Before leaving Jávea, we can go to the Plaza de la Constitución and, from there, up the track that leads to Santa Lucia, a church built on the lines of those known as “Conquest churches.”
Santa Lucia
The most representative of the chapels, perhaps due to its position, since it sits atop the hill between Montgó and Jávea, which gives it a special distinction.
On 13th December every year, many people come out to Santa Lucia in a procession accompanied by “dulzainas” (local woodwind instruments) and drums.
Ermita del Calvario
From the town, taking the road to Dénia, the Chapel of the Holy Christ of Calvary is on the left.
The church was built in 1849 over one already existing there. The image of Jesus of Nazareth has been kept in this church since 1767. The design of the large façade is noteworthy for its combination and superposition of various geometrical figures, crowned with a dome of Arab tiles.
The people of Jávea feel an extraordinary veneration for this image of Christ. This fervour can largely be attributed to the protection that the image afforded during the terrible epidemics of the years 1834, 1866 and 1855.
The Festival of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the most representative in Jávea.
Ermita de San Juan
On the outskirts of town, heading for Gata, we take the road that leads to the house of Jesus Pobre, at the western end of the valley. Just before we take this road is the Chapel of San Juan (Saint John), next to the old cemetery. It is a simple building, from the end of the XV Century or, more probably, from the XVI. It has a single rectangular nave with a gabled roof and a very open, almost round central arch of “tosca” stone.
Ermita del Popul
On the road to Jesus Pobre, about 3.4 km from Jávea, is the Chapel del Popul.
Situated on the south face of the Montgó, the building has a rectangular ground plan and a gabled roof. It has a large interior arch of “tosca” stone, strutted in this case, and a single nave. The present-day building has been reformed since it was originally built, for example in the doorway. Inside is a damaged XVII-Century canvas representing the Virgin as a Child with Saint Joaquin and Saint Ana.
The festival of the Chapel del Popul is the second week of September every year.
Les Barranqueres
Continuing along a road heading South, in the middle of the valley of San Bertomeu, we find “Les Barranqueres.”
If the weather is favourable, a small volume of water flows down this gully, as demonstrated by the many water-wheels and water-mills built here since the XIX Century. Of the four watermills built, only the “Narret” one, situated a few metres West of the present-day cemetery, is still largely intact.
Barranc de L'Heura
Further along Jesus Pobre, heading North, we can visit the “Barranc de l’Heura” (Ivy Gully). Situated on the West face of the Montgó, in the municipal area of Dénia, the area conserves a rich Mediterranean vegetation with a thick pine wood.
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