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Where history rests. At the foot of the Denia Castle, looking out over the Mediterranean,
the Posada del Mar offers an unforgettable stay in an historically
famous 13th century building. Just some 40 or so years ago Denia was a small fishing port on the Costa Blanca with a handful of small, viable businesses, a main street shaded by plane trees, several well attended bars and only two banks.It had had a brief moment of world fame in 1958 when the movie 'John Paul Jones' was filmed there and a young lad called Miguel Ferrer,and his brother Manolo, playing a mariner, assisted the films crew with their knowledge of sailing . When 27-year-old Janet Frogley came to this relatively somnolent small town from London on holiday she was arrested by a jaunty young man driving a Vespa. Arrested that is by his looks and manner. And Miguel Ferrer, the jaunty young man, waslikewise captivated and managed to convince her with his limited English (Janet spoke no Spanish) that they were meant for each other. He succeeded. Janet went back to England applied for a divorce and she and Miguel were married a year later at Caxton Hall in London. They returned to live in Denia and over forty years have witnessed the changes to this once small town whose explored roots go back to Phoenician times. When only reaking fishing boats moored in its harbour now streamlined luxury yachts tie up in its two marinas.Miguel's father, Manuel, had several fishing boats at the time Janet came to live in Denia and had rented a ruined premise on the port which he used as a warehouse for mending nets and storing tackle. The Ferrer's later bought the premise and converted it into what is now a four star Hotel, La Posada del Mar. It has had a chequered history of over 700 years. Said to have been used by the arabs as a customs post it has seen times of war and peace and had many owners before it was donated in 1243 by King Jaime I to Guillermo de Cardona, General Master of the Order of the Knight Templars . It can be seen clearly a few yards from the port itself on an old print of Denia in 1609. But, after the Civil War during which it was bombed, it became a shambles of a place. "Inside the remaining walls people grew vegetables on the little soil there was, almost as if they had tiny allotments and they kept rabbits, chickens, …. you name it."said Miguel. "Thirty six years ago we bought the ruin and then 20 years ago we reconstructed all the outside, the shell of what we imagined would be something unique. We weren't sure exactly what but we knew it was such a fantastic position that it had to be something outstanding that lent itself to its surroundings." In the meantime part of this 'shell' became another office for the Ferrers. Miguel used to get annoyed when "…people came in thinking it was the town hall, a museum or worst of all walked through his office and used the washroom as if it was a public convenience." Maybe it was this that spurred him into action to get a permit for making the building into a hotel.5 years ago. Painstaking efforts were made to create a very special kind of place. The architect suggested 40 rooms as a feasible economic move but Manolo ,who worked on the design, and the rest of the family thought that this was ridiculous as the rooms would be too small. So they decided on 28 which in the end they reduced to 25 spacious rooms. " We salvaged ,stored and later used some of the old tiles and the flagstones from the rubble of the ruin." said Miguel . " The five amphoras of Roman origin in the entrance are from our home. They were found embedded in the sea by the fishing boats off the coast of Denia". Some other of their personal possessions displayed under glass are of prehistoric interest - ammonites, large fossils resembling a ram's horn, which said Janet ' were found when we were building in the hills of an inland village'. It is very much of a family effort as Josephine, their daughter oversaw the décor. She has a natural flair for interior decoration, choosing fabrics, furniture and the thousand details that give a personal stamp to the hotel.Exotically woven Indian and Afgan rugs are scattered through the halls.Watercolour and oil paintings bring splashes of colour and life to the walls, the scent of different potpourris waft through the corridors and the rooms, inventive dried flower arrangements on the sideboards and in the rooms all the touches that give an atmosphere of comfortable chic. Miguel, the son, takes care of the administrative side, overseeing the smooth running of the premises. "We are very proud of our hotel because as a family we have all worked hard to create something which takes on the atmosphere of the town and its setting.We have had ups and downs achieving this but we're all happy with the result. Stay in one of the two top floor suites with their colonial style wicker work sofas and arm chairs with plump off-white cushions, lamps with soft lighting beside romantic four-poster beds covered in cream quilts draped with cotton and silk throws , and marble bathrooms equipped with every possible necessity or opt for the bright and cheerful Caribbean fashioned rooms. Every room has a sea view and balcony but the top floor suites have vast terraces with such stunning views that it's almost impossible to tear yourself away.from the panorama. You can relax with a bottle of wine from their bodega on the terrace and see the castle lit up at night and listen to the live music concerts performed there during the summer months. Daytime brings the port to life and the lonja where you can see the days catch of fish being auctioned, the yacht club with swaying sailboats and the sight of Montgo, Denia's majestic protected mountain with its inland lake. If you can pull yourself away from the plethora of scenic vistas and the comfort of the four poster bed at cocktail time there is a piano bar downstairs just off the lounge where a dry martini might glide down nicely before going out to discover the wealth of restaurants close by, one of the reasons the hotel itself does not provide one.But it's a gastronomic delight to dine out in Denia with its renowned seafood, local red prawns being a favorite, although not inexpensive! The scene is a little different to when Janet first arrived as she reminisced "We used to catch our fish and bring it to the little bar around the corner where they would cook it for us. But despite the changes we hope to capture some of the past in our hotel."
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