Villajoyosa from Benidorm: Day Trip Guide

TRAM line L1 gets you from Benidorm to Villajoyosa in about 15–18 minutes, which makes it the shortest trip in our day trips from Benidorm guide. L1 runs south towards Alicante, with trams leaving Benidorm at :05 and :35 past the hour. The first leaves at 06:35 on weekdays and 07:05 at weekends, and the last at 22:05.

A single costs €2 for one zone or €2.90 for two, and a return €3 or €5, under the fares that started on 1 October 2026. The exact zone count was not confirmed, so check at the machine in Benidorm station. Under-14s travel free until 31 December 2026.

Villajoyosa has more than one stop. Ask the driver or check the station map for the stop nearest the old town and the seafront.

Villajoyosa's best-known sight is its row of painted houses in yellow, red and deep blue, which face the sea in the old Arsenal district and line the old town wall above the Amadorio river. The best view of the river side is from the bridge.

Walk in along Carrer Major from Plaza de la Generalitat, then follow Calle Costera de la Mar down to the Arsenal and the beach. A popular story says fishermen painted their homes bright colours so they could pick them out from their boats. It is a nice tale, but historians have not confirmed it.

The old town is protected as an Asset of Cultural Interest and keeps sections of its Renaissance walls. The Gothic church-fortress of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción has its apse built into the wall, and the next-door chapel of Santa Marta has a dome of blue glazed tiles.

The Valor Chocolate Museum on C/ Pianista Gonzalo Soriano 13 is the town's main indoor attraction, and visits are by guided tour only. Valor has made chocolate in Villajoyosa since 1881, and the museum had welcomed more than 1.5 million visitors by 2020. Tours last about 45 minutes and end with a tasting in the factory shop.

You book online, up to two months ahead, and each tour takes up to 50 people. Saturday places are online only, with no tickets at the door. Arrive five minutes early, because latecomers cannot join once the tour has started. Valor's page does not state a price, so check when booking.

Vilamuseu, at C/ Colón 57, is the town's archaeology museum, with Iberian, Roman and Islamic finds from local digs. Its 2026 displays include the Tresors de la Vila Joiosa collection and an exhibition on the Bou Ferrer, a Roman shipwreck found off the coast.

Summer 2026 hours were Tuesday to Saturday 10:00–14:00 and 18:00–21:30, and Sunday and holidays 10:00–14:00. Winter hours may differ, so phone 966 508 355 to check. Guided visits cost €1.50. It makes a good stop on a hot afternoon or a rainy day.

Villajoyosa has about 12 km of coastline and five Blue Flag beaches, so it is easy to fit a swim into the day. La Vila beach, also called Playa Centro, sits right below the coloured houses and has all the main services.

Villajoyosa works as a half day on its own or as a stop on the way to Alicante, which is further down the same L1 line.