The most iconic mountain of the entire Costa Blanca is Peñon de Ifach, located in a Natural Area, in the city of Calpe. This impressive 332 meters limestone pillar rises on the coast, surrounded by the sea. On the north and south faces of this gigantic rock, there are many multi-pitch routes reaching the top of the mountain. The north face is of white limestone, with shorter routes and has some restrictions due to bird nesting from the of 1st April to the 31st of June. Most of the routes are concentrated in the south face, recognized for its orange limestone and overhangs. The best season to climb here is when the weather is not too warm. The views from Peñon de Ifach are breathtaking and climbing over the crystal clear water makes the experience unforgettable.
In mid-May takes part the Rally 12 hores d’escalada al Penyal d’Ifach, an intense event that consists of climbing the maximum number of routes in Peñón de Ifach in 12 hours.
Calpe is a very touristic city with all kind of facilities and very crowded in summer. The surroundings of Calpe offer many different activities such as hiking, trail running, diving, kayaking, sailing and even sport climbing (single pitches). The single pitch sport climbing routes can be found in Sierra de Toix, a mountain ridge next to Calpe. It also offers nice views and has a wide range of climbing grades.
Reservations
To access the Peñón de Ifach Natural Park, a reservation is required due to capacity restrictions to preserve the area. Access is free, but reservations are mandatory. Reservations can be made up to 10 days in advance of the desired date through the Natural Parks of the Valencian Community website and they need to be individually made (one reservation per person). The maximum number of visitors allowed is 300 per day (hikers and climbers included).
Regulations
The North-Northwest face has climbing regulations due to bird nesting from April 1st to June 30th. Although the South face has no climbing regulations, it can be very annoying to climb there during the nesting period as seagulls often bother and attack climbers when they pass near their nests.
Climbing topos of Calpe
Multi-pitch routes at Peñon de Ifach
Senderos de la roca