Guide to use and enjoy Dénia
After the storm, calm always comes and after a complicated season throughout the Levantine coast, the sun will shine again . That's why we're heading to Denia , the capital of the High Marina where to enjoy the last throes of summer.
For many Levante is synonymous with summer. But maybe you didn't know that here the summer is almost infinite . The Community of Valencia enjoys an enviable climate (cold drops apart) with pleasant temperatures even in winter. If you are one of those who have not yet enjoyed a vacation or if you feel like escaping for a weekend to enjoy the benefits of the earth, Denia is the answer.
Dénia's castle dominates its 'skyline'
The capital of the Marina Alta is presented to us as a kind city , with plans for everything and everyone. If there is a witness of all the civilizations that passed through there, that is the Denia castle . Located at the top of the historic center, this fortress from between the 10th and 11th centuries, had its origins in the Andalusian period and it was during this time, home of the Governor of Madinat Daniya -name that Dénia enjoyed at that time-.
In 1244, Jaume I conquered Dénia and expelled the Muslims. Since then, it has been the seat of the palau, a defense against the Berber pirates, an agricultural estate where grapes were grown, and a quarry to build other areas of the city. Today you can admire and feel its past, through dramatized guided tours.
If the castle is one of the most visited monuments, so is the picturesque Baix la Mar neighborhood . Of marine origin - due to the inevitable proximity to the sea - it was a place of residence for fishermen and merchants until the 1970s. The real pleasure comes from getting lost in its alleys with colorful houses and vegetation.
In the neighborhood there is much to see, try and visit. For example, one of the most charming hotels in Dénia, The Inn of the Sea , a boutique accommodation with 25 coquettish rooms in an emblematic building from the 13th century. Waking up with views of the sea and with the castle as guardian is priceless.
Just one minute from the hotel, it has opened this year another of Dénia's hits , the gastronomic and cultural market ** Els Magazinos **. At the foot of the castle, this enclosure of more than 3000 m2, hosts more than twenty different proposals: croquettes, oysters, Thai cuisine, sushi, French snacks...
And of course, Marina Alta cuisine . You will enjoy it in Robert Baret or in Les Cuinetes , the market restaurant where chef José Carlos Siscar (of the mythical La Seu, which has temporarily closed its doors) officiates. Terraces with views of the castle, concerts and craft shops such as the Sonia Sampere textiles or La Punxeta backpacks.
The Magazines
Dénia is gastronomy . Not in vain, the year 2015 was the one that was chosen UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy . Here are the ingredients of the Valencian orchard, the mountain and, of course, the Mediterranean Sea. The proposals are endless, to eat indoors or by the sea. How to stay alone with some? Impossible . So let's start, from the inside out.
One of the most successful -and most difficult to book- is the Miquel Baret . Miquel Ruiz was one of those brave men who renounced his Michelin star (which he held in La Seu de Moraira) and who a few years ago decided leave all that and set up a bar . But not just any bar, of course.
There they cook the season, what each season brings with it, with a strong root to the earth . The menu changes, but there are some dishes that remain. Those are his mythical cuttlefish figatell , the sweet potato and foie cupcakes which he presents as a slice of ice cream, his bravas with different tubers , the mackerel sashimi with almond or your deconstructed apple pie
Essential in Dénia and in life
One of the most interesting novelties this year has been the signing of Miguel Fruits , of the disappeared (a minute of silence) The Setla , by **Tasta'm**.
There, the chef masterfully replicates the type of creative cuisine that he made us fall in love with in his predecessor, with a very Mediterranean and current proposal. The idea is to share all the dishes on the menu, They drink both from the area and from the latitudes that the Mare Nostrum bathes.
This is seen in dishes like the whiting on the flame , with pickled alficoz, cucumber raita, basil and tapenade, with very Greek flavors. You can't leave without trying their red tuna tartar canutillo on black tomato from Pego and the one who is, without a doubt, the star dish of the restaurant : the artichoke carbonara, squid noodles, bacon, cheese, cuttlefish figatell and egg yolk.
Creative cuisine without forgetting the sea
The interior has a lot. But the fact of eating by the sea in Dénia it is a wonder . If we turn the Les Marines road , there the king is, without a doubt, the three stars Quique Dacosta . This 2019, the chef from Extremadura and Mediterranean by adoption, presents self portraits , one more step in his culinary evolution. He continues to drink from the territory that surrounds him and the traditions, but surpassing himself: Dacosta goes further.
Memorable are some passes like his 3rd Act 'cooking with salt, air, humidity and time' in which one arrives at the table table with salted meats that they prepare in the restaurant . Ventresca of red tuna cured in a salt tunnel that they made on the heights of the restaurant, mullet roe caressed with curing and salt, tuna jerky or the traditional octopus dried over the flames. Awesome.
Salted fish from Quique Dacosta
Almost reaching the port area, we come across the mythical ** Casa Federico ,** an institution in terms of rice dishes in Dénia . More than 40 years endorse his proposal, in which they use their own vegetables from the family garden and Valencian and Marina Alta products.
In fact, it has a whole section dedicated to local preparations, such as cokes of dacsa , the bull with fattening , the figatells , salted fish... And rice dishes? More than twenty different recipes, which can be eaten dry, in paella or honeyed.
Back in Baix La Mar and in front of the port of Dénia, you will find Fish and Brases , a restaurant where the product, mainly seafood, is king. In fact, they organize product days kilometer 0 where to try typical dishes of Dénia cuisine such as tire.
If there is a gastronomic product for which Dénia is known, that's the red shrimp. Obtaining it is not easy, since every day, from 5 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon, the expert fishermen travel to some 18-20 miles from the coast and they work in fishing grounds between 600 and 800 meters deep. There, in the darkness of the ocean, lies this treasure.
It is worth visiting the fish market one day and attending the traditional red shrimp auction. Many of the restaurateurs in the area stop by to get hold of the best genre. One of those that never fails? Javier Alguacil , alma mater of the temple of the red shrimp, El Farallo .
His restaurant practices 'deniera' kitchen and together with his wife Julia Lozano, they have managed to position themselves as one of the best in the area. The perfect order? start with a few salted or sepionets , g red amba from Dénia boiled and the Farallo rice wave Fideua as main.
Red shrimp in El Faralló
And how come we haven't talked about the beach until now? Dénia has two different areas of sandbanks, the Marines and the Rotes , with extensive sandy beaches like Les Bovetes, L'Almadrava or Les Deveses and rocky and hidden coves like Les Arenetes or Punta Negra , among other.
In addition, halfway between Dénia and Jávea, is the Cova Tallada, a natural spectacle. And with all of them, their corresponding beach bars , As the beach bar and others like Sunset 77 at Punta Raset or Los Baños Sunshine Bar , where you can enjoy live music and sunsets to remember.
The Baths Sunshine Bar in Dénia
In Dénia there is also space for relaxation, cocktails and beach clubs . In the Marina area, you will find Zensa Marina , a pioneer with a swimming pool, Balinese beds, cocktail bar with natural fruit and good music. Another option, no less appetizing, is bad life , a bohemian terrace overlooking the sea in one of the port's docks.
Beaches, culture, gastronomy... Dénia has it all!
A bohemian terrace overlooking the sea