Calpe Area Information
Introducing Calpe
The towering Rock of Ifach. Calm, pristine beaches. Dizzying coastal cliffs and hidden inland valleys and ravines. Mountain slopes overlooking a tranquil sea, providing the region with a mild year-round climate... Calpe will surprise you with its daring contrasts, where modern buildings and wide avenues harmonize with an ancient fishing village. Where locals are proud of their past, yet welcome tourists and visitors with warm-hearted hospitality
Scenery
The municipal district extends along the gently curving
bay whose northern edge is marked by the impressive Rock of Ifach,
an unmistakable sight on the Costa Blanca. The rock has been turned
into a Nature Park and provides shelter for a variety of plants, such
as the rockrose, tree germander and the Ifach campion. The rock walls
are used for nesting by many species of birds, including the peregrine
falcon and a large colony of sea gulls. This immense rock, towering
to 332m, just out into the sea to the punta de Carrallot. The summit
can be reached via a pathway tunneled through solid rock, from which
you can enjoy a marvelous panorama of the coastline, with the island
of Ibiza being visible on a clear day.
Visits to the Park are regulated, but you can always enter the Nature Room containing exhibits, audiovisuals and information on the Nature Park. Located at the foot of the Rock are the salt flats used in Roman times, now providing an important habitat for numerous migratory birds (flamingos, herons, etc.). The bay is closed on the southernmost point by the Morro de Toix, a small cape sticking out into the sea to form cliffs and caves. The coastline includes the cliffs of Ifach, Toix and La Mancanera, the coves of Raco and Puerto Blanco, and the extensive sandy beaches of La Fossa (Levante), Arenal-Bol and La Ca/alga. Further inland, the mountains of Cometa, 0/ta, Mascarat and El Calalgo, interspersed with streams and ravines, blend in with croplands to form a picturesque landscape.
History Calpe is a town that is full of history and culture. Its strategic location on the coast has attracted many voyagers and settlers throughout history. Remains of Iberian tribes were discovered around the skirts of the Rock of Ifach. Later, the Romans founded a prosperous colony on the coastal plain whose main activity was commerce in dried, salted fish. During the Medieval period, the farming population was spread out in a number of independent settlements. Christians and Moors lived peacefully for a time, but the local population later suffered continual attacks by pirates during the 14th to the 17th centuries.
Once the threat of pirate attacks abated, Calpe entered a period of redevelopment during the 18th century, consolidating the town in the 19th century and laying the foundations for its current prosperity as a major attraction for both national and international tourism.
Sightseeing
In the ancient town centre, next to the Moorish quarter
(Arrabal), we can see the group of monuments comprising the Torreo
de la Peca, the Town Walls an the Church known as the Iglesia Vieja,
the sole surviving example of Mudejar-Gothic architecture in the Land
of Valencia. Bordering the coast is the modern seaside promenade (Paseo
Maritimo), where the remains of an ancient Roman villa have recently
been found, once forming part of the fish factory known as the Banys
de la Reina (the Queen's Bath). Dominating the bay from the hill is
the 18th-century hermitage of San Salvador, which is contemporary
with the hermitage La Cometa and the fortified Casa Nova on the outskirts
of town. Overlooking the Mascarat ravine are the ruins of the Moorish
castle of Calpe and spotted over the surrounding countryside are the
typical rio-rau country houses, with arched porticos for raisin drying,
combined with modern villas and apartment blocks.
Fiestas The festivities calendar starts in February with the Carnival, in which marching bands from both Spain and Europe meet in Calpe The Fallas festivity is held in March, in which monumental statues are ceremoniously put to the flames on St. Joseph's Day, the 19th. There is a midsummer's festival on June 24th, followed by the celebration of Our Lady of Carmen in the fishing port on July 16th. August 5th marks the patron saint's day of the town -Virgen de las Nieves- with processions, outdoor parties, fireworks, etc. In October, after the Spanish-German Beer Festival, on the 22nd the fiestas in honor of the Sa tlsimo Cristo del Sudor are held and around the same time, the fiestas of Moors and Christians are celebrated also in honor of the patron saint.
Cuisine Calpe has an extensive array of restaurants offering everything from international cuisine to typical regional food based mainly on fish and rice. Some of the most characteristic dishes in Calpe are its salazones (tasty dried fish), putxero de polp (octopus in sauce), cruet de peix (a fisherman's pot), paella, Llauna de Calp fesols I naps (rice with chard and turnip), arros amh bledes (rice with beans) and arros a lforn (oven-baked rice). For dessert, you can try local cocas (pastries) and other sweetmeats.
Sports If you like sports and adventures, you have both the sea and the mountains to choose from. The fishing port, once used by Phoenicians and Romans, now has a Nautical Club and yachting marina, where you can obtain information on scuba diving, windsurfing, water-skiing, swimming and sailing. Sailing courses are also available. The nearby cliffs and mountains offer more adventures in the form of rock-climbing on Ifach and Toix and spelunking in Olta.
What to do Stroll round the ancient town centre and see the typical fisherman's houses in the town's picturesque streets, then visit the Museum of Archeology and the Fiestas Museum, the Square of "Plaza de la Villa", and finally go to the hermitage of San Salvador on the hilltop.
In the afternoon, wander down to the fishing port and watch the boats arrive with their daily catch. See the auctions at the Fish Market (Lonja).
If you like sailing, set off from the modern Nautical
Club to see the coast, stopping at the Cova dels Coloms, a marine
cave serving as the mouth of an underground, fresh-water stream.
Enjoy local nature by traveling along the quiet rural roads running to the "Casa Nova", the "Pou Salat", the Hermitage of "La Cometa" and the "Parque de la Vallesa", or ascend the Rock of Ifach to get a splendid panoramic view of the entire area.
Where to go In Alicante, see the old city centre, the castle of Santa Barbara, the Eusebio Sempere Museum and the Explanada along the beach (60km).
Spend a day out visiting the mountain towns of the interior: Jalon, Parcent, Orba... and enjoy some fine country cuisine (15km).
Discover the scenic marvels of the Algar Fountains in Callosa d'En Sarria and stop off at the town of Guadalest to see its typical streets (25km).
Make an outing to Benidorm and enjoy its bustling activity and its nightlife.
Shop for typical hemp wickerwork and esparto goods in Gata de Gorgos (20km).
Travel Links The airport of L'Altet (Alicante) and Manises (Valencia) are 70 and 125km from Calpe, respectively, offering connections to major European capitals, and national and international links. By road, the main links are provided by the A-7 Motorway (junctions 63 and 64, 8km from Calpe) and the N-332 (Valencia-Alicante), which runs by the town and connects to the national road network. The narrow-gauge railway (Trenet de la Marina) running along the coast from Alicante to Denia stops at Calpe station, providing links to the rest of the province. A regular bus service between Valencia and Alicante provides connections with Madrid and Barcelona.
Tourist Info Calpe Penon
Avda. de los Ejercitos Espanoles
03710 Calpe
Tel.:(96) 583 69 20
Tourist Info
Calpe Centro Pz. del Mosquit, s/n.
03710 Calpe
Tel.: (96) 583 85 32/3
Fax: (96) 583 85 31