Playa del Muntanyar i

This is a waterfront for swimming, paddling, walking and watching the bay rather than sinking into soft sand. Regular visitors arrive with beach shoes, folding chairs and everything needed for a simple day beside the water. The open aspect can bring small waves and movement from wind-powered sports, so the sea should be judged carefully before entering.

The atmosphere changes along the length of the beach. Sections close to restaurants and seasonal beach bars feel sociable, while quieter stretches allow more space between groups. Early morning is especially popular with walkers and swimmers, and the broad coastal road keeps the shore connected to everyday life in Xabia.

Primer Muntanyar, also known as El Benissero, is Xabia's long open pebble beach between the mouth of the Gorgos River and the sandy Arenal. Its shore of rounded stones and exposed tosca rock gives it a more local, practical character than a conventional resort beach.

The name El Benissero is linked to a small house once owned by a resident of nearby Benissa. More visibly, the beach preserves evidence of Xabia's traditional use of local tosca sandstone. Shallow cuts and worked surfaces in the rock recall the extraction of this warm-coloured stone for buildings and architectural details around the town.

The Gorgos River mouth marks the northern end, with the port district of Duanes de la Mar beyond it. To the south, the waterfront leads directly towards the Arenal, allowing visitors to move between a stony local shore and Xabia's main sandy beach without leaving the bay.

Primer Muntanyar forms a long, low curve beneath the Montgo and the headland of Cap de Sant Antoni. Pebbles, boulders and flat sandstone shelves replace dunes, while the road and low development follow the coastline closely.

The open horizon and broad bay are the defining features. Water can look exceptionally clear over the pale stones, but submerged rock makes suitable footwear useful and asks for a careful entry. The beach's appeal comes from its continuity: river mouth, stone shore, tosca platforms and the gradual transition towards the busier Arenal.