This spacious 4th floor apartment is right on the seafront, with superb south-westerly sea and sunset views. There’s a choice of blue flag sandy beaches within easy walking distance – a quiet sandy cove is just yards away.
Inside, you have the feeling of being on an ocean liner – all you see outside are the sparkling Mediterranean, wheeling gulls, sailing boats and the edge of the bay in the distance. There are no noisy jet skis, nor traffic sounds, to disturb the peace.
From the balcony you can also see beaches, craggy rocks and rock pools, and – just below – people strolling along the traffic-free promenade which stretches from the town centre in one direction (a ten minute walk) to the harbour and marina (a five minute walk) in the other.
Beyond the harbour is the towering Gibraltar-like Peñon de Ifach, the Costa Blanca’s most famous landmark and a nature reserve. Climb it for stupendous views – or try the level nature walk along the bottom where it edges the coast.
At the marina nearby there’s a sailing club and school. Scuba diving can be organised and, for the experienced, rock climbing up the Peñon. There are boat trips from the harbour – including a glass-bottomed boat which takes you to see the wonders of the deep. The harbour and marina area of Calpe are famous for their excellent fish restaurants.
Calpe’s town centre has tree-lined streets, good shops, pavement cafés and restaurants. Recently, lots of investment has gone into restoring the old town where you’ll find narrow streets and pretty terraced cottages. The good thing is that it hasn’t been turned into a showpiece tourist attraction. Instead, it’s a bustling place with corner shops and tapas bars for real people – locals and visitors like.
For most visitors, the big attraction is a choice of beautiful, safe, beaches: there are two large main ones and a string of smaller ones, one complete with pools carved into the rocks by the Romans (who had a strong presence in the bay – Roman ruins beside the promenade are continually being excavated and assessed).
Late in the afternoon, Calpe’s fishing boats return one by one to the harbour. This is a fabulous sight – and you can watch it from the apartment balcony. As the dozen or so boats chug in, they are surrounded by seagulls. And then the fish auction begins. There’s a visitors’ gallery at the fish market in the harbour where you can watch the proceedings.
Behind the town – in the mountains and hills – there are orange and lemon groves, wild flowers, vineyards, abundant wildlife and local villages and towns to explore. There is good walking and you’ll come across some delightful restaurants with great views.
From Calpe’s railway station, you can catch a train which takes you along a scenic route to Denia or, in the opposite direction, to Alicante and you can stop off at some interesting destinations on the way, such as Gata de Gorgos, famous for its wicker work (and where you can find some bargains by buying direct from the craftsmen).
The coastal boat trips from the harbour visit some of the same places – for instance Denia – and a round trip is a very pleasant thing to do.
The apartment has:
•Full width balcony with sea view
•South west facing living/dining room with superb views
•South west facing main twin bedroom with similar views
•Second twin bedroom
•Fully-fitted and well-equipped kitchen including washing machine, hob, oven, microwave, fridge freezer, iron and ironing board etc
•Hall with entry phone
•Flatscreen satellite TV with DVD player
•Huge book and DVD collection
•Balcony furniture: lounger/chairs, sofa, dining set
•Linen and some towels (no bath sheets and beach towels)
•Cleaning between lets
The apartment building has:
•Lift to apartment door
•Gated access and communal gardens
Getting there:
•Accessible by train, coach transfer, public bus or taxi from Alicante &ndash so car hire not essential
•By car from Alicante (50 mins) or Valencia (75 mins) airports
