Calpe suits families and couples who want a fine-sand town beach, a pool and the 332 metre Peñón de Ifach above the harbour. The trade-off is the seafront: high-rise apartment buildings stand right on the main beaches, and homes are spread over a few kilometres.
Calpe is a busy resort town of about 24,000 people, popular with British and German visitors and home to a large expat community. It grew up at the foot of the Peñón de Ifach, a limestone outcrop rising 332 metres from the sea and a natural park since 1987. Arenal-Bol, the main urban beach, is about 1.2 km of fine sand with calm water, a tree-lined promenade and high-rise apartments behind. Levante, also called La Fossa, lies north of the rock near Las Salinas and is fine sand too. Our homes are spread within a few kilometres of the centre, and pools are common but not universal. At the harbour east of the rock, boats land the catch at the end of the day for the fish auction, with restaurants alongside. After dark, the bars and discos are along La Fossa-Levante.
Old town of narrow streets, steps and whitewashed houses, with its church at the highest point and mostly stony beaches below.
Small coastal town with a marina built in 1985, three sandy beaches and rocky inlets used by snorkellers and divers.
Village in the mountains of the Marina Baixa, under the ruins of an 11th century castle that overlooks the valley and its reservoir.
Alicante has the nearest international airport, about 77 km from Calpe, and transfers take roughly an hour depending on traffic. Drivers leave the AP-7 motorway, which links Valencia and Alicante, at exit 63. The TRAM to Alicante takes about 90 minutes with a change in Benidorm.
Summer is when Calpe is busiest, and in the season both town beaches have lifeguards, first-aid posts, showers and toilets. The town counts around 3,180 hours of sunshine a year and about 44 cloudy days, so spring and autumn are usually bright too. Climbing the Peñón needs an appointment booked through the town, and access to the rock at night is banned.
Yes for beach families. Arenal-Bol and Levante are both fine sand with calm water and Blue Flag status, and in summer they have lifeguards and first-aid posts. Homes are spread over a few kilometres, so not every one is a walk from the sand.
Yes, with an appointment booked through the town. The route to the top passes through a tunnel bored steeply through the rock, and the summit is 332 metres above the sea. The rock is a natural park, and access at night is prohibited.
Alicante, the nearest international airport, about 77 km away. Transfers take roughly an hour depending on traffic. Without a car, the TRAM line to Alicante takes about 90 minutes, with a change at Benidorm.
Mostly fine sand on the main beaches. Arenal-Bol runs for about 1.2 km, Levante for 950 metres and Cantal Roig, beside the port, for 200 metres. Smaller coves such as Cala El Racó behind the rock are pebble, and Cala del Penyal is a rocky platform.
Calpe if sand matters: its main beaches are fine sand, while the beaches nearest Altea are generally stony, the closest sandy one being Racó de l'Albir to the south. Altea has the older core, with whitewashed houses, steps and narrow streets.
Written by the TrustedVillas team. Last reviewed October 2026.
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