Port of Calpe and Real Club Náutico (Calp)

The port of Calp (Calpe) sits at the foot of the Peñón de Ifach and does two jobs. The Real Club Náutico de Calpe runs the marina, with 264 berths. Calp’s fishing fleet also moors here, and on weekday afternoons it sells the day’s catch at the fish auction in the Lonja, which visitors can watch from a walkway inside. The port suits anyone who wants to see a working fishing harbour, eat fish by the water or keep a boat on the north Costa Blanca. Skip it if you want a beach or a quiet walk: this is a busy harbour with boat traffic, cars and restaurant terraces.

Quick facts

• Names: Port de Calp in Valencian, Puerto de Calpe in Spanish. The marina is run by the Real Club Náutico de Calpe (RCNC, Royal Nautical Club of Calpe); the fish market is the Lonja (Llotja in Valencian).
• Where: Avenida Puerto Pesquero s/n, 03710 Calp (Alicante), on the west side of the Peñón de Ifach.
• Coordinates: 38.6382, 0.0707 (the marina on OpenStreetMap). The town’s nautical page gives 38º 38.2’N / 000º 04.1’E for the club.
• Berths: 264, with a depth of 1–4 m (Calp tourist office). The regional tourism board says the port has seven docks and takes boats up to 30 m long.
• Fishing fleet: 22 boats, employing around 160 people; about 1,700 tonnes of fish are landed in Calp each year (Calp tourist office).
• Fish auction: Monday to Friday, from around 17:00, for about two hours.
• Contact (club): +34 96 583 18 09, info@rcnc.es.

Access and parking

By car: the port is at the end of the Avinguda del Port, the road that runs along the north side of the harbour from the town towards the Peñón. The fish market (Lonja de Pescadores) stands on this side of the port, and the club building is about 250 m further east, towards the rock (OpenStreetMap).

Parking: OpenStreetMap shows an open car park inside the port about 80 m from the club building, with no fee information. Behind the fishing port, about 300 m from the Lonja, there is a car park marked free (way 375101473) and one marked paid (way 374980698). Most of the other car parks mapped around the port belong to apartment blocks and are private.

Without a car: OpenStreetMap shows a bus stop on the Avinguda del Port, about 180 m from the Lonja. The Tourist Info Calpe Peñón office is at Avda. Ejércitos Españoles 44, about 0.5 km north-west of the fish market.

What to expect

The fish auction. The Calp tourist office calls it a must-see and one of the town’s most important seafaring traditions. The boats come in one after another, in an order the Fisherman’s Association sets by rotation. The first four boats unload before the auction starts, and the rest of the fleet arrives while it runs. From the walkway inside the Lonja you watch the boxes ride on conveyor belts past the buyers. Screens show the boat, the lot number, the weight and the opening price. The price drops automatically until a buyer stops it with a remote-control button. Lots that do not reach the association’s minimum price stay with the association.

Before the port existed, the catch was sold on the La Fossa-Levante beach, Calp’s first anchorage. The first fish market was built in 1979; the current one replaced it in 1991. Common catches include whiting, red mullet, squid, octopus and prawns.

The marina. The club is at the Peñón end of the port. The tourist office lists its services: water and electricity at the berths, 24-hour watch, fuel, a 10 t crane, a 50 t travel lift, a slipway, dry dock, laundry, toilets and showers, a nautical shop, a terrace bar and a restaurant. It also runs a sailing school and a diving school, and offers kayak rental, kitesurfing, paddle boarding and jet skiing. The regional tourism board adds a social club and a library. OpenStreetMap also shows a diving centre (Dive&Dive) in the boatyard area and a ticket point for Mundo Marino boat trips on the quay.

Eating. A row of fish and rice restaurants with terraces lines the Avinguda del Port opposite the fishing quay. The town and the fishermen’s guild award a “Peix de Calp” label to restaurants and shops that serve fresh fish bought at the Calp Lonja; look for it if you want local catch.

Prices and opening

• Fish auction: Monday to Friday, from around 17:00, for about two hours (Calp tourist office, checked November 2026). The Calpe page we read gives no entry fee and no booking for watching from the walkway. Arrive a little early to see the boats come in.
• Guided port visits: the town has advertised guided visits that combine the boats’ arrival, a port tour and the live auction. We could not open the current page, so the times, prices and booking could not be confirmed. Ask at Tourist Info.
• Berths and fuel: the club’s own website could not be checked for this guide, so we give no berth rates or fuel hours. Call the club on +34 96 583 18 09.

Accessibility and safety

Best time to visit

Come on a weekday afternoon. Be at the Lonja a little before 17:00 to see the boats arrive and the auction start. There is no auction at weekends.

Nearby alternatives

• Peñón de Ifach (Calpe), 0.3 km away: the natural park on the rock above the port, with its visitor centre and the path up.
• Marina Greenwich (Altea), 6.4 km away: the next marina south.
• Moraira (Teulada), 7.8 km away: the resort town up the coast to the north-east.
• Altea, 10.8 km away: the town guide for Altea, south along the coast.

Distances are in a straight line from the marina.

FAQ

When is the fish auction in Calpe?

Monday to Friday, from around 17:00, for about two hours, according to the Calp tourist office. There is no auction at weekends.

Can visitors watch the fish auction?

Yes. The tourist office describes a walkway inside the Lonja from which you watch the boxes pass the buyers on conveyor belts and the prices fall on electronic screens.

How many berths does the Real Club Náutico de Calpe have?

264, with a depth of 1–4 m, according to the town’s nautical page. The regional tourism board says the port takes boats up to 30 m long. For availability and rates, call the club on +34 96 583 18 09.

Is there parking at the port of Calpe?

Yes. OpenStreetMap shows an open car park inside the port near the club, and a free and a paid car park about 300 m from the fish market.

Can I buy fish at the Lonja?

The auction is for buyers bidding with remote controls; the tourist office describes visitors watching from the walkway. To eat the local catch, look for restaurants and shops with the “Peix de Calp” label, which marks fish bought at the Calp Lonja.

Sources and freshness