Living in Villajoyosa (La Vila Joiosa)
An honest guide to living or buying in Villajoyosa, Costa Blanca: the coloured houses of the seafront, the beach, the chocolate, the district hospital, the TRAM, healthcare and cost of living.
By the team at Team Picou · RE/MAX Inmomás II, Costa Blanca.
Villajoyosa — La Vila Joiosa in Valencian — is one of the most characterful towns on the Costa Blanca. Its image is unmistakable: the coloured houses of the seafront, which fishermen painted in bright tones to recognise from the sea, beside the beach and the fishing port. It’s also Spain’s chocolate capital (home to the Valor factory and museum) and keeps a Roman-rooted old town full of life.
Unlike neighbouring Benidorm, Villajoyosa is an authentic fishing town that lives all year, but with top-tier services: this is where the district hospital is, and the TRAM connecting it to Benidorm and Alicante.
Who Villajoyosa suits
Villajoyosa fits if you want a charming, authentic town on the beach, with good services and without Benidorm’s tourist bustle. It works very well for families, retirees and anyone after genuine Spanish life with the sea in front. It’s also more affordable than many northern villa areas. If you want villa exclusivity with coves, look at Jávea or Benitachell; if you want a big city and non-stop leisure, Benidorm is next door.
The areas of Villajoyosa
- Old town and seafront. The coloured houses, the narrow streets and the fishing port. Maximum charm and local life.
- Playa Centro and Playa del Paraíso. The sandy beachfront, with a promenade, apartments and a family feel.
- Urbanisations (Montíboli, Cala de Finestrat). Villas and apartments with views on the outskirts, toward the Finestrat and Benidorm border.
Beaches and coves
Villajoyosa has a long urban sandy beach with a blue flag (Playa Centro), alongside more sheltered coves toward the edges of the municipality, such as the Montíboli area. A family-oriented, authentic shore, with the fishing port as a backdrop.
Schools
The area has state schools and access to international schools in the Marina Baja (around Finestrat and Benidorm). If education weighs on your decision, we’ll help you compare options by your children’s ages.
Healthcare
Villajoyosa has a clear advantage: this is where the Hospital Marina Baixa is, the reference district hospital for the whole area, plus health centres and private clinics with multilingual care. On healthcare, living in Villajoyosa is a strong card.
Getting around
Villajoyosa is very well connected for the area:
- TRAM (line 1): direct connection to Benidorm and Alicante.
- Alicante Airport (ALC): around 30–35 minutes.
- In the centre you can live largely without a car; for the urbanisations, one is recommended.
International community and social life
Villajoyosa keeps a more pronounced Spanish, seafaring character than Benidorm, with a growing international community — British, Belgian, Nordic — well integrated. It has famous festivals (the Moors and Christians, with its seaborne landing), markets and cultural life all year.
Cost of living
Daily life is reasonable, with the advantage of having Benidorm next door for everything. On property, Villajoyosa is more affordable than many northern villa areas: apartments by the beach as the main option, and villas in the urbanisations at the high end.
The Villajoyosa property market
Villajoyosa is a mixed market: apartments in the old town and by the beach as the accessible option, and villas with views in the outskirts urbanisations. That mix makes the average misleading — what matters is the fine-grained figure by area.
So you can decide with real numbers, we publish up-to-date median prices and €/m² for Villajoyosa as open data, and you can browse the live inventory any time. If you’re thinking of buying or selling here, talk to someone who walks the area every week: we’ll tell you plainly what’s moving, at what price, and why.
