Xabia: Facts and anecdotes - Did you know … that for a short space of time Jávea had an airfield?

Of course, this was not for commercial purposes nor was it for use by hobby pilots. Rather, it was for war planes!
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In 1936 the democratically elected leftist Popular Front came into government, but later that same year a coup d´état against the Republic was led by fascist Franco and the Army. This was the start of the violent Civil War of 1936-1939. Jávea remained loyal to the Republicans and in 1937, to protect this part of the coast from the fascists, an airfield with 2 landing strips was prepared on farmland in the Pla area behind the Arenal. At the same time several bunkers and air raid shelters were built in the municipality for the protection of the civilians. Also, an anti-aircraft gun emplacement was built off the Cami Cabanes equipped with machine guns that could rotate 360°  to defend the airfield and bunkers against enemy aviation attacks. However, the airstrip was little used.

On 23rd July 1938 three Savoia S79 planes of the fascist Italian Air Force, who were based in Palma de Mallorca, led a bombing raid on the Jávea airfield. In addition to aiding General Franco, they used such exercises to perfect their methods of terror bombing. However in this case their 36 bombs mostly missed their target and fell on the Arenal and the Pla. Fortunately only two people were hurt and the only mortality was a donkey. Eight months later, on 1st April 1939, Franco declared the end of the war, beginning 36 years of dictatorship and a period of extreme hardship for the population. 

The airfield remained on standby - as such - till the end of 1939 and then the land was returned to its former owners who used it once again for planting vines. Today only a few traces of the buildings which supported the airfield remain and these have been much altered as to be unrecognisable. The landing strips have now disappeared under orange groves, houses and ironically, a go-kart track.