The Church of Our Lady of Loreto

Inglesia de la Virgen de Loreto or The Church of Our Lady of Loreto can be found in the center of the ‘Duanes de la Mar’ neighborhood, in the Port of Javea. Construction of the Church was completed in 1967, replacing a small chapel that once stood in its place, which was built in 1914 in honour of ‘Our Lady of Loreto’. The architects behind the development of the stunning structure were Dexeus Beatty, Herrero Cuesta, García Ordóñez, Gómez Perreta and Bellot Port. Its truly unique design is an example of contemporary religious architecture and has led to the Church being one of, if not, the most recognisable structure in the municipality, acting as a symbol for innovation and prosperity.

Its originality and bold design are a clear indication of not only style but also a perfusion of substance. The vast majority of the building has been constructed using reinforced concrete, from the outside in, the 12 grandiose, concrete and iron pillars encircling the Church were erected as representation of the 12 apostles. Inside the church, the cornerless walls stretch up, leaving a gap from wall to roof, with a set of small windows in the space, allowing incandescent light to spill in, producing an atmosphere of spirituality and tranquility. The interior roof of the building is clad with red pine wood, designed to replicate the appearance of the keel of a ship crashing into waves (the curved walls) as the Church is located in the fishing district of ‘Duanes de la Mar’. This Church is a must see!

Visiting Hours

Our Lady of Loreto can be visited from 09:00 am until 20:00 pm all year round, and in the summer months, the closing time is extended to 21:00 pm.

How to get to Church of Our Lady of Loreto

La Inglesia de la Virgen de Loreto is located 4km NorthWest of the Javea Arenal Beach. To get there from the Blanca Cars office one must…

Head southwest on the ‘Avenida Arenal’ and take the 1st exit on the roundabout joining ‘Ctra. del Cap de la Nau Pla’, then take the 2nd exit on the following roundabout and continue straight. At the next roundabout, you will once again take the 2nd exit and follow the road until you reach the next roundabout, where you will take the 1st exit joining ‘C. Milan’. At the roundabout at the end of the road take the 1st exit turning right, then at the following roundabout take the 2nd exit, heading North on the ‘Av de Augusta’. At the next roundabout take the 1st exit joining ‘Av dels Furs’, and continue until you reach the next roundabout where you will take the 3rd exit and the following 1st exit at the next roundabout.

At the end of this round turn left and follow the round as it bends round to the right and become ‘Pl. Adolfo Suarez’. The road name will change once again to the ‘Puerto de Javea’. There you will find parking on your left and right hand side. Once on foot, follow the road from which you came back roughly 100m, where you should turn right and walk up the alleyway for 20m or so, the Church should then be visible on your left hand side.

Directions from Javea Arenal to Church of Our Lady of Loreto

Javea port area

Javea Port is well worth a visit. It boasts many shops, restaurants, (tapas) bars and the pretty La Grava peble beach alongside the promenade lined with lovely palmtrees in a relaxed atmosphere. The sculptures on the promenade are changed every year. Located at the north end of the promenade, Javea’s marina still functions as a fishing port with the fishing fleet arriving back in port at least once a day and yachts moored in the same vicinity. A market opens to sell the fresh produce caught by the fishermen. Walk past the harbour and ‘Club Náutico’ and you will come to the small beach named ‘Playa del Pope’ or ‘Playa del Tangó. View properties for sale in Javea port