I first came across the work of Oscar Bento by accident.  He had a selection of his work displayed in Los Remos restaurant on the Arenal in Javea and I thought it was really lovely - tranquil seascapes, vistas of the beach, the beach at night so I looked into it further.  In fact a lot of his work is on display at Javea’s best art gallery which you will find in the old town on Virgen del Pilar (tel: 96 579 2272), so I took a trip down there.   They have some excellent works on display, and not just by Oscar Bento and it’s well worth a trip.

Best directions to get there are to hear for the indoor market and ask from there.  Or hit the nearby excellent tapas bar Cafe Imperial a dnthey will point you in the right direction.  Their speciality I think, is crispy bacon wrapped around dates - delicious - for my money one of the best tapas bars in Javea.

Back to the art.  Oscar Bento actually has his studio in Tosalet in a converted villa and sometimes allows visits to see him at work - well worth asking when you go to the gallery.

There’s lots more to see when you visit the old town - check out my Javea Old Town Guide. 

It’s not something we do very often when on holiday, but I can recommend getting up really early!  Take a trip down to the arenal beach and watch the sun come up. 

At first you have just a faint hint of the dusky light brightening and then you see the fireball of a sun just inching over the horizon.  What’s really nice is that it is one of the times you can just about be assured of being alone at on the beach.  The sand is cool, the breeze is gently blowing in and the day just happens.

The things you take for granted in the day time seem to take on a new beauty - just look at the picture of the lifeguard station.

 So, take a break from the hectic pace of life and enjoy what is around you.

 For more spectacular views of Javea go to http://www.javeavillas.co.uk/javeaspectacularviews.htm