If Playa de San Juan has you wanting more of the Costa Blanca, two nearby towns make for an easy half-day or full-day trip: El Campello, just north along the coast, and Villajoyosa (La Vila Joiosa), a little further on, famous for its brightly painted seafront houses. Both are simple to reach without a car and offer a noticeably different pace from the main beach, with their own local character shaped by fishing rather than tourism.
El Campello: Fishing Port and Watchtower
El Campello sits directly north of Playa de San Juan and is easily reached by tram, making it one of the simplest day trips from the area. Its working fishing port still holds a daily fish auction, and the promenade leads past a well-preserved 16th-century watchtower, the Torre de la Illeta, standing on a small rocky peninsula. The town’s beaches are quieter than Playa de San Juan and popular with families and older visitors looking for a slower pace, and the seafront restaurants here are known for serving some of the freshest fish on this stretch of coast.
Villajoyosa: The Colourful Town
A little further north again, Villajoyosa is instantly recognisable from photos of its seafront houses, painted in bold blues, yellows, pinks and greens. According to local tradition, the colours originally helped fishermen identify their homes from out at sea. Beyond the photogenic waterfront, the town is also known for chocolate production, with several historic factories offering tours and tastings, a legacy of trade routes that once brought cacao here from overseas.
Exploring the Old Towns
Both towns reward a slow wander through their old quarters, with narrow streets, small squares and local bakeries that see far fewer tourists than the main beach areas. In Villajoyosa in particular, the streets just behind the coloured houses hold some of the best-preserved traditional architecture in the wider Alicante area.
- El Campello highlights: fishing port, Torre de la Illeta, quieter beaches.
- Villajoyosa highlights: painted houses, old town streets, chocolate factory visits.
- How to get there: TRAM line 3/4 connects Alicante, Playa de San Juan, El Campello and Villajoyosa directly.
Planning the Trip
Both towns are compact enough to explore on foot, and the tram makes it easy to visit one or both in a single day without needing a car. Consider starting early in El Campello to see the fish auction or browse the port, then continuing on to Villajoyosa in the early afternoon for lunch and a walk through the old town before the light is best for photos along the coloured houses. Allow around two to three hours in each town to see the highlights without rushing.
A Worthwhile Detour
Neither town takes long to reach from Playa de San Juan, and both offer a noticeably different atmosphere from the main beach: smaller, more traditional and shaped by fishing rather than tourism. They’re an easy way to add variety to a longer stay in the area.
Where to Eat in Each Town
In El Campello, the restaurants closest to the fishing port tend to offer the freshest catch, often served simply grilled or fried to let the quality of the fish speak for itself. In Villajoyosa, look beyond the restaurants directly facing the coloured houses, since a short walk into the surrounding streets usually turns up better value without sacrificing views, particularly around the small squares just inland from the seafront where local families tend to eat rather than visiting groups on a day trip.
A Brief History of the Colours
The painted houses of Villajoyosa are more than a modern marketing image; the tradition dates back generations, when fishing families genuinely relied on distinctive colours and patterns to spot their homes from small boats out at sea, long before house numbers and modern navigation made the practice unnecessary. Many of the current owners maintain the original colour schemes out of respect for that history, even repainting periodically in the same shade rather than switching to something more fashionable, which is part of why the seafront still reads as a cohesive, historic streetscape rather than a random assortment of bright paint.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I visit both towns in one day? Yes, the tram connects them directly and a combined visit is a popular full-day itinerary.
Is Villajoyosa expensive? No, it remains a modest, working town, and prices for food and drink are generally lower than on the main tourist beachfront.
Can I do this trip by bike instead of tram? Yes, the coastal path connects all three towns and is popular with cyclists, though it takes considerably longer than the tram.
Is there anywhere to stay overnight in either town? Yes, both El Campello and Villajoyosa have small hotels and apartments, making an overnight stay possible for those who want more time.
Are these towns busy in summer? They see more visitors in July and August, but remain noticeably quieter than the main beachfront of Playa de San Juan.
