Calpe Old Town

Calpe Old Town is the town's former walled hilltop quarter, with steep lanes, steps painted in the colours of the Spanish flag and murals on the façades. Parts of the defensive walls survive, along with the Torreó de la Peça tower and the 15th-century Iglesia Antigua. The old town is explored on foot, and a walk usually takes one to two hours.

Calpe's old town began as a defensive settlement: in the 15th century raids from the sea forced people to leave the coast and fortify the higher part of the town. The walls did not always hold – in 1637 the town was sacked by African slave raiders, who carried off 315 people to Algiers. Sections of the walls survive, and by Plaza de la Constitución you can see the Forat de la Mar, a breach opened in the wall once the pirate threat had passed. Another old way into the walled town was the El Portalet gate, and near the spot where it stood is the old town hall, now used as an exhibition hall. The fortifications also include the Torreó de la Peça, a tower that once held an artillery piece and now houses the Museum of Collecting (Museo del Coleccionismo). Next to the tower stand two English-made cannons recovered from Calpe harbour. Attached to the parish church of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves is the Iglesia Antigua, built in the 15th century in Gothic-Mudéjar style on the site of a chapel from the Christian conquest. It is the only example of this style in the Valencian Region; the town wall serves as its support, and inside there is a 15th-century altarpiece attributed to a follower of Juan Reixach. The newer parish church was built between 1973 and 1975 and is decorated with stained glass and mosaics. The Casa de la Senyoreta houses the history museum, with archaeological finds from the Bronze Age and the Iberian period. Carrer Puchalt is known for its steps painted in the red and yellow stripes of the Spanish flag. Calle Mayor has shops, and scenes of everyday life and murals on the façades tell the story of Calpe. It is also worth stopping at the 17th-century Ermita de San Salvador. In the evening Calle Gabriel Miró comes alive with terraces and restaurants, and in summer craft markets set up there. Mornings are best for the museums, and afternoons for walking the streets. One visitor writes that the old town is a reminder of what Calpe looked like before the high-rises, and another was surprised to find it empty in the middle of the day. According to reviews, there are many cafés and restaurants around the steps. One wheelchair user notes that the steps are hard to manage and suggests taking another street up to the top, while another visitor advises not stopping at the steps but walking around the whole old town.