At the peñón d’lfach coves, pinnacles, holes and random sculptures have all been created by the patient hand of wind and water over the millennia. Two coves each about 100 metres wide are the first beaches to the south of Calpe; Gasparet and El Racó del Corb y the Collao. Both can enly be reached from the sea, and their shallows are perfect for fishing and diving. Hidden away among the abrupt cliffs of Toix, they have managed to reach the 21st century with their natural beauty intact. The Gasparet cove is rugged with rocks and boulders, while El Racó de Corb is sandy as wellas rocky.The Les Urques cove near Puerto Blanco is similar te the above, but much bigger at over 200 metres across, The next cove along the beach at Puerto Blanco — is made of sand and boulders and is more built up, with facilities such as toilets, foot-showers, bins anda life-guard statíon.
The La Manzanera cove, part of the La Manzanera development designed in the 1970s by architect Ricardo Befill, is a cove of pebbles and boulders and measures some 200 metres across.
After La Manzanera comes the first of Calpe town beaches — the Arenal-Bol beach — which starts within the town lim – its and stretches to the archaeological site at Les Baños de la Reina. Boasting beautiful golden sand, Arenal-Bol is over one kilometre long, with pebbly areas at either end.
After Los Bañes de la Reina and presided ever by the Infanta Elena esplanade is the Merello cove, with rock and sand covering just 50 metres of coasfline, and this then gives way to the Cantal Roig beach, which has similar characteristics but stretches for over 200 metres and ends at the fishing port.
At the foot of the enormous outcrop of El Peñón and stretching from the port to the Principe de Asturias walkway is El Racó, a beulder-strewn cove with a spectacular seabed and the high back-drop of El Peñón.
The El Penyal cove en the north face of El Peñón is a rocky platform reached by a natural path. At approximately 100 metres long. it is a great cove for fish-ing and diving.
North of El Peñón and very close to the El Penyal cove is the second of Calpe’s town beaches, the Levante or La Fossa beach, which has been awarded the Q for Quality by the Institute for Quality Tourism in Spain. With golden sands stretching for almost a kilometre, this beach enjoys all the services and is located in the most cosmopolitan area of Calpe, which is home to the most modern hotels and apartments that have reshaped the Calpe skyline. Where the La Fossa beach ends, the Cabalga beach begins a beulder strewn beach around 100 metres long, at the foot of an exclusive enclave of chalets.
Following a small cove very close to the Les Bassetes marina is the El Mallorquí cove, an agreeable rocky platform with a spectacular seabed, and this gives way to the Les Bassetes cove, a 100 metres beach dotted with boulders that adjoins the La Fustera de Banissa beach.
Visiters will be pleased to know that two of Calpe’s beaches — Cantal Roig and La Fossa — have been awarded the blue flag, and that the Calpe coastline complies with all of the lSO 9001 and 14001 quality and environmental standards.