Penon De Ifach, Calpe

Calpe is a busy town about 25 minutes drive away, pretty streets lined with orange trees and numerous little shops, in the summer months it is usually extremely busy.  With its fishing port and market and numerous restaurants where their menus are predominately fish based with a huge diversity of freshly caught crustaceans, squid, octopus and fish, it is a very pleasant place to visit. 

The Penon De Ifach is a huge 332m calcareous rock, attached to the mainland by a spit, certainly a land mark, history dictates that the sides of the rock were inhabited in the Middle ages and before. The rock once served as a landmark for mariners, it was then used as a watch tower to  observe pirates and invaders, but with increasing attacks from the sea, the inhabitants were forced to retreat into the village of Calpe.

In 1872 it became privately owned, then in 1987, it was declared a nature reserve. The rock is home to a diverse colony of flora and fauna and with as many as 60 species of birds residing there, its a busy place. Lizards, snakes, rabbits, and even hedgehogs share this extraordinary place with the many visitors and climbers that are brave enough to climb its heights.

Even Daniel and Rebecca climbed it several years ago, using a sort of designated route with tunnels and a path, but did confess to it being a pretty scary experience. 

Surrounded by the beautiful blue Mediterranean, it is a lovely place to sit, listening to the waves as they glide in and out, seemingly tickling and gently moving the sands, watching the fish as they flick and dart, hunting for food, a place to just sit and be, immersed in the tranquility, a great place to be as one and meditate.

Ok, I digress, my friend Jo, visited a few days ago and took these stunning photos, which she has kindly let me share with you, all taken at the foot of the rock. 

I did say they were stunning, she is an excellent photographer

take care

xcx