El Campello – Coast, Culture and Holiday Apartments
Accommodation in El Campello
El Campello has 23 kilometres of coastline with beaches, cliffs and small coves. A special geographical feature is the Illeta dels Banyets: it lies on a former island that was connected to El Campello’s coastal area by an artificial isthmus.
When booking a holiday apartment in El Campello, you can match your travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions with your desired mix of coast, culture, water and local traditions.
Further reading: Coveta Fuma.
Culture and History
The archaeological site on the Illeta dels Banyets preserves remains from the Bronze Age, an Iberian settlement and a Roman villa. There are also Islamic materials from sporadic medieval settlement. The Roman period includes small baths and fish tanks cut into the rock and connected to the sea.
The Torre de la Illeta was built in 1557 on the orders of the Viceroy of Valencia, D. Bernardino de Cárdenas, as a coastal defence installation against attacks by Barbary pirates. The Torre del Barranc d'Aigües was built in the second half of the 16th century as part of the Valencian coastal watchtower system against attacks by Barbary pirates.
The parish church of El Campello, dedicated to Saint Teresa, was built in 1849 and later extended, while preserving its original character. The Ermita de la Virgen del Carmen was built in 1960 through donations from local fishermen. Its tiled altarpiece depicts the Virgin as “Stella Maris”.
The gardens of Villa Marco were laid out at the beginning of the 20th century under René Bardin, the French honorary consul at the time and owner of the estate. They were given a Modernist style with influences from French colonial art. The garden is divided into five areas: the Arab garden, the historic garden, the entrance garden, the Mediterranean garden and a pine grove. The gardens also contain two sculptures by the Alicante-born artist Vicente Bañuls: “La Noche” and “La Marsellesa”.
Coast and Trails
Platja de Muchavista is a 3,300-metre-long beach with fine, golden sand. It has an accessible beach section for people with reduced mobility. At Platja de Muchavista, visitors can go windsurfing, walking and running along a promenade more than three kilometres long.
The Paseo de Voramar de les Escultures begins at the foot of the Torre de la Illeta and runs along the entire coast to Playa de la Almadraba. Along the way are the sculptures “La bañista” and “Niña leyendo” by the artist Vicente Ferrero, dedicated to women and integrated into the landscape. The promenade has accessible and inclusive information panels developed jointly with the MARQ and the Instituto de Ecología Litoral.
The Paseo Marítimo runs through El Campello’s fishing district and is around one and a half kilometres long. Unaccompanied visits to the Torre de la Illeta are not permitted; visitors should consult the guided-tour calendar at the tourist office for sightseeing information.
Water and Nature
The underwater route “Los Baños de la Reina” begins at the northern end of the Illeta dels Banyets and is intended for visitors who wish to dive. Club Náutico Campello operates an accredited sailing school with dinghy-sailing courses for different levels, from introductory to advanced.
Club Náutico Campello also offers rowing, Optimist sailing and kayaking. Nature in El Campello can be explored on foot, by bicycle or on horseback. The local SL-CV 93 hiking trail runs through the les Puntes de Gosàlvez area, which is regarded as a viewpoint with impressive coastal vistas as well as part of the municipality’s landscape and ethnological heritage.
Local Life and Culinary Delights
The Casa de Cultura has an auditorium, exhibition rooms and the FAMEC collection museum. Restaurants in El Campello serve traditional dishes such as Caldero campellero, arroz a banda, fideuà and bollitori.
The fish auction at La Lonja is open to the public all year round in El Campello. From Monday to Friday, the catches of fishing boats from El Campello are placed in trays and auctioned at La Lonja at around 6:00 p.m. Visitors can take part in the fish auction and place bids.
Festivals
The main festival days of the Moros y Cristianos take place from 11 to 15 October; the programme includes a Moorish landing, embassies and colourful parades. The Fiestas de la Virgen del Carmen reach their climax around 16 July with a maritime procession and the singing of the “Salve”.
Transport Connections
The modern tram connects El Campello with Alicante every 30 minutes.
For the main travel overview: Alicante.
More Destinations
More places in the same destination:
.jpg){kind=link}