Museu Arqueològic i Etnogràfic Soler Blasco

The Museu Arqueològic i Etnogràfic Soler Blasco occupies the Renaissance palace that Antoni Banyuls, steward to Philip III, had built in the first half of the 17th century, in Xàbia's old town. It is the town's municipal museum, with a striking façade of tosca stone.

What to see inside

The display lays out local history from prehistory to modern times: Iberian objects, Roman remains and material that shows how people lived and worked in this corner of the Marina Alta. The ethnographic section gathers farming gear, raisin-making tools and everyday items from Xàbia homes.

The upper floor

The real surprise sits upstairs, given over to underwater archaeology: amphorae, anchors and cargoes raised from the seabed off the Xàbia coast, a record of the ships that crossed this stretch of the Mediterranean. The collection runs from the 7th century BC to the 19th.

The palace itself rewards a look, with its stone courtyard and arches. It stands a few steps from the fortress-church of San Bartolomé, so the two visits string together neatly on a walk through the centre.