Xàbia is located in the northern part of the province of Alicante, between the capes of San Antonio and La Nao. The Cabo de la Nao separates the bays of Valencia and Alicante and is the most westerly point of the coastline of the Valencian Community. The frequent attacks by pirates made the natives of the town move 2 kilometres from the coast and wall themselves in an enclosure that was maintained until 1877. This enclosure constitutes the current historic centre which, around the Gothic Church of San Bartolomé, characterises Xàbia today with its whitewashed houses, iron railings and lintels carved in a porous golden earth called "tosca". Within the historic centre we have the Town Hall, the Food Market, the Cultural Centre, the Archaeological and Ethnological Museum and the Chapel of Santa Ana. All of these can be reached by a short walk. Two kilometres from the historic centre is the seafaring and port area known as the Aduanas del Mar, where we should highlight the curious church of Nuestra Señora de Loreto, built in the shape of a keel. Continuing along the road that runs parallel to the Benissero beach, we reach the Arenal area where the only Parador Nacional that exists on the Costa Blanca is located and the most popular beach in Xàbia: the Arenal beach. Xàbia has 20 kilometres of coastline from Cova Tallada to Cala de la Granadella. There is an interesting mix of fine sandy beaches such as Arenal beach, small coves surrounded by pine trees very suitable for scuba diving such as Granadella beach and nudist beaches such as Ambolo beach (closed due to danger of landslide). There are small coves such as Portitxol or La Sardinera. Inland we have the more traditional Xàbia of the riuraus or orange groves protected from the harsh continental climate by the natural barrier of Montgó which stretches to the north of Xàbia serving as a border between Xàbia and Dénia.