfalls.

Camping is prohibited and fined.

Snorkelling, kayaking and the Cap Prim viewpoint

The rocky bottom and posidonia meadows make Sardinera a fine spot for snorkelling and diving; in calm seas visibility is excellent. It is also a regular destination for the kayak trips that leave from Portitxol.

If instead of dropping to the cove you follow the trail to the point, the Cap Prim viewpoint (59 m) offers one of the best views in the Marina Alta: Els Pallers, Portitxol island, Cap de Sant Antoni and the Montgó. The headland holds the remains of a Bronze Age site; one section of the path is marked with an X for safety — do not cross it.

Best time to visit

June to September to combine the walk and a swim; early morning or late afternoon both for the light and to find space at the viewpoint. In spring and autumn the Cap Prim walk is even better, though the water calls for a wetsuit.

Nearby coves

• Cala de la Barraca (Portitxol) — the cove of the white fishermen’s huts, on the other side of the headland
• Cala del Francés — small and pebbly, next to Portitxol
• Cala Granadella — with facilities and regulated summer access
• Cap de la Nao — the lighthouse and viewpoints of southern Jávea

All the town’s beaches and coves, north to south, in our Jávea beaches guide. And the town itself in the Jávea guide.

Practical information

Location	Cap Prim, Jávea (Marina Alta)
Access	SL-CV 98 trail from Creu del Portitxol, 1 km (15–20 min)
Difficulty	Easy; uneven final descent
Seabed	Pebbles and boulders; posidonia
Length	About 200 m
Facilities	None
Parking	Tiny free area at the viewpoint; outside the paid-access scheme
Nudism	Not designated
Snorkelling	Excellent
Best season	Jun–Sep; early morning