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Live jazz, blues and soul are on the programme at this mellow cocktail bar on the prettiest square in the village.

This colourful, friendly bar is popular with locals of all ages. Resident DJs raise the tempo at weekends, when it packs out. There are special theme nights throughout the summer.

This fashionable watering hole is attached to a stylish hotel (see Posada del Mar, Denia (Dénia)). Mellow music, a laid-back clientele and excellent snacks make it refreshingly different from your average raucous seaside bar.

Bacarra’s “disco-garden” is the place to be during the hot summer months. There are all kinds of events, from DJs to live gigs, go-go dancers and special one-off theme parties.

A classic in Xàbia, this club is always packed out on summer weekends. Resident and guest DJs play house, techno and a bit of Spanish pop to get the crowd going.

Popular with tourists and locals alike, this pretty café-bar sits right on the pebbly beach. Dine on simple Mediterranean dishes, or just enjoy a cocktail out on the terrace.

This huge discoteca has four spaces: “La Discoteca” for the latest dance music; “Dream” for techno and house; “Happy” for pop music; and “La Terraza” for ambient sounds.

This taverna is more than a tapas bar. Housed in a handsome 19th-century mansion, there are always temporary art exhibitions, and live music (usually jazz or blues) is a permanent fixture during the summer months.

House and techno keep the party going until dawn at La Llum, another of Xàbia’s popular discos.

Altea’s main cultural centre features regular performances of opera, zarzuela (typical Spanish operetta), theatre dance and classical music, as well as jazz, flamenco and pop concerts.