What you can see on the Piles webcam
The camera looks straight out from the top of the beach. Golden sand runs across the bottom of the picture; above it are the shore break and the open Mediterranean to the horizon. It is a practical view rather than a scenic one, and it does one job well: showing how the sea is behaving on this exposed stretch of coast, from flat calm to rows of breaking waves.
Piles beach webcam
A simple, close-up view of the sea at Piles, a small village beach between Gandia and Oliva. The camera, run by the regional tourist board, looks straight out from the top of the beach over a strip of golden sand to the water, so most of the picture is surf and horizon.
That makes it a practical camera rather than a pretty one. It shows exactly how the sea is behaving on this open stretch of coast: flat and clear on calm mornings, or striped with lines of breaking waves when the wind blows onshore. There are no hotels or promenade in shot, which suits the place: Piles is one of the quietest beaches in the area.
A watchtower and a view of the Montgó
Like much of this coast, Piles was once open to raids from North Africa, and a watchtower was built here in 1577 to give warning of ships. Looking south along the beach on a clear day, the great limestone bulk of the Montgó, the mountain above Dénia, closes the view, while to the north you can see as far as the coast beyond Gandia.
When to watch Piles
The beach faces east, so the sun rises over the sea in front of the camera, and early pictures can be bright with glare. Mainland Spain is one hour ahead of the UK and Ireland. In summer the water is warm enough for a long swim, nearing 26°C in August; in winter the camera mostly shows an empty beach and, when the wind blows from the east, a lively sea.
Around Piles
Gandia, with its Ducal Palace and its long promenade, is about 5 miles (8 km) north. Oliva, just south, has a long beach of its own and an old town on a hill. The Safor countryside inland is planted with oranges, and footpaths lead up into the hills behind.
Visiting Piles
Piles is reached from the N-332 coast road and the AP-7 motorway, about 45 miles (72 km) south of Valencia. Gandia station is the nearest on the commuter line from Valencia. Facilities on the beach are fewer than in the big resorts, which is exactly why people come.
