PEÑÓN D'IFACH NATIONAL PARK VISITOR CENTRE

The Villages de Ifach is a huge mass of limestone stone 332 meters high in the sea and is connected to the mainland only by a narrow sandy isthmus, two beaches, the Playa de la Fossa and that of Maurí. This Villages belonged to the municipality of Calpe until 1862, when it became a private property, passing into the hands of several owners. Before being bought by the government of the Valencian community, then classified as a natural park in 1987. Its characteristics, the nature of its basic soils, its situation and its orientation have given a great uniqueness to its fauna and flora. Its rupicole vegetation, specific to the rocky walls, includes interesting endemic species such as a maquis of small palms and juniper but also the'of Ifach, a species of almost extinct thyme, the rock scabieuse or the violet of the rocks. On the bottom of the northern slope there are other arbusives species such as poeny, juniper or mountain jasmine, the tout of pine trees in Aleppo. On the wildlife side, there are more than 80 nidificateurs, migratory or errants bird species, such as the Eleonore Falcon or the posh cormorant. Raptors and many gulls make their nests in the hollow of the southern facade, sunny, while gulls and cormorants reside at the foot of the rock. It should be noted that cats have also invested the place, on the trace of the food carried by hikers. You can access its summit by climbing a trail. With superb views over Calpe and its coastline. It is also the paradise of climbers that will find many climbing routes. If your access is free, it is advisable to have good shoes and to advance by the information centre. Before or after, you can also browse the ecological walkway of Asturias, whose route follows the base of Villages d'Ifach and where alternate areas of gardens and watchtowers allow to see Le and the sea from other angles. Near the rock, there is another interesting natural site, salt marshes in Calpe.