We are Heike Juliane and Frithjof Fahl. Originally we come from Aachen/Germany (NRW), but we met on a holiday in Italy and quickly decided that we wanted to live on the Mediterranean at some point. We chose Spain because of the great beaches, the friendly people, the good weather and the delicious food. For many years we travelled the Spanish coast on holiday, always looking for our "place to be". The choice fell on Denia, more precisely on Els Poblets, because here we particularly like the low buildings on the beach - you won't find concrete blocks here, instead there are actually small bungalows in the first line of the beach.
For German-and English-speaking travellers, it is also very easy to get around in our village, even without foreign language skills. German and English is spoken in many restaurants, there are German- and English-speaking doctors, and you quickly get to know international expats. But of course, authentic Spanish gastronomy and joie de vivre can also be found in our village.
More than 30 years after we met, we turned our long-cherished dream of emigrating to Spain into reality in April 2022 and bought a small pension on the beach, which we renovated with great attention to detail. We love getting to know people and looking after them, we are open and communicative and see it as a matter of the heart that our guests feel comfortable with us and can enjoy the most beautiful time of the year in a relaxed way.
Why "Die kleine Auszeit"? Holidays should achieve one thing above all: Distance from everyday life. No matter whether you want to spend a relaxing beach holiday, be active in sports, focus on culture or have a little bit of everything. On the Costa Blanca, all of this is possible. Take your little time out and think of yourself for once: Piensa en ti! Of course, a guesthouse in Spain should not only have a German name (if only so that the taxi drivers understand it). After a lengthy discussion with locals about the meaning of "Die kleine Auszeit", the result was: Think of yourself/think of yourself for once - Piensa en ti! (Besito Irene).
And another question occupied us in our planning: Do colours have an influence on our well-being? Yes! The design of the rooms is based on a colour-psychological concept, which in turn contributes to a successful holiday. Depending on the intention of our guests, relaxation, harmony, joie de vivre or spiritual strengthening can be promoted by appropriate colours. Have you become curious? You can read about which colour does what in our room descriptions.
Another important topic for us is sustainability: in the future, our electricity will be generated climate-neutrally by our own photovoltaic system. In winter, energy-saving infrared heaters heat our accommodation, and at our breakfast you won't find any small plastic packaging that is customary in hotels. We are constantly working to keep our ecological footprint as small as possible and regularly seek advice from experts on this.
On request we offer our guests a delicious breakfast for 8,50€ in our cosy café.
Biker friendly hotel! Store or rent your bike with us.
Service package: room cleaning €35, additional towel and bed linen set €45
Holidays in Denia - Excursion tips:
Things to see in Denia:
First of all: Denia is quite crowded in July/August, because mainly the Madrileneans spend their holidays here. Outside the season, it is a quiet place, even though it is rumoured that about 10,000 Germans, Dutch and English people live here throughout the year.
Denia old town: The old town of Denia with its bars, restaurants and shops is very charming and worth a visit (see www.montgo-denia.de). You should definitely take a stroll through the old town. There are many small shops, restaurants and cafés, especially in the main shopping street Calle Marqués de Campo Dénia, which is now completely car-free. Parking in public and private car parks, as well as in the underground car park carved into the rock, is no problem at all. Dénia's marina is very modern, great for strolling and watching fish and boats. One restaurant follows the next. Highly recommended for an enjoyable evening. Las Rotas is a beautiful stretch of natural beach right at the gates of the old town and the sports harbour, perfect for strolling and marvelling (cf. Les Rotes beach promenade - Dénia - www.denia.net
Don't miss "Els Magazinos", Dénia's new gastronomic and cultural market, also right in the centre of town. The former sultana warehouse has been lovingly converted into a temple of pleasure and is beautifully decorated for the seasons (see https://elsmagazinos.com/).
There is also a tunnel under the castle of Dénia - interesting to see if you are in the old town anyway. On Halloween, it turns into the "Tunnel of Horror", a very special spectacle for children in the early evening and for adults in the late evening (see https://www.denia.com/de/tunel-del-castillo/).
You can eat great food in Denia and the surrounding area all year round. Of course, we still haven't managed to try nearly everything. Nevertheless, here are our personal restaurant tips: Our highlights in Denia are Can Broich, where you should definitely try the Chateaubrianch (http://www.canbroch.com/) and Tasca Eulalia, the perfect tapas bar in the plane tree shopping street Calle Marqués de Campo in Dénia (https://www.tascaeulaliadenia.com/). If you fancy something a little fancier, we recommend the tasting menu at Lino's Restaurant Denia (linos-denia.com). Within walking distance of our guesthouse "Die kleine Auszeit" is "Mi Casa Tu Casa", where we eat regularly, as well as "Hero" (restauranteherodenia.com), where the steaks and pancakes are highly recommended. Directly on the beach, the "Llum" and the "El Tresmall" (eltresmall.com) are open all year round. In summer, various chiringuitos on the beach are added and in autumn they are gone again.
Shopping tips (again completely subjective, of course): Supermarkets: 5 minutes by car from the guesthouse "Die kleine Auszeit" is the "Consum" (Carr. de les Marines a Dénia, 179, 03700). In Denia we like the "Mercadona" (Av. Miguel Hernández, 23, 03700 Dénia), it is located directly below the Catells, diagonally opposite is a delicatessen, have a look. "Supermercado Saladar is just around the corner from us. Small, well-stocked, not cheap, but open 7 days a week. "Open 24 Market" at Plaça Benidorm, 11, 03700 Dénia is small but nice and almost always open. The yacht owners shop here.
If you want to buy some good wine, we have 2 tips: In Los Magazinos there is a wine merchant, the Vagamars are delicious. And in Ondara (on the way to the shopping centre the Vinalia Vinoteca, here we recommend the ayles wines (Carrer Sant Jaume, 3, 03760 Ondara).
From Dec. to Feb. you can buy oranges on every corner (5kg for 3€), especially nice and rustic is directly at the farmer, e.g. at the CV-723 from Denia direction AP7.
Museums: In Denia there is the toy museum, an archaeological museum on the Castell and the ethnological museum ( see https://www.denia.com/de/museos/). An interesting way to pass the time, and maybe it will rain.
Beaches: All the beaches in Denia are great, but Las Deveses, https://www.denia.com/de/playa-les-deveses/, all the way over to Oliva Nova, is particularly worthwhile. Just take Las Marinas in the direction of Molinel/Oliva and drive straight on (you will pass the prime meridian) until the road ends, park, cross the bridge and enjoy the finest white sand as far as the eye can see. By the way, the town beach in front of Denia centre has a nice children's playground.
Excursion destinations near Denia: If you like hiking, the Montgo Nature Park is perfect. Hiking shoes are absolutely necessary, however, as it quickly becomes alpine. You can get an overview of the nature park and its routes here: https://www.denia.com/de/el-montgo/.
The palm garden L'Albarda/Jardín Mediterráneo (jardinalbarda.com) is a fantastic retreat to recharge your batteries. Incredibly beautiful photo motifs can be found here in the park, which was laid out in Moorish style in 1990 and is lovingly maintained. We like to come here again and again.
Only 10 minutes by car from us is the "Font Salada", warm springs and barbecue restaurant. Here you can bathe in the warm springs completely free of charge, even in winter. The barbecue restaurant serves delicious sausages Home (see https://www.comunitatvalenciana.com/de/valencia/oliva/naturlandschaften/font-salada-1).
The Dénia prime meridian signals the passage of the Greenwich meridian through the municipality. Not super spectacular, but if you're already there... within walking distance of the guesthouse "Die kleine Auszeit".
And this is a must: "Portal de la Marina" shopping centre (see https://www.portaldelamarina.org/en/), the best and largest on the Costa Blanca, with no vacancies and lots of free parking. It is best to combine this with a visit to the organic food shop "Ecorganic", the largest organic supermarket in the province. The organic meat is especially recommended. There is another organic shop in the plane tree shopping street Calle Marqués de Campo in Dénia.
And if you want to do some exercise after all the goodies, we recommend the fitness centre TONUS in El Verger, there is also an adult swimming pool and tennis courts here, and you can also buy single tickets or tickets for 10. (Carrer Portugal, 1, 03770 El Verger) And for water sports enthusiasts, we recommend the beach of Els Molins for kite and windsurfers. This cove in Denia El Palmar is also our favourite cove in winter, because you can sit sheltered from the wind on the little wall in the sun and watch them. Without wind and kiters, it's a great bay for children.
The Cap Sant Antoni/Cabo de San Antonio is very popular with our guests, from where you have a wonderful view over to Javea. You can also take a short walk to the historic mills. Caution: It is often very windy there! And if you have already done half the distance, you can also drive down the serpentines and visit Javea (Xabia). Very nice little town with a beautiful promenade, great beaches and bays and nice shops and cafés.
The village of Alcalalí is famous for its almond blossom in February, but it's also nice for walking at any time of year. This can be combined with a trip to Jalon, preferably on Saturdays, when there is a flea market, which is really huge and has great Spanish junk, handicrafts and much more; also on Saturdays there is an organic market with very tasty enchiladas, sustainable children's fashion, cakes etc.. There are also 2 larger bodegas: Bodegas Xalo and Bodegas Rico, just try them.
The "Fonts de L'Algar" in Callosa d'en Sarrià are also a really nice excursion. This is a spectacular waterfall with bathing coves that is marketed for tourism (see https://lasfuentesdelalgar.com/en/home-english/). Don't forget your swimsuit and picnic! Nearby there are also restaurants and cafés with delicious delicacies.
A trip to the picturesque old town of Altea is absolutely worthwhile. First, you might enjoy a coffee and a walk along the great beach promenade and then head uphill into the little white town. If you want, you can of course drive up and park at the top. But if you walk around the town, you will be rewarded with wonderful views of the pretty little streets. There are cafés and restaurants, as well as nice little special shops and a spectacular view of ugly Benidorm - in my opinion, that's all you really need to see of this tourist stronghold.
Gandia is also a pretty town with a great long beach. And we were very impressed by the Borja (Borgia) Palace in the centre (see https://www.palauducal.com/en/). There is also a lively pedestrian zone for shopping.
Alicante: Alicante is just under an hour's drive away. Besides the impressive Explanada, a lift ride up the mountain to Santa Barbara Castle is worthwhile.
Valencia: Old town and city of science. Valencia is simply great. There is a beautiful old town with delicious tapas bars, an impressive market hall, a church whose tower you can climb and wonderful alleys to get lost in. The newer part of town, the City of Science and Arts, was built in the dry riverbed and looks very futuristic. We spent a fantastic day there at Oceanografic, great, not only for kids! (cf. https://www.oceanografic.org/)
Guadalest is a tourist mountain village, about 1 hour's drive from Denia. You can see the landmark "Castell de Guadalest" from afar. There is much worth seeing on a walk through the village, such as the miniature museum, but in July/August it is simply too crowded. You can take boat trips on the "Presa de Guadalest" reservoir.
Pension "Die kleine Auszeit", owner Heike Juliane and Frithjof Fahl, C/1 Partida Platja Almadrava, 03779 Els Poblets, Spain
House rules, general rights and duties We have renovated and equipped our guesthouse with great attention to detail. Therefore we would like to ask you to treat your accommodation with appropriate care, so that the next guests will find the same conditions as you. Please read all the rules carefully to avoid any hazards or deductions from your deposit when you check out. As part of your booking, you agree to abide by the house rules.
(1) Quiet hours: Being a good neighbour is important to us. Some of our neighbours live in the area all year round, but short-term guests also always enjoy the benefits of the area. Please therefore observe the night-time quiet hours from 10.00 pm to 7.00 am. To avoid disturbance, TV and audio equipment must be set to room volume. Should complaints about excessive noise or disorderly behaviour arise, we reserve the right to terminate the tenancy agreement immediately and retain the deposit.
(2) Safety and energy: To ensure safety and to avoid rain and water damage, guests are required to keep windows and doors closed when leaving the holiday accommodation. We try to keep our ecological footprint as small as possible, therefore the air conditioning or heating is to be switched off when leaving the holiday accommodation. To measure electricity consumption, electricity meters are located in the fuse boxes of each flat. The kilowatt hour (kwh) costs 25 Ct. and will be charged separately on departure.
(3) Pets: Pets are not allowed in the holiday accommodation.
(4) Smoking: Smoking is generally prohibited in our accommodation. This is the only way we can ensure a pleasant stay for all our guests. Those who nevertheless wish to smoke are welcome to do so on the terrace. In case of infringement, the landlord can charge a cleaning fee of up to 100,00 Euro (net).
(5) Laundry can be done in the communal washing machine on the 1st floor for a fee of 3€. Laundry drying racks are available on the terraces.
(6) Damage: Accidents can happen. However, in order to avoid misunderstandings and annoyances, we ask you to always report accidental damage to us in good time. In order to avoid general damage, we also ask you not to move any furniture or put up any decorations in the holiday home. In case of accidental damage we will check the matter internally and decide if and how much the deduction or repair costs will be. Please take to the beach only the beach towels provided.
(7) Right of access: The provider has a right of access to the holiday flat at any time, especially in case of imminent danger. When exercising the right of access, the guest's interests worthy of protection are to be given appropriate consideration. The provider shall inform the guest in advance about the exercise of the right of access, unless this is unreasonable or impossible for him/her according to the circumstances of the individual case.
(8) Waste disposal: We would like to make our contribution to environmental protection and ask our guests to do the same! For recycling and waste disposal, containers for glass, plastic and residual waste are available on the street within walking distance. Please do not throw any rubbish on the pavement, street or beach.
(9) Kitchen use: A fully equipped kitchen is available in our flats for you to prepare a delicious meal. Please treat our kitchen with the same respect as you would treat your own kitchen at home, so that it remains in good condition for other guests. Please air the kitchen after each cooking session and take care not to flush food residues and grease down the drain. Cleaning products for the kitchen are located under the sink.
(10) Visitors: Our large terraces invite you to spend cosy evenings with friends. However, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that you as a tenant are responsible for ensuring that all visitors comply with these house rules. Additional overnight guests are not permitted. Parties and large gatherings of any kind are strictly prohibited in our house.
(11) Barbecuing: Barbecuing with charcoal or on an open fire is absolutely forbidden due to the high fire risk.
(12) Keys: Generally, you will be given one set of keys (front door and room door). If you need more keys, please let us know. In case of loss, a fee of 50€ will be charged.
(13) Departure and cleaning: The fixed fee for the final cleaning is to be paid in advance. Nevertheless, please leave your accommodation in a broom-clean condition. Dishes must be left rinsed and rubbish bins emptied. Please note that a breach of any of these rules may be penalised by forfeiture of the deposit (pro rata or in full, depending on the amount of damage). We wish you a pleasant stay.
