There is a sign at this cove, put up by the town council, that reads “Al Racó, millor en conill, naturalment” — roughly, at Racó, better in the nude, naturally. It is a pun: en conill is Valencian slang for naked, and conill also means rabbit, which is what the cove is named after. Few Spanish municipalities have ever signposted a beach quite so cheerfully.
That sign is also the best way to understand what has happened here over the last decade. Racó del Conill has been a naturist cove since the 1970s. Then it went viral, and a beach barely 100 meters long started receiving the kind of crowds a beach ten times its size would struggle with.
Where Is Racó del Conill?
On the northern coastline of Villajoyosa (La Vila Joiosa), province of Alicante, roughly 3 to 5 kilometers from the town centre on the road toward Benidorm. This is the cliff-and-cove stretch of the Marina Baixa, and it looks nothing like the long developed beaches south of town, including Playa Paraíso.
It sits near the boundary with El Campello and within easy reach of Benidorm and Cala de Finestrat, which is why it tends to get folded into a day of cove-hopping rather than visited on its own.
What the Cove Is Actually Like
Small. Published figures run from 80 to 160 meters, and the spread comes down to where each one stops measuring, and just a few meters wide in most places. A rocky outcrop divides it into two uneven sections, which makes it feel more sheltered and more layered than the dimensions suggest.
The shore alternates between smooth pebbles, bare rock, and occasional patches of sand — water shoes, not sandals. What it trades away in comfort it returns in clarity: the water here is genuinely turquoise, and the pine-covered cliffs around it give a sense of being somewhere undeveloped, which on this particular stretch of the Costa Blanca is increasingly hard to find.
There is no Blue Flag, no lifeguard, no showers, and no restrooms. A seasonal kiosk operates at the cove, and opinion on it is genuinely divided: convenient if you forgot water, though longer-standing visitors point out that music and a bar have changed a place whose whole appeal was that it had neither.
The Naturist Tradition, and What Became of It
Racó del Conill has been naturist since the 1970s, and unusually, that status is not merely tolerated but formally backed: the Ayuntamiento de Villajoyosa has signposted the cove under its municipal beach regulations, which is the origin of the sign at the top of this page.
In practice, the cove’s social media fame has brought a large share of clothed visitors, and today both share the same very small stretch of shoreline. Neither is wrong and nobody polices it, but it is worth knowing before you arrive rather than discovering it on the way down the path. Whichever you choose, the etiquette is the same one that has always applied at naturist beaches: no photographing other people.
If you want the same thing closer to Alicante city, Cala Cantalar is the low-key alternative on the Cabo de las Huertas.
In the Water
Snorkeling is the main reason to get in. Clear water and rocky ground around the central outcrop make for good visibility close to shore. Bring your own mask — there is no rental of anything here, which also applies to paddleboards and kayaks, though the generally calm water suits both if you arrive with your own.
The rock formation splitting the cove is used for jumping into the water, and it is worth being blunt about it: there is no lifeguard, no phone signal guarantee, and depth varies with the season as sediment shifts. People who jump here know the spot. Watching first, and checking depth yourself, is not excessive caution.
The Coastal Path to the Torre del Aguiló
The Colada de la Costa, an old drovers’ route turned coastal footpath, links Racó del Conill with Playa del Torres and the Torre del Aguiló, a 16th-century watchtower built under Felipe II as part of the same anti-piracy network that produced the towers at Moraira, Granadella and the Mascarat further north.
It is the best thing to do here on a day when the cove is full, and it gives the cliffside views that no amount of time on the pebbles will.
One curiosity while you are down there: this cove has stood in for other places on screen more than once, appearing in Son of the Pink Panther (1993), Astérix at the Olympic Games (2008), and the British sitcom Benidorm.
Getting There, and the Parking Problem
From Villajoyosa, take the N-332 toward Benidorm and watch for the signposted turn near an old abandoned casino building. The access road is narrow, and passing oncoming traffic on the last stretch takes some care.
Parking is free, along the sides of that road, with somewhere between 50 and 100 spaces. That number is the whole problem: a hundred cars is far more than a 100-meter cove can absorb, and on a July weekend both the road and the shoreline are full by mid-morning. From the parking, a short unpaved path drops to the water — easy by the standards of hidden coves, but not a walkway, and not adapted for reduced mobility.
No bus reaches the cove. Without a car it is a taxi from Villajoyosa or Benidorm, or the coastal walk in from a neighbouring beach — which is arguably the better arrival anyway. Dogs and motorhomes are not permitted at the cove or on the access road.
Eating and Staying
The seasonal kiosk handles drinks and casual food and nothing more. For a real meal, Villajoyosa’s centre is a few kilometers away and worth the trip: this is a serious seafood town, known for arròs a banda, fresh fish, and coca de verduras, quite apart from the row of painted houses along its waterfront that everyone photographs.
Most visitors stay in Villajoyosa itself. Cala de Finestrat, further toward Benidorm, is the other common base for anyone working through the coves of the Marina Baixa in a few days.
When to Go
On a cove this size, the hour of arrival matters more than the month. Water runs from around 14–17°C in winter to 26–27°C in August, but nobody leaves here disappointed by the temperature — they leave disappointed because there was nowhere to sit.
| Period | Before 10:00 AM | Midday onward |
|---|---|---|
| April – May | Empty, and the light is good | Comfortable all day |
| June | Space and clear water | Filling fast, parking tight |
| July – August | The only realistic window | Full cove, full road |
| September | Warm water, few people | Manageable most days |
| October – March | Cold water, empty cove; the season for the coastal path | |
Practical Tips
- Before 10:00 AM in summer, or don’t bother. This is the shortest useful piece of advice about this cove.
- Bring everything. No showers, no restrooms, no lifeguard, no rental of anything.
- Water shoes. Pebbles, rock, and only occasional sand.
- Know it’s a naturist cove before you walk down. And whichever way you go, no photographs of other people.
- Have the coastal path as a plan B. If the cove is full, the walk to the Torre del Aguiló turns a wasted trip into a good one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Racó del Conill a nudist beach?
Officially yes, since the 1970s, and the town council signposts it as such. In practice, clothed and nude bathers now share it.
What does the name mean?
Conill is Valencian for rabbit, and also slang for naked — which the council’s sign at the cove makes full use of.
Is there a lifeguard?
No. There is no lifeguard service, and no showers or restrooms either.
Are dogs allowed?
No. Dogs and motorhomes are prohibited at the cove and on the access road.
Is parking free?
Yes, roadside and free, but limited and gone early on summer mornings.
Access arrangements, the seasonal kiosk, and municipal rules at Racó del Conill are set by the Ayuntamiento de Villajoyosa and change from season to season; check with them before travelling. This is not safety advice. There is no lifeguard at this cove, the approach path and the rocks are uneven, and water depth below the jumping spots varies — treat it as an unsupervised beach, because that is what it is.
Image Credits
- Header image: Cala del Racó del Conill by Samu alicante, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- In-article image: Racó del Conill, La Villajoyosa by Triplecaña, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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