Denia is in the province of Alicante, on the Costa Blanca halfway between Alicante and Valencia in eastern Spain. The origins of the town date back to the founding of a Greek colony called Hemeroskopeion. The urbanisation of the town started in the 3rd Century B.C. when Dianium was founded by the Romans. A key factor at this time was the port from which all the produce destined for the Urbe was exported. Throughout the 18th century an important recuperation took place which continued into the following century. It is after the last third of that century when the monocultivation of the raisin acted as the driving force for a great expansion which brought about the construction of important infrastructure such as the railway lines and factories. The almost exclusively rural community remained unaltered until the beginning of the sixties, when a great development of the tourist industry took place.
Transportation in Denia
By Car: AP-7 Motorway, exit 62. The well known Mediterranean Motorway links Dénia with Valencia and Alicante and, hence, with the rest of the Mediterranean coast.
By Train: The Alicante - Denia line runs for 93 km along the northern coast of the province of Alicante and has 40 stations and stops. It is served by 13 diesel trains which operate on the regular line between Alicante and Denia.
By Ferry: Dénia is the nearest continental point to the Balearic Islands. Several shipping companies run regular transport lines with the islands.
Today’s Denia is the daughter of several different cultures: Iberians, Romans, Muslims and Christians all left their mark and enable visitors to follow their history through museums, monuments and archaeological remains. Denia Castle was built in the 11th and 12th century. It offers a wonderful view around the sea, the city and the backlands. Within the castle you will find the Palau del Governador with its museum. The Archaeological Museum shows the historical evolution of Dénia from its origins in the Iberian period until the 18th century. The Church of the Assumption belongs to an architectonic collection made up by the Convent of Saint Anthony of Padova, a Franciscan foundation dated in the 16th century. The façade is of Doric order with a venerated niche containing a modern sculpture of Saint Anthony of Padova. Del Gerro Tower ia a Renaissance watchtower, which was a part of the coastal defensive system developed during the 16th and 17th centuries to defend the coast from Barbaresque pirates’ incursions. L’Almadrava Archeological Site is a roman period site, it's is open during the summer and has good exmples of Imperial art.
