CALPE		Quality of Remains
		Ease of Access
		Atmosphere & Setting

History & Occupation:

Close to the massive rock called the Penyal d'Ifach lie the remains of an Iberian settlement, though the Roman colonisation of Calpe moved down to the flat land nearby. The Roman town centred around the fish industry (for which Calpe is still noted.) The Roman name of Calpe is unknown and for a long time there was little of its history to be seen on the surface. The one site that has always been known and that for which alone a visit to Calpe is worthwhile is the place called the Banyos de la Reina or the Queen's Bath. This is a complete misnomer derived from the mistaken belief that the ruin was a Moorish bath house. What it actually is is a Roman fish-salting factory. Recent excavation in advance of hotel construction has unearthed a sizeable section of the Roman settlement, including mosaic floors. Though the plans to build on the site have been abandoned, the area is still in the early stages of excavation, but will eventually reveal a lot more of the hidden history of Roman Calpe.

Remains and Visit:

Of the Banyos de la Reina, jutting out into the sea amid a complex of water channels and steps is a large room divided into six tanks that comprised the fish farm itself. These days people swim in and around the farm and it is a wonderful way to spend an hour or two. Behing the factory, on the other side of the promenade, are the remains of the Roman town. At my last visit (in 2002) the site was relatively newly discovered and little work had been done, the entire excavation being sealed off with a wire fence. One day, when the town has been completely unearthed it will become a major tourist site, but currently the visitor can only gain tantalising glimpses over the fence. Between the town itself and the Banyos de la Reina is a small mound in the beach, covered in coarse grass. Nothing has yet been done with this, but I have found comments that label this as the site of the real bath house. From the Banyos de la Reina along the rocky beach all the way towards the Penyal d'Ifach are signs of building footings carved into the rock itself that suggest a sizeable community.

Images:

Mosaic floored room	Buildings	'Baths'		Aerial view (c/o Google Earth)
Drainage	Building carved in rock	Paving	View and water channel