This is El Campello: 11 places to see and things to do (besides going to the beach)

One of the holiday destinations most popular among Spaniards and foreign tourists who visit us is, without a doubt, the Costa Blanca of Alicante.

And in this regard, El Campello, just 15 km from the city of Alicante, for many years it has become one of the most interesting alternatives with its 23 kilometers of coastline.

For years we have visited periodically El Campello Well, some friends live there, but until our most recent trip, our attention had always been focused on the Muchavista area.

On this occasion we have had the opportunity to get to know the town much better, and discover the surprising attractions of its surroundings, and specifically, the Northern coves area.

When was El Campello founded in Alicante

At the outset it should be said that El Campello It is a town of very recent origin, which dates back to 1903, when it was a district of Alicante and it had a fishing neighborhood and another neighborhood in the interior.

At that time the municipality of El Campello, and since then it has been growing with the axis of the old ravine that separated said neighborhoods, where the roads of the tram that connects Alicante and Benidorm.

This tram follows the route of the old Navy Train which arrived in El Campello in 1914, and which went from Alicante to Villajoyosa.

With a frequency every twenty minutes, the trolley car It has become a ideal means of public transport to move between the coastal towns located north of the city of Alicante.

11 best places to see in El Campello

Nowadays, when you get to El Campello, you will find four clearly demarcated areas in a town with 31.000 registered inhabitants where, yes, in summer the population triples with the arrival of Spanish, French and German tourists.

Muchavista beaches in El Campello

From south to north from the municipality of Alicante, first the aforementioned Muchavista beach, which is an extension of the San Juan beach, which actually corresponds to said municipality.

El Campello promenade and urban beach

After the mouth of the river, you reach the promenade and marina and fishing port area., where is the urban beach of El Campello.

The town extends inland, where you will find its oldest corners.

And finally from the port, you will arrive at the area of ​​the northern coves where 13 small beaches are located.

If specifically you are going to El Campello to enjoy a beach day, you should know that the Muchavista beach It is three kilometers long and 80 meters wide.

For its part, the urban boardwalk beach It is two kilometers long and about 30 meters wide.

In that section there are several breakwaters and, in addition, this beach has more services than the others as it is in the same town.

Northern coves in El Campello

But if you are looking for a different type of beach than the one great holiday beach that characterizes this area of ​​the Mediterranean, you must go to the Northern coves area, where its small beaches among rocky areas offer you a very different atmosphere.

For example, you have the Morro Blanco cove o Coveta Fuma, or the Llob Mari cove, with an area of ​​small cliffs in which a cave even opens.

In this area the green meadow of posidonia Oceanica, and you can access the aforementioned cave about 20 meters deep until you reach a small interior beach.

Old neighborhood of El Campello

Traditionally in El Campello those who reside in the maritime zone are known as carramaleros, and those who live inside, campelleros.

If during your visit you walk through the inner area of ​​the town, you will be able to see numerous low houses from the 50s, with a single floor, with striking colored facades, and in which the ceramics that cover the lower part of the roof overhangs.

Canalejas Square

La Canalejas square o of the church It is one of the most emblematic corners of the town.

This square is the origin of the town of El Campello, and it was the meeting point for the inhabitants who gathered on Sundays to go to mass or to buy the fruits and vegetables offered by the stalls of local farmers and nearby municipalities.

Now it is the nerve center of religious and festive celebrations that take place outdoors throughout the year.

Parish Church of El Campello

La parish church of El Campello It was built in 1849 and is older than the town itself.

The current building replaced one built at the end of the 1911th century, which was renovated in XNUMX.

Monumental route of El Campello

To visit the town of El Campello, you can follow the one known as monumental route which is divided into seven sections along five kilometers, in which you will get to know its main corners.

If you follow the route, of which you have a map and information on information plaques installed in the different places along it, you will know from the aforementioned Canalejas square and Villa Marco EstateIn the Illeta Watchtower or monument to the fisherman installed on the urban beach.

Auction at the El Campello port market

In this regard, a essential corner that you should know in El Campello It is the port area.

At the foot of the aforementioned watchtower, recreational boats and the very few fishing boats that continue to operate daily gather.

And, without a doubt, a very original and interesting visit is to the Fishing market in the port of El Campello.

It is the only fishing market in Spain where the public can attend and buy the product that the boats have brought during the day.

Currently, in El Campello There are only six small fishing boats left, which go out to sea at five in the morning and return to the port around 12 noon.

After arriving at the port, the fishermen begin the work of untangling, which is extracting the fish from the nets.

At two in the afternoon they have everything ready to take the fish to the Villajoyosa and Santa Pola auctionsAs well as the El Campello Market, which opens to the public at six in the afternoon.

There you can see how the auction is carried out in which they explain each of the fish that are for sale, which you can buy directly at an advantageous price.

At El Campello Market It is common for mullet, bonito, whiting, sole and other fish from the area to be auctioned to the public, depending on the season.

As you can imagine, the auction of the Lonja It becomes one of the main tourist attractions of this Alicante town, and during the holiday season it has a large influx of public.

Illeta Watchtower

This area of ​​the port also concentrates the main heritage and historical corners of El Campello.

Thus, on a hill that rises next to the port, the Illeta Watchtower.

This is one of the characteristics watchtowers that abound on the Mediterranean coast, which was built in 1557 to prevent attacks by Barbary pirates.

With a diameter of six meters at the base, to access its interior and climb to the terrace, you must do so through an entrance door located halfway up the tower, which you now reach by a metal staircase, but which in its time required a rope ladder.

Archaeological site of La Illeta dels Banyets

At his feet is the archaeological site of La Illeta dels Banyets, on a small peninsula that in the mid-20th century was an island.

Evidence of human occupation has been found in this place dating back to the end of the third millennium BC, and it was also inhabited during the Bronze Age.

Later it was inhabited by settlers of the Iberian culture, and later by the Romans.

During your walk through Illeta You can see remains of said occupation, such as two large cisterns carved into the rock, or a deep cistern.

Also wine presses and remains of two small temples from the Iberian era, as well as the remains of a fish farm, a villa and some Roman baths.

Villa Marco in El Campello

Another outstanding heritage corner of the municipality of El Campello es Villa Marco.

Located in an interior area, it is a stately villa from 1899 de modernist style with French influence.

Originally it was a recreational farm where wine was also produced as it was surrounded by vineyards.

During the Civil War It was the headquarters of the Argentine consulate, and some time later, it was even the setting for a movie Sara Montiel.

To know her, the Campello town hall organizes guided tours in summer and Easter, as well as at other times of the year.

Currently you can only visit the gardens, since the building is pending rehabilitation due to structural problems.

On your walk through the Villa Marco garden de Versailles inspiration, you will be able to see large trees, among which the ficus located next to the palace stand out.

On the paths you will also see glasses and vases of classicist style, as well as a wrought iron construction completely covered in jasmine, which gives it a romantic air.

The best things to do in El Campello: nautical activities and gastronomy

In addition to visiting the town and enjoying its beaches, the vacation getaway to El Campello It has other attractions such as nautical activities and the gastronomy.

Nautical activities in El Campello

In addition to enjoying the beach, in El Campello you can sign up for various nautical activities.

Of course, you can give a boat ride along the coastal coast of El Campello.

As an example, you can take an hour and a half walk in which you will have the best way to get to know the coastal area of ​​the northern coves, or if you want to enjoy even more, you can sign up for a half-day excursion to go to other nearby coastal areas.

These boat trips in El Campello They are ideal for groups of up to six people.

You can also sign up for other types of activities at sea, such as kayaking, surf, paddle surf, snorkel, or even parasailing.

Gastronomy in El Campello: campellero cauldron

Finally, on your trip you couldn't miss tasting the local gastronomy, which is another of the arguments for visit El Campello, where you find restaurants with very diverse specialties.

But specifically we are going to highlight a delicious local dish, country cauldron.

A good place to enjoy it is in the Six Pearls restaurant, located on the promenade in front of the urban beach.

El country cauldron It is a stew that is made with different fish from the town fish market, including rock fish that give it greater flavor, accompanied by peppers and potatoes.

After tasting this very tasty stew, they give you a "A banda" style rice made with said stew, accompanied with a homemade aioli.

In other words, it is a delicious and filling dish that you can taste in two steps and that will surely remain in the memory of your trip.

Where to sleep in El Campello: Jova Boutique Hotel

In addition to others hotels and accommodation of various characteristics, you should know that in your visit of El Campello you can sleep in a charming boutique hotel.

This is the Jova Boutique Hotel which is located on the same promenade, where you can enjoy a room to watch the sunrise from your bed looking at the sea.

With a very nice decoration in the cafeteria and restaurant area, it is worth highlighting its very good Breakfast buffet that you can take on its terrace facing the sea, an option that is also open to people who are not staying at the hotel.

Map: where El Campello is and how to get there

El Campello It is located 15 kilometers north of the city of Alicante.