Next couple of friends arriving!
Going further up north! Today Gertjan en Annelies, our friends who are also crossing the Atlantic next year with us, are arriving! That’s going to be fun!! Due to the weather forecasts, we wanted to go up north further. Our daughters would be arriving in Ibiza on October 22 and we still needed to sail quite a bit to be there on time. And Robbert wanted to install the radar with Gert Jan as well. Gertjan and Annelies arrived in Alicante and took a taxi to Calpe.  They took the new radar for us, which was damaged in the lightning strike we had before in Marbella. It was a huge box which we also had to keep on board because we had to return the broken one. Little annoying but ok. Gertjan en Robbert installed the new radar. This job was fixed fairly quickly and it was working as well! Well done guys. Annelies and I went exploring the huge Rock next to the marina. Also, there is long walking promenade with amazing views over the lagoon. The marina is idyllically situated, located next to a big rock. We wanted to reach the highest point of this rock! That’s what we did! Next day we provisioned at the Lidl. About 15 minutes walking from the marina but it is also easy to take a taxi if you have a lot to bring back to your boat! Then again it was time to move on! Ibiza here we come!

Calpe
Calpe is a well-known town on the Costa Blanca. There are certainly nicer spots than Calpe but nowhere else you find an amazing landmark as the ‘Penon de Ifach’. Calpe is slightly spoilt by the high-rise apartment- and hotel buildings which mark the seafront views. Just behind these high rise buildings, you find the Salinas de Saladar (salt lakes). Calpe is definitely a big bustling town but far from the original tiny fishing village. Calpe offers a local market selling fresh fruits and vegetables as well as other locally-made goods and produce – market day in Calpe is on a Saturday and next to the LIDL supermarket.

Puerto Deportive Calpe
It’s not a really huge marina. It also has the local fishing boats berthed here. In this time of year it’s no problem to find a berth in any marina but, in summer, you have to contact the marina first if there are any berths available. I can image as this place is quite nice. A lot of small restaurants along the coast, long beaches, a lot of history. Calpe has a lot to offer!

Park of Penyal d’Ifac
This is a natural parc and the views from this rock are amazing. Eight looks majestic from up high! It is quite a walk to the highest point but more than worth it! The Penyal d’Ifac is a massive limestone outcrop emerging from the sea and linked to the shore by rock debris. It is home to numerous rare plants, including a number of endemic species, and over 300 species of animals, and a nesting site for colonies of sea birds and other birds. There are very many birds over there! And they also make a lot of noise. But luckily at night, they do not croak! The rock is rising to 332 meters high. The rock is a striking visual feature on the Mediterranean coastline. Historically it was known to the Phoenicians as the Northern Rock, to distinguish it from its southern counterpart, the Rock of Gibraltar. Behind the Rock is a large lagoon cut off from the sea by strips of sandy beach and extending inland to the coastal mountains.  From the top of the rock, there are views over the surrounding villages and countryside and on a clear day as far across the sea as Ibiza in the Balearic Islands.

Salinas de Saladar – A bird watchers paradise
The park apparently is very famous for its colonies of flamingos. When walking from the marina to the LIDL you come across the lakes but to honest, we saw only a few flamingoes. And they were not very rose but more grey colored! This large saltwater lagoon also has various wooden walkways that were installed fairly recently, and they give a real close up access to be able to see the birds, without having any effect on the habitat or the precious ecosystem.

Calpe Beaches
On each side of the rock are two sandy beaches and this is the reason why most people come on holiday to Calpe – the beaches are of very high-quality sand and the waters are clean, long and wide, many play areas for the children. The Calpe beaches are superb and always hold a blue flag which means they are certified as being clean by the European Foundation for Environmental Education. They are surrounded by dozens of restaurants, bars, and clubs offering a wide variety of food, drink, and entertainment.

Calpe Fish Market
Each day, the fishing boats bring their catch in and you can even watch the fish auctions on the quay and buy the fresh fish yourself. The Calpe restaurants display the raw fish out the front, you point to the plate you want and it then goes back to the kitchen to be cooked.