Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
Villa rentals in Calpe (Calp): where to stay and how to book a legal holiday rental
Calpe's beaches and areas compared, the Penyal d'Ifac, the town's stance on new tourist homes and how to reach it from Valencia.
Last verified: 24 September 2026
Photo: Nicolas Vigier, CC0 1.0
Where Calpe is on the Costa Blanca
Calpe, Calp in Valencian and in the council's own usage, is a coastal town of the Marina Alta in the north of the province of Alicante. Its landmark is the Penyal d'Ifac, a limestone rock joined to the land by a narrow isthmus.
The council's travel page puts Alicante airport 70 km away and Valencia's Manises airport 125 km away. INE counted 27,616 residents on 1 January 2025.
Calpe areas for a holiday rental, compared
The Arenal-Bol seafront runs west of the Penyal, with a promenade lined with restaurants, cafes and shops. It suits people who want to walk to the sand every day.
La Fossa, also called Levante, lies on the other side of the rock and is the town's second long sandy beach. The old town sits inland from the seafront, and the fishing port sits at the foot of the Penyal.
Between the two beaches lie the Salines, a former lagoon that is now a protected wetland. Homes near it put you within reach of both beaches.
Calpe beaches, from Arenal-Bol to the coves
The council's tourism site describes 13 km of coastline with 14 beaches and coves, while the Diputaci贸n de Alicante counts 11 km of coast, 14 beaches and 3 Blue Flags in 2024.
Arenal-Bol is 1,200 metres of fine sand with calm water, and the council lists adapted bathing services for people with limited mobility from 1 July to 30 September. The smaller coves, such as Les Bassetes and El Rac贸, are rockier and suit snorkelling more than a day on the sand.
The Penyal d'Ifac and the Salines in Calpe
The Generalitat's natural parks service gives the Penyal d'Ifac a height of 332 metres and 53.3 protected hectares. It was the first natural park declared in the province, and a tunnel through its north-east face leads to the trails up the rock.
The Salines de Calp cover 18.76 hectares and are listed in the Valencian wetlands catalogue.
Photo: Joanbanjo, CC BY-SA 3.0
The best months for a holiday rental in Calpe
The council's tourism site gives Calpe 3,180 hours of sunshine a year and an average annual temperature of 18 degrees.
The beach accessibility services run from July to September, which is also the busiest period. Spring and autumn suit walks up the Penyal and along the coast.
Getting to Calpe from Valencia and from the airports
By rail, Calp is a stop on Line 9 of the TRAM d'Alacant between Benidorm and D茅nia, which reopened fully renovated on 28 January 2025. The council's page also lists ALSA buses to Alicante, Valencia, Madrid and Barcelona.
The nearest airport is Alicante at 70 km, with Valencia's Manises at 125 km. The Costa Blanca guide compares Calpe with its neighbours.
Calpe's rules on tourist rentals
In June 2024 the full council of Calp suspended, across the whole municipality and for two years, licences to turn commercial premises into homes. The council said one aim was to stop ground-floor shops becoming tourist homes.
We could not confirm on the council's site which rule has followed since, so ask the Ajuntament's planning department about a specific property before you rely on it.
How to check that a Calpe holiday rental is registered
Calpe is in the Valencian Community, so every tourist home must be entered in the regional Registro de Turismo. Ask for the number before you pay a deposit.
Then look it up in the Generalitat's open register of tourist homes, which lists each home's number and municipality. The full checklist is in our holiday rentals guide.
Photo: Joanbanjo, CC BY-SA 4.0
Official sources
- Calp Town Council: how to get to Calp (Spanish)
- Calpe tourist information: beaches
- Calpe tourist information: Arenal-Bol beach
- Generalitat Valenciana: Penyal d'Ifac Natural Park (Spanish)
- Generalitat Valenciana, 28 January 2026: TRAM Line 9 Benidorm to D茅nia (Spanish)
- Calp Town Council, 11 June 2024: suspension of licences to turn premises into homes (Spanish)
- INE: population by municipality, Alicante province, 1 January 2025
- Diputaci贸n de Alicante: coastal municipalities, beaches, km of coast and Blue Flags, 2024 (Spanish)
- Generalitat Valenciana open data: tourist homes register (Spanish/Valencian)
- Ley 15/2018 de turismo de la Comunitat Valenciana, consolidated text (BOE, Spanish)
Holiday rentals in Calpe: common questions
Are Calpe and Calp the same town?
Can you reach Calpe by train?
Which is the closest airport to Calpe?
Can a shop in Calpe be turned into a tourist home?
Resident in Valencia since 2016. Founder of BeTranslated. 25+ years in translation, interpretation and multilingual SEO.
Reviewed 24 September 2026 by Michael Bastin