Finding a non-traditional vacation destination has certainly become easier with the internet. It all starts with what you want to do, followed closely by how much time and money you want to spend. With those questions in hand, a few Google searches bring the answers directly to your computer.
We wanted to find an exotic locale with warm weather, near the water and in Spain. We insist on quiet and comfortable (but not lavish) accommodations with cooking facilities. And not expensive. After some www digging, we found a small town on the east coast of Spain that felt right: Javea. The town is north of Alicante and south of Valencia on the Costa Del Sol. After really looking for the best deals through various US website and renters of villas, we found Starvillasjavea.com
There are many options on the website and I compared what we wanted with the other "agents" around the world that were interested in trading our money for their rental properties. After settling on the four bedroom villa (with two pools and a killer view, as seen here) that was going to cost less than 100 bucks a night, we worked directly with the staff of Star Villas (who are actually on site, in Javea, unlike the majority of these other agents) and booked the villa. After that, we started looking for a rental car by doing multiple web searches for the least expensive and correctly sized vehicle. And after all that searching, we ended up coming back to the Starvillasjavea.com website and used their link to Victoria Auto Rental. They were the least expensive and most responsive.
Upon arrival in Barcelona, we were personally met by the Victoria representative who shuttled us to their operation, about a five-minute drive. After 15 minutes of paperwork, we were on our way.
As for Javea, the locals are not used to seeing Americans. During the peak Euro vacation months of July and August, the villas fill up with lots of UK residents, as well as visitors from Germany, Italy, Ireland and, of course, Spain. The town of Javea has an old port with an active marina as well as a newer section that caters more to the tourists. English speaking residents can be found, particularly in the newer section of town but speaking a little Spanish is a great plus.
I will post more of a travelogue later but so many people have asked about our Spanish holiday, I wanted to get the Starvillasjavea link on the blog. This is a great time to be in Spain. Airfares are down and it has never been easier to find the out-of-the-way locales that don't look like Disneyworld. If you're looking for a place that doesn't look like every other place, consider renting a villa in Javea. It's much less expensive than you think, much more comfortable than any hotel and offers the privacy and comfort of a home away from home.
