What you can see on the Calpe webcams
Two live cameras look along Arenal-Bol, the beach on the southern side of the rock. One, from a beachfront hotel, takes in the whole sweep: the sand curving away, the tower blocks along the seafront, the harbour at the foot of the rock and the open sea on the right. The other stands at the start of the promenade, closer to the ground, with walkers, cafés and the beach in the foreground and the rock at the end of the view. Each also has a 24-hour time-lapse to scroll back through the day.
Calpe beach webcam: Arenal-Bol and the Penyal d'Ifac
Filmed from a beachfront hotel on Arenal-Bol, this live view looks east along the beach to the Penyal d'Ifac. Palm fronds and the hotel's parasols frame the lower left corner; beyond them the sand curves away, and the tower blocks along the seafront lead the eye to the rock, with the harbour and its breakwater at its foot. On the right, the sea opens up to the horizon.
It shows the whole southern beach at once, so it answers the obvious questions straight away: is the sun out, is the water calm, are people already on the sand? In the morning the rock is a dark silhouette against the light; by late afternoon the sun is on its face.
Calpe seafront: the Arenal-Bol promenade
This live camera stands by the flagpoles at the start of the Arenal-Bol promenade, a little above the beach, and looks along the seafront towards the Penyal d'Ifac. On the left are the paved promenade, the stop for the little tourist trains and the apartment blocks behind; on the right the wide beach, the water's edge and the rock rising at the end of the view.
Of the two Calpe cameras, this is the closer and more human one. It is good for seeing how busy the promenade and the sand are, for watching swimmers and walkers along the shore, and for judging the wind from the Spanish and Valencian flags right in front of it.
The Penyal d'Ifac
The rock rises to 332 metres (about 1,090 ft) and has been a natural park since 1987. A footpath climbs from the visitor centre, through a tunnel cut in the cliff, towards the summit; the upper section is a scramble on polished rock, and the number of walkers can be limited at busy times. Sea birds nest on its cliffs, and rare plants grow in its cracks. Behind Arenal-Bol lies Les Salines, an old salt lake where flamingos often feed, right in the middle of town.
When to watch Calpe
Calpe is one hour ahead of the UK. Arenal-Bol faces south, so the beach catches the sun all day, while the rock goes from a dark silhouette in the morning to warm gold in the late afternoon. In winter the sea is about 14 °C and the beach is mostly walkers; by August the water is around 26 °C.
Around Calpe
On the other side of the rock, La Fossa beach runs north-east towards the rocky coves of Benissa, while the cliffs of the Morro de Toix close the bay to the south-west. The fishing harbour at the foot of the rock still has its fish auction, and on the shore of Arenal-Bol you can see the rock-cut Roman fish tanks known as the Banys de la Reina. Altea is about 15 minutes south.
Visiting Calpe
Wear proper walking shoes for the Penyal d'Ifac and carry water: there is no shade above the tunnel. Arenal-Bol has lifeguards in season and a long, flat promenade for an evening walk.
