Lab Eight Population Gentics And Evelution

Peoples of the Costa Blanca. Around Alicante (Part I)

so tired of Christmas party, we wanted to leave the bridge four days of kings. I know that four days did not go far but somewhere to escape to clear the mind and give a rest to the body by the excess. After evaluating various options, we decided to ensure good weather and Alicante is a good option in this regard. Frankly, not a destination that I would be too attractive priori. The urban maelstrom that has destroyed much of the Mediterranean coast in the Alicante coast is one of the saddest examples, but even so, we traveled up there with the intention to have the best possible.

Ifach. Calpe

We stayed in the old town of Calpe in Hostal Terra de Mar, a place they make you feel good: small, familiar, cozy, decorated with taste, lovely staff, pleasant aroma, candles on every corner and a lovely terrace overlooking the rooftops of the village.

Hostal Terra de Mar

Terrace

Symbol Calpe is Ifach, which rises from the sea like a great mountain limestone 332 meters high and a total of about 50.000m 2 . It is joined to the mainland by a narrow isthmus a particular geographic setting that already the ancient Mediterranean sailors enjoyed a great symbolism. The archaeological remains found, we show that different peoples settled on its slopes. Today has been declared a Natural Park where they grow a variety of endemic plants and is home to numerous birds that choose to nest.

Puerto de Calpe

It's nice to walk around the promenade to the port, where are the fish market and the small local sailing club. Along this route, you can find some points of interest include the Roman Baths or Showers called Queen. The Romans founded a colony here dedicated to the trade in salted fish and these sites show us what was a farm, badly damaged by erosion, which had completely passed me unnoticed but for the information panels.

Queen's Bath

Beautiful sunset in Calpe

Sunset. Calpe

In the port there are several restaurants fish and shellfish that expose the raw material in the street in such a way that draws attention to anyone who passes by. The plates are composed of red shrimp, prawns, squid, razor clams, mussels ... and have names such as menu Zapatero, Aznar menu or a menu Roldán.

Calpe Another place not to be overlooked are the Salinas , which date back to Roman times and supplied salt to the industry salting. It is a wetland located in the same town, occupying a large depression filled by Quaternary alluvial deposits. It is an interesting place for bird watching enthusiasts, among which is the pink flamingos, stilts, herons and coots and other species that find here a resting place in the migration periods. Coincidentally, just a month before we had the opportunity to observe and pink flamingos in the Camargue French , of \u200b\u200bwhich I spoke at a previous post.

Las Salinas. Calpe

The old town of Calpe retains the air of what in his day was a small fishing village. You can follow a tourist route is signposted and takes you places of most interest. We entered through an ancient gate in the wall and visited the church, the archaeological museum, the museum's collection or museum fester, which houses an exhibition of costumes and elements characteristic of Calpe parties, especially the Moors and Christians and failures. The most rewarding thing is to walk through the narrow well-kept streets, quiet, cozy and forget the cement that pervades the sea ... and the second and third.

Museum fester. Calpe

Forat de la Mar in Calpe. Part of the outer wall and in May 1813 was under attack by a French detachment opening a breach in the wall.

This profile is repeated in most of the coastal towns of Alicante, planning policy which has allowed and still allowed to build up the beach. Of all the coastal towns we visited, the old town of Altea is what I found most attractive by far. A ltea is one of the most beautiful towns the Costa Blanca, nestled in a bay that runs from the tip of Albir and Toix Morro, in the region of the Marina Baixa . In the northern part rises the imposing mountains Bernia, with more than 9 kilometers long, whose pinnacle high exceeds 1,000 meters in height , and protects the village from the wind giving a microclimate that guarantees mild temperatures all year round. This unique climate and its superb location in the center of the bay of Altea, attracted between 60 and 70 a large number of artists, painters, sculptors, musicians who chose this seaside town as a refuge. Including Antonio Gades and Marisol, Rafael Alberti, Vicente Blasco Ibanez and the painter Eberhard Schlotter Altea made their place of habitual residence and gave him the reputation as a meeting of the bohemian world. The latter was created in the 90's a foundation in the historical from old legacy of 1,000 works of their own. Today is a prestigious art exhibitions, concerts and shows.

Waterfront. Altea

Streets of Altea

But long before this group of bohemians were the Iberians, Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans and Muslims who left here their footprint. The name comes from the Greek Altea Altahia and means "healthy." The Greeks and Romans were devoted to trade while the Arabs introduced innovative farming methods. Altea In 1244 it was conquered by Jaime I, which meant that its inhabitants abandon the site, now called Altea la Vella , and moved to the current old town walls refugees still preserved today in several parts of the villa. In recent decades, its economy has gone from relying on agriculture and fisheries to tourism, which has led to high population growth.

white houses slide down the gentle slope to the sea and old town retains the atmosphere of traditional fishing village that still mixed with a certain bohemian air. Many streets are staggered, whitewashed houses with wooden porches and flowers on the balconies in many cases occupied by art galleries, craft shops and charming restaurants. Cats purr pet and left outside the bustle in streets below. We found different viewpoints that overlook the sea and we used to catch his breath.

Through this maze of cobbled streets and white, we reached the highest point of the town: the Plaza of Church, a gathering place for residents and visitors and concentrating numerous restaurants and venues. Highlights Church of Our Lady of Consolation characterized for its large dome of blue pottery, so characteristic of these peoples.

Church of Our Lady of Consolation. Altea

takes place here "Mostra d' craft" which is held every day sunset to midnight during the months of many tourists.

A former anchor honors the main activity of this place until four days ago, why not forget that, although nearly 40% of the population is foreign, especially British and Dutch fishermen are making a living with their boats and nets.

Church Square. Altea

View from the lookout and Benidorm skyline

From the lookout you can see the soft line the bay and the skyline of Benidorm in the distance, we return to reality and remind us that despite the quaintness of the streets and squares of the historic core, little remains of what once were these little Alicante coastal towns.

Puerto de Santa Pola

Puerto de Santa Pola