After spending several leisurely days in Valenica, I decided to head along the coast towards the direction of Alicante. My initial plan was to go straight to Alicante by train, but as I opened the map and study the route, I thought the journey would be more interesting if I take a slight detour and take a look at some of the world-renown coastal resort towns on the Costa Blanca before arriving at Alicante.
The unusal sounding name Calp in Valencian (Calpe in Spanish) caught my attention. It sounds interesting, like some kind of seashells. And it seems the place is not as touristic or overcrowded as nearby Benidorm. After a brief research on the internet, I went to Valencia's bus station and bought a ticket to Calpe.
Although small, Calpe is a beautiful seaside resort, and a comparatively upmarket one for that. Originally a small fishing village tucked away somewhere in the middle of the Costa Blanca stretch, the town is now home to some of the more affluent and sophisticated types of holidaymakers from both Spain and abroad, who decided to nestle around this quiet little village and enjoy its pristine beach and beautiful seaviews. In general, Calpe has that extra touch of relaxed elegance, a quality somewhat lacking in her more famous neighbours.
The three-hours bus journey from Valencia stopped at several little villages in the province of Valenica and Alicante en route to Calpe. As part of the route was both narrow and winding, it is strongly advised that you take some motion sickness tablets before boarding the bus, if you are not used to bus journey through such terrains.
The landmark of Calpe is the big rock named 'Ilfach' which is situated at the end of the beach, right next to the Royal Marina Yacht Club. During the summer months, the seaside promenade, with its rows of expensive holiday apartments, cafes and restaurants, becomes the centre of Calpe's social life.
From the balcony of my hotel, I could see the high-rise apartment blocks and skyscrapers of Benidorm across the bay. The white building in the centre of the photo is the local fish market, where fresh catch are auctioned off early in the morning. Next to the fish market is a busy fishing harbour with fishing boats and several restaurants specialising in serving freshly prepared seafoods.
The view of sunset from my hotel room balcony is amongst one of the most scenic, unforgettable sights I have ever seen, with the entire sky and the sea all splashed in a dreamy rose-red, violet-velvety blue glaze.
About 20 minutes' walk along the coastal promenade lies Calpe's old town centre. The old town is fairly small and compact, with white-washed houses, painted facades and stairs, narrow side alleys and many interesting little family-run tapas bars, cafes, and foreign restaurants hidden amongst the interwining streets.
Although the old town of Calpe is not as photogenic as some of those world-famous 'white hill top villages' in Andalucia, I found the streets quite entertaining though. All in all, Calpe is a nice place to spend a few days in the sun. It is not the quintessential Spanish village, while its ambience is a little bit on the slightly cheesy side, but if you are looking for a quiet little place to break your journey between Valenica and Alicante, this might be the place for you.
Copyrights@2011. All text and photos by YC Cheng. All Rights Reserved.
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