The town of Calpe is divided into three parts with an old town up against the main road. A pleasant port on the Peñon de Ifach and the resort town down by the beautiful beach Playa de la Fossa. Calpe’s narrow streets in the old town stand there as evidence of times gone by with their remnants of city walls. Here we will take a look at 11 top sights in Calpe in Spain.
Video attractions Calpe
There are so many Germans living in Calpe that they have their own Oktoberfest. A proper copy of the original in Munich. From 1 to 12 October, the beer flows in large tents every single year. Calpe offers beautiful nature, Spanish atmosphere and many examples of old and nice buildings. A special festive element in the Calpe community is the daily fish auctions. In the harbor there are 16-18 trawlers that go out to sea before sunrise. At 5 pm they return, and then the fish auction starts.
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Attractions in Calpe
Calpe on the Costa Blanca in Spain about an hour’s drive north of Alicante. To get to Calpe from the Costa Blanca South, the easiest way is to take the AP 7 motorway north, or the N-332. It is well signposted to Calpe. The special Russian Orthodox Church is also located just off the N-332 between Altea and Calpe. So on a trip to Calpe you can experience many different sights. Here we take a look at the 11 top attractions in Calpe in Spain.
#1 Peñon d’Ifach
Peñon d’Ifach rises 322 meters above sea level, and is Calpe’s most famous landmark. It is said that once upon a time, very long ago, two trolls lived in the mountains. The witch was apparently mean to the magician. One day the troll became so angry with the troll woman – he took a large stone out of the mountain and threw it far away. The stone landed at the shoreline in Calpe, and is now known as the rock cliff.
The cliff and the surrounding area have had the status of a nature park since 1987. The cliff is considered to be the result of a major landslide once in the history of the nearby Sierra de Olta massif. The whole trip up to the top takes about an hour, but it is not something to recommend for those with a fear of heights. Steep, winding roads and a fantastic view await you who dare, and from the top you can see all the way to Ibiza on a clear cloudless day. From the top of the cliff there is a fantastic view of the city, the harbor and the sea, and at the foot of the cliff we find Calpe’s fishing harbor – in addition to the Nautical Club and the marina.
Contact information Peñon d’Ifach
Address: Carretera del Puerto, Calpe.
Internet: parquesnaturales.gva.es
#2 Los Baños de la Reina
South of the fishing port you will find Baños de la Reina. This archeological site has been known for many years and in 1610 it was named “Baños de la Reina”. Legend has it that this served as a SPA space, for a “Muslim queen”. The truth is that the bathroom was actually a fish farm. The fish was kept alive here until it was salted at the Roman fish factory. Different fish ponds were used to separate the different species of live fish. The locals also came here to buy fish or just for entertainment. From ancient times the Baños de la Reina was regarded as one of the most important sources of food throughout the Mediterranean.
Contact information Los Baños de la Reina
Address: Playa Arenal-Bol, 03710 Calpe.
Internet: historiadecalp.net
#3 Calpe’s beautiful beaches
In Calpe you will find many beautiful and quiet bays, and also wide fine city beaches with fine-grained sand. Les Bassetes beach, located in the north, is great for sailing and diving. Levante o La Fossa Beach and Arenal-Bol Beach are the busiest city beaches with all the amenities. There is also a beach promenade and you can rent pedal boats, jet skis and windsurfing equipment. Close to the two large city beaches in Calpe there are also several small beaches. The more intimate and secluded sandy beach at the port “Puerto Blanco” is protected close to the small yacht harbor.
“Cantal-Roig” beach just south of the fishing port and “Peñon” is another option.
Some of the coves in Calpe are only accessible from the sea. Cala del Collao, Cala Gasparet and more like Calas del Racó and Penyal which are located next to Mount Calpe are exceptionally beautiful.
#4 The fish market – La Lonja de Calpe
La Lonja de Calpe is the name of the building where the daily fish auction takes place from Monday to Friday. The building was built in 1991, and appears to be something more than an auction hall. The fish auction, which starts at five o’clock in the afternoon and lasts a couple of hours, is a popular and very well-visited attraction in Calpe, even among tourists who are not present to shop. They come first and foremost to experience the distinctive atmosphere at the auction.
Contact information La Lonja de Calpe
Opening hours: Monday – Friday at 17.00 – 20.00.
Address: Port of Calpe.
Internet: www.calpe.es
#5 Natural Park – Las Salinas
The Las Salinas Natural Park is located near the Calpe Rock, and consists of i.a. of a large saltwater lagoon and a significant wetland area. In the area there are several beautiful hiking trails. The park is a special protected area for birds. As many as 170 different species are found in the area. What the park is also best known for is the large population of flamingos, which you have the opportunity to admire up close. Together with the Baños de la Reina and the Peñon d’Ifach, Las Salinas has played a significant role in salt extraction in this area since Roman times.
Las Salinas is one of the few remaining undeveloped areas at Calpe. The nature park is rich in biological diversity, and the authorities place great emphasis on protecting the area from abrasion and littering. The proximity to the city center makes Las Salinas easily accessible. You can effortlessly walk here almost wherever you are in Calpe.
Contact information Las Salinas
Address: On the north side of Avenida de la Marina, Calpe.
Internet: The Facebook page of Las Salinas
#6 Iglesia Nuestra Señora de las Nieves
The beautiful, modernist church building was built in 1973, in physical connection to the old church. The modern façade, with its beautiful mosaics and stained glass windows, is a distinctive eye-catcher at Plaza de la Villa. The motifs in the façade mosaic, which was unveiled in the autumn of 1997, depict various scenes from the Old and New Testaments, as well as images of Christ. The style is predominantly functionalist – but also influenced by classicism. The interior is also characterized by simple, clean lines – and the walls are white. Instead of a traditional altarpiece, the choir is dominated by a gold-plated statue depicting the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus. The statue is based on a legend originating in Rome in the 300s, which also gave the church its name: Nuestra Señora de las Nieves (Our Lady of the Snow, or “Snow Maiden”).
Contact Information Iglesia Nuestra Señora de las Nieves
Opening hours: Tuesday – Friday 10.00 – 14.00 and 18.00 – 20.30. Saturday 11.00 – 14.00.
Address: Plaza de la Villa 12, 03710 Calpe.
Internet: www.parroquiadelasnievescalp.es
#7 Church – Iglesia Antigua de Calpe
La Iglesia Antigua is located in the center of the old town of Calpe, specifically at the Plaza de la Villa. The church was originally built in the 15th century, but has been the subject of some changes throughout history. The beautiful bell tower is i.a. built in several stages. Initially, the church was physically connected to Calpe’s fortifications – and the sacristy, as well as the lower part of the bell tower was originally part of the city’s medieval fortress. La Iglesia Antigua has a rectangular shape, with two ships separated by five columns. Architecturally, the church is built in a mixture of Gothic and Moorish style. The sacristy and choir date from the 18th century, while other interior parts are as old as the church. Among the oldest elements is the beautiful altarpiece. The new church, Iglesia Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, was built together with La Iglesia Antigua.
Contact Information Iglesia Antigua de Calpe
Opening hours: Tuesday – Friday 10.00 – 14.00 and 18.00 – 20.30. Saturday 11.00 – 14.00.
Address: Plaza de la Villa 12, 03710 Calpe.
Internet: www.parroquiadelasnievescalp.org.es
#8 Museo etnológico Casa Cocó
The Casa Cocó Museum is located a little northeast of the old town, more specifically in Gargisindi, which has previously been a typical agricultural area. The museum is also established in connection with a former farm in typical local style. The main focus of the museum is a presentation of the development within the primary industries in Calpe. The different rooms in the complex each present their own specialty. One of the rooms is dedicated to wine history. Here we can learn something about traditional wine production, i.a. about how the grapes were “foot-trodden”. Another room is dedicated to fishing. Here is shown, both with the help of a photo exhibition and with the help of objects, how the actual fishing has taken place through the ages, what kind of equipment has been used – and what types of boats have been used.
Contact information Museo etnológico Casa Cocó
Opening hours: Every day at 10.30 – 13.30 and at 17.30 – 20.30 (during the summer).
Address: Partida Gargasindi, 22G, 03710 Calpe.
Internet: www.calpe.es
#9 Museo Fester
Museo Fester is a small special costume museum, located in an older traditional building on the outskirts of the old town of Calpe. The building was built at the end of the 19th century, and in the period 1905 – 1916 was used both as a town hall and a courtroom. Later there has been a shop and inn here. Most of the costumes found in the museum have been used at the various festivals and historical games that have been performed in Calpe over the years. Some of them are copies of the uniforms of Moorish officers, others are saints’ suits or royal costumes.
Contact information Museo Fester
Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday at 10.30 – 13.30 and at 17.00 – 20.00. Closed Monday.
Address: Calle de José Antonio 6, 03710 Calpe.
Internet: www.visitarvalencia.com
#10 Museo del Coleccionismo
The Museo del Coleccionismo opened in September 1997 to house historic artifacts from the members of a local, private collectors’ club. Gradually, the museum has received a significant contribution of objects from both private and public donors. The museum is located on the Plaza de la Villa in the old town, adjacent to the ruins of the Torreo de la Peca, which in itself is an important sight. These are the remains of an old fortification from around the year 1400, as well as part of the old fortress walls that surround the Plaza de la Villa.
Contact information Museo del Coleccionismo
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday at 10.30 – 13.30 and at 17.00 – 20.00.
Address: Plaza de la Villa 15, 03710 Calpe.
Internet: www.calpe.es
#11 Archaeological Museum in Calpe
The Archaeological Museum of Calpe is centrally located in the old town, very close to the Plaza de la Villa. The museum was built in 1926, after the old city gate, “El Portalet”, had been demolished three years earlier. The city gate, which was the only entrance to the fortified medieval city, was built in the 14th century. The museum building is architecturally influenced by “El Portalet” – and until 1974 had a function as a town hall.
The museum has two floors plus a basement, and is externally characterized by its beautiful bell tower, which forms the center in a symmetrical facade. The Museo arqueológico presents a number of finds, especially from the period 300s – 800s, including kitchen utensils, coins and funeral items. Finds from the ruins of the so-called Baño de la Reina (Queen’s Bath) are also exhibited here. Archaeological excavations are still taking place in the area around Calpe, so the museum collection is continuously supplemented with new objects.