The old town of La Vila Joiosa is a beautiful place to grow old and an awkward one to look after somebody from far away. Its streets are narrow and steep, with steps down towards the sea, and about twenty of them are a restricted-access zone where only authorised vehicles may enter. In 2022 just under a quarter of the town’s registered residents had been born abroad, and some families have a parent here while the children live in another country.
This guide is about the doors. Plan these things now, while nothing is wrong.
1. Somebody nearby with a key
A neighbour, a friend, a cleaner who comes every week: one person within walking distance who holds a key and is willing to be called. Write their name and number down for everyone in the family. It is the single most useful thing on this page.
2. A key safe, if there is no such person
A locked key safe fixed by the door, with a code that the family and, if your parent agrees, the emergency services can be given. Inside the protected historic centre, choose a discreet place and ask the community or the owner before drilling into a façade.
3. A door that can always be opened from inside
Many older doors are locked from inside with the key, and the key is then left in the lock, or put away. A parent who is confused or unwell may not find it. Ask whether the inside can be changed to a thumb-turn, so the door opens from inside without a key, and check that a key left in the inside of the lock does not stop one being used from outside. Both are simple changes made by a locksmith in one visit.
4. Tell the family how the old town works
If a relative flies in to help, they need to know that the car stays outside the restricted streets, which streets those are, and how to walk to the door. Locked out inside the old town’s camera zone explains it, and is worth sending to anyone who might drive there.
5. Know what happens on a bad day
- If your parent may be hurt behind a locked door, call 112 first. Then a locksmith, if the emergency services want the door opened without breaking it.
- If they are shut out, they or a neighbour ring the locksmith. They will be asked for proof of address: an identity document with it, or a neighbour who knows them.
- If they come home from hospital without keys, read home from Hospital Marina Baixa without your house keys before the day comes.
6. Look after the old lock before it fails
The houses inside the walls often have old wooden doors with mortice locks. A lock that has started to stick will one day not open, and that day may be the day nobody is around. Having it looked at, freed or replaced in the same pocket is described on the old town locksmith page.
When the door does have to be opened, here is how it is done without damage.