Calpe

Calpe (Valencian: Calp) is a town in the Costa Blanca region of Alicante, Spain. It is a very popular tourist resort, especially with British and German tourists, and also has a large expat community.

Understand
The area has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and the first permanent dwellings were built by the Iberians. Subsequently the Romans, Visigoths, and Arabs controlled the area, until the arrival of the Christian reconquista in the 13th century. From the 15th to 18th centuries the town and nearby coastal areas were ravaged by Barbary pirates; in a particularly egregious event in 1637 a large portion of the town's population was kidnapped by pirates and held hostage in Algiers for five years.

Mass tourism began in the 1970s, leading to the rampant development of tracts of holiday homes, with high-rise apartment buildings built right on the main beaches. Since the financial crisis of 2008 the building boom has largely ceased.



By plane
Alicante has the nearest international airport.

By car
From motorway AP-7, which connects Valencia with Alicante, take Exit 63 onto N-332 toward Calpe.

Beaches and water sport
Calpe has two urban beaches. (Playa del Arenal-Bol), to the west of the Penyal d'Ifach, is characterised by over a kilometre of fine sand and is has a pleasant tree-lined promenade. (Playa de Levante / Playa La Fossa), to the northwest, is somewhat smaller, also with a promenade. In the summer both beaches have lifeguards, first-aid stations, showers, toilets, and disabled access, loungers and umbrellas (for rent), and a range of shops and restaurants.

Further west is the smaller and quieter (Playa Puerto Blanco), with pebbles and coarse sand. Facilities here include toilets, foot washing stations, and lifeguards, as well as a nearby dive centre.



Eat
The main concentrations of restaurants are around the junctions of C/ Pintor Sorolla and C/ Blasco Ibanez in the town centre; at the harbour (to the east of the rock); and along the beachfront (to the north of the rock).

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 * {{eat
 * name=Restaurant Oscar | alt= | url=http://restaurantoscar.com/en/home/ | email=
 * address=Urb el Tosal, 28 | lat=38.63343 | long=0.03037 | directions=Urbanisatio Maryvilla
 * phone=+34 965 832 016 | tollfree= | fax=
 * hours=W-M 13:00-15:30, 18:30-22:30 | price=Lunch menu €25
 * lastedit=2016-04-29
 * content=A large long-established restaurant. Reservations can be made online }.
 * hours=W-M 13:00-15:30, 18:30-22:30 | price=Lunch menu €25
 * lastedit=2016-04-29
 * content=A large long-established restaurant. Reservations can be made online }.
 * {{eat
 * name=Restaurante Rich House | alt= | url=http://www.restaurantoscar.com/index.php/en/ {{dead link|August 2020|December 2020}} | email=
 * address=C/ L'Esport, 4 | lat=38.64601 | long=0.05026 | directions=opposite the football stadium
 * phone=+34 965 835 783 | tollfree= | fax=
 * hours= | price=
 * lastedit=2016-02-07
 * content=Friendly, family-run Chinese restaurant. Good range of traditional dishes and also a sushi selection.

Drink
There are some bars and discos at Calpe's La Fossa-Levante beach, which are well frequented by tourists during summer season.

Go next
Dénia, Altea, Benidorm and Alicante can all be reached via the Tram, which clings to the coast for most of its picturesque journey. You usually have to change in Benidorm if you're continuing to Alicante.

It's also possible to take a boat from the harbour to Dénia, Altea and Benidorm.