After ten years living on the Costa Blanca, I can tell you with absolute confidence that Moraira's hidden gems are what separate it from every other resort town on this coastline. While the tourists pack El Portet beach and queue at the castle viewpoint (don't get me wrong — both are wonderful), there's a whole other Moraira that most visitors never find. This is the Moraira I fell in love with. This is the one worth seeking out.
June is actually the perfect time to explore these spots. The water is warm enough to swim, the summer crowds haven't fully arrived yet, and the light in the early evening is genuinely extraordinary. So let me show you what I'd show a good friend visiting for the first time.
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Find rentals →1. Cala Andragó — The Cove Nobody Talks About
Most guides will point you to El Portet, Playa l'Ampolla, or La Platgeta. And yes, they're all lovely. But Cala Andragó, tucked between Moraira and Teulada, is where I go when I want peace. It's accessible via a rough track off the CV-746 (look for a barely-signposted dirt road about 2km past the Moraira roundabout heading toward Teulada). The cove is rocky but beautifully clear — the kind of water where you can see the bottom at 4 metres depth. Bring water shoes, a snorkel, and absolutely nothing else. There are no facilities, no chiringuito, no Instagram crowds. Bliss.
2. The Castle Wall Walk at Dusk
Everyone goes to the Castillo de Moraira for the daytime views. Fair enough. But come back at 8:30pm on a June evening and you'll experience something completely different. The walls turn a deep amber, the fishing boats bob in the harbour below, and the air smells of salt and wild rosemary. There are almost no people. It costs nothing. It's one of the best things I do in Moraira every single summer.
3. Mercado de Teulada (Tuesday Mornings)
Okay, technically this is in Teulada — Moraira's inland twin, just 5km up the hill. But the Tuesday morning market here is a genuine local experience. Not a tourist market — this is where residents buy their vegetables, olives, almonds, and cheese. I go almost every week. The local almonds from the surrounding farmland are extraordinary, and you can pick up handmade ceramics for a fraction of what you'd pay anywhere on the coast. Go before 10am for the best selection.
4. Raco de Galeno Wine Bar
Hidden in the back streets near the old town, Raco de Galeno is the wine bar Moraira locals actually drink at. The list focuses on regional Valencian wines — Marina Alta DOC is their speciality — and the owner (ask for Paco) has strong, entertainingly-delivered opinions about everything on the list. The terrace is small, the atmosphere is intimate, and it gets busy after 9pm in summer. Book ahead or arrive early.
5. Cap d'Or Headland Walk
This one requires comfortable shoes and about 45 minutes. Start at the end of Carretera del Portet and follow the coastal path northeast past the old watchtower. The Cap d'Or headland gives you arguably the best view of the Moraira coast from above — the castle, the harbour, the sweep of El Portet, and on a clear day, Ibiza on the horizon. June mornings are perfect for this walk before the heat builds. Take water, wear sunscreen, and watch for the occasional rock lizard sunbathing on the path — they're completely harmless and, frankly, enormous.
6. La Bodeguita del Mar — Sunday Lunch Secret
I'm slightly reluctant to include this one because it's so good I want to keep it to myself. La Bodeguita del Mar on the harbour road does a Sunday set menu (menú del día) that includes a starter, main, dessert, and a glass of house wine for around €18. The arroz caldoso (brothy rice with seafood) is the best thing I've eaten in Moraira in a decade. Get there at 1:30pm when they open or you won't get a table — locals know about this place even if tourists don't.
7. The Almond Groves Above Benitachell
Head 10 minutes inland from Moraira toward Benitachell and the landscape transforms. The almond groves here are ancient, some of the trees hundreds of years old, and in June the shade under them is cool and fragrant. There are informal walking paths between the groves — not formally waymarked, but the terrain is easy — and you get views back down to the coast that feel completely removed from the beach resort below. Pack a picnic. Nobody else will be there.
8. Chiringuito El Portet — At 7pm, Not 1pm
Every guide tells you to go to El Portet beach. None of them tell you when. At 1pm in July, it's heaving. At 7pm in June, it's sublime. The beach empties as families head back to apartments, the sun drops toward the headland, and the small beach bar serves ice-cold Estrella Damm and fresh fish. The water is still warm enough for one last swim. This is my favourite hour in Moraira.
9. Moraira Sunday Market — The Back Section
The Sunday market on Avenida de Madrid is well-known. But most tourists spend all their time in the main stalls selling beach bags and ceramics. Walk through to the back section, past the clothing stalls, and you find the actual farmers' market — local honey, homemade jams, dried herbs from the mountains, and occasionally someone selling plants from their garden. This is the authentic part. Don't miss it.
10. Watching Fishing Boats Return at Dawn
This one requires commitment. Set your alarm for 6:30am, walk down to Moraira Harbour, and watch the small fishing fleet return from their night out. The fishermen unload their catch, the cats (there are always cats) hover hopefully, and the harbour is perfectly quiet except for the sound of water and the occasional shout in Valencian. By 9am it's all over and the postcard tourism begins. But for that hour, it's the most real thing in Moraira.
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Stay Like a Local, Not a Tourist
The best way to actually experience all of this is to stay in a holiday rental in Moraira rather than a hotel. You get a kitchen (essential for market shopping), a terrace for those sunset bottles of Raco de Galeno's Marina Alta wine, and the space to actually live in a place rather than pass through it.
At JV Properties, we offer a selection of handpicked holiday rentals in Moraira — from harbour-view apartments to private villas with pools in the hills above the town. And here's something worth knowing: booking direct with us saves you up to 18% compared to booking through Airbnb or Booking.com, because we don't charge guests the platform fees those sites add on top. That's real money back in your pocket — money better spent on Sunday lunch at La Bodeguita.
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The hidden version. The one worth discovering.