Areas To Visit in Calpe
From one end of Calpe to the other you’re talking a couple of miles.
And once you add in walking around the streets of the Old Town, the port and shopping area you might well be falling asleep on the way back to Benidorm!
So it seems sensible to approach your visit with a degree of discipline, deciding what parts of Calpe you would like to see, where you would like to have lunch and do you want to spend time on the beach.
And if so, which one.
Calpe Old Town
Calpe’s story begins in ancient times, with archaeological evidence suggesting settlements from the Bronze Age.
The area was later inhabited by Iberians before becoming an important Roman settlement.
The Romans valued Calpe for its strategic location and established salt flats that would become economically significant for centuries to come.
‘Welcome to the Old Town’ in the local Valencian language
During the Medieval period, Calpe fell under Moorish control, and the influence of Islamic culture can still be seen in some of the town’s older architecture and in place names throughout the region.
After the Christian Reconquest, Calpe suffered frequent pirate raids from North Africa, which led to the construction of defensive structures, including the town walls and the Moorish Quarter (Arrabal), which can still be visited today.
Old Town Walls
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Calpe remained primarily a fishing village, with its society and wealth centred around religion, the sea and agriculture.
La Iglesia Antigua de Calp (Calpe Old Church)
Like many coastal resorts on the Costa Blanca, Calpe’s transformation into a tourist destination began in earnest during the 1960s and 1970s and what was once a small fishing community rapidly evolved into a modern resort town.
Plaza dels Mariners
The construction of high-rise apartment buildings and hotels changed Calpe’s skyline forever, particularly along the Playa de La Fossa beachfront.
But despite this rapid development, Calpe has managed to preserve more of its traditional Spanish character than some neighbouring resorts, with the Old Town (Casco Antiguo) a shining example.
Famous ‘Spanish Steps’
Calpe has positioned itself as a more upscale destination compared, for example, to Benidorm, attracting visitors interested in nature, gastronomy, and culture alongside those seeking sun, sand and sea.
And it is when you spend time here in the Old Town that you soon begin to discover why Calpe is high on the list of Costa Blanca must visit resorts.
Carrer del Camponar
Give yourself a couple of hours, with the occasional refreshment stop, and you very quickly realise this is the Spain we had always imagined, but with a Calpe twist; quirky, colourful and quite unserious about things.
The ‘Flamingo House’
Where to Eat & Drink in Calpe Old Town
What we love more than anything in Calpe Old Town are the traditional tapas bars and boutique restaurants that seem to just appear as you turn the next corner.
Typical Old Town Tapas Bar
If you decide to visit the Old Town during the morning part of your day, we would still recommend taking a seat and having a coffee, to soak up the ambience of life in a tapas bar.
If you linger until lunchtime, there are some neat little restaurants, Spanish and international, ready to nourish you after your Old Town odyssey!
Taberna La Plaza
Head to Plaza de la Villa to find one of our favourite tapas bars, Taberna La Plaza.
Taberna La Plaza, Calle Francisco Zaragoza
Choose to sit inside or at a table laid out in the Plaza de la Villa square. Their croquetas and alitas de pollo are everything you would hope for in a typical tapas bar. As you might say in Spanish, la comida es deliciosa.
The sign outside the entrance mentions a Happy Hour where cocktails are only 3.90€ – and the Happy Hour lasts from 5pm to 9pm. Our sage advice to the owner was to rebrand his offer to ‘Many Happy Hours’!
Bar Calpe
Yes, you guessed it. This is a Bar. In Calpe. Love the name!
Bar Calpe, Plaza España
Located in Plaza España, a charming area of the Old Town, it is the perfect place for an ice cold one (Estrella Galicia for us), sitting outside under the palms deciding which street to head to next.
Lapsus Bistro
Probably more than anywhere else, Lapsus Bistro epitomises the eclectic mix of establishments to be found in Calpe Old Town.
The merger of the traditional and the bohemian, the conservative and the radical, is at the heart of Calpe, and no more so than in the streets of el casco antiguo.
Lapsus Bistro, Calle el Torreón
And Lapsus Bistro is arguably the Queen of Bohemia.
The artwork, décor and cool vibe is everything you want from a lunchtime rendezvous when on holiday with friends.
Opened back in 2018, it is now very much part of the Calpe Social Calendar. So, if you’re visiting Calpe any time soon, it’s time pop this little eatery into your diary!
Enigma
There’s always that time when on holiday you have a moment to treasure, something a little unforgettable.
Well, Enigma – Cocina Con Alma fits the bill for us, and is right up there when looking for that lunch to remember.
Enigma – Cocina con Alma, Calle Justicia
A cute establishment with a relaxing atmosphere, dedicated and friendly staff and a scrumptious menu. That always seems to get the vote.
We still keep thinking about the Mushroom Risotto we had. Would go back just for that!
