Dénia, Mediterranean port city in Costa Blanca, Spain
Dénia lies on the Mediterranean coast at the base of Montgo, surrounded by 20 kilometers of sandy beaches and a large marina. The old town stretches from the harbor up toward the castle, which sits on a hill above the city.
The city began as a Greek settlement called Hēmeroskopeion before becoming an important Roman port. In the 11th century, Muslim rulers built the fortress that still overlooks the harbor basin today.
The harbor quarter Baixa la Mar shows the life of fishers with brightly painted houses and market stalls where fresh catch is sold right by the quay. The lanes around the harbor keep a feeling where boats and eateries line the water's edge.
Ferry connections run regularly from here to the Balearic Islands, while the harbor offers berths for sailboats and water sports. The beaches spread north and south, some with fine sand, others with shallow pebbles.
UNESCO named the city a Mediterranean gastronomic capital in 2015 because of its cooking tradition that links rice with fresh fish. Local cooks maintain recipes passed down through generations of fisher families.
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