Dénia sits about an hour south of Valencia on the Costa Blanca, a working fishing port with a castle above the old town and enough coastline to fill a single unhurried night without committing to a full city transfer.
Getting There
Coaches and cars cover the roughly 100 km from Valencia to Dénia in about an hour. There is no direct train line to Dénia itself; the coach is the practical option for a one-night add-on.
The Town
Dénia's old town climbs toward a Moorish-origin castle that has been rebuilt across successive periods of Iberian history, and the views from its walls run out over the marina and the Mediterranean beyond. The port still lands fish daily, and the town is UNESCO-recognised for gastronomy, built substantially on the seafood the boats bring in.
Keep It Low
The point of Dénia the day after a marathon is a low ceiling on activity, not a full itinerary. A promenade walk along the marina, a long seafood lunch, and an early night are the whole plan. The beaches either side of the town, Les Marines to the north and Les Rotes to the south, are close enough for a short recovery walk without a car.
Where to Eat
The restaurants along the fishing port serve the daily catch simply, grilled or in rice dishes that draw on the same Valencian rice-growing tradition as Albufera, adapted here with seafood rather than rabbit and chicken.
Getting Back
A direct coach or car back to Valencia takes the same hour as the outbound journey, making Dénia workable as a single overnight without disrupting a return flight from Valencia the following day.