Our short stay in Calpe left us wanting more. Even though it’s a relatively small city on the Costa Blanca, three days and nights were not nearly enough time to appreciate everything Calpe has to offer. But we did find plenty of time to take loads of random pictures, which we’ll be sharing with you in this article.
We’ve already written about our ascent to the summit of the Peñón de Ifach. The next day, we were taking a stroll along the beach, and looked up in astonishment at the Peñón, which seemed to be generating its very own cloud. Just take a look at the picture, above. It’s a good thing that hadn’t happened during our hike!
If the only thing you knew about Calpe was our post about its bizarre modern architecture, you might assume that this town was established in the 1940s and ’50s, as mass tourism was asserting its dominance over the local economy. But after spending time touring and photographing the city’s old town, we understood how old it really is. Every time we turned a corner, we added another century to our perception of Calpe’s history. With its ancient plazas and twisty little alleys, it’s clear that this was a city of some importance way before being “discovered” by beach-hungry European tourists.
We walked by the Baños de la Reina, where legend has it that a Moorish queen took her baths. Actually, it was a saltwater fish farm worked into the rocks, but nowadays the pools do make great baths. The shallow water heats up nicely under the reliably-strong Alicantine sun, and bathers are protected from waves.
We also really enjoyed the salt flats immediately behind the shore line. Today, these are a nature reserve; to our surprise there were some flamingos present, scouting the lake floor for food. We noticed that the lake produces amazing reflections of the city skyline on days when the wind is still, making it a great spot for photographers.
We’re eager to return to Calpe. Perhaps next time, it will be during the summer, so that we can swim and hang out on the beaches as well. Overall this city is a fascinating place, offering far more than just fun in the sun — history, nature, and even some adventure with the Peñón hike. Hasta la vista, Calpe. Until next time!
From our Travel Blog.
