El Campello: Muchavista Beach, Illeta Ruins and the Fish Auction

El Campello is a working fishing port and beach town of about 31,400 people on the coast just north of Alicante, and it suits anyone who wants a long sandy beach, a tram line into the city and a local feel instead of a resort. A 3,300 m beach, a Bronze Age and Iberian site on a former peninsula and a public fish auction are the main reasons to come. It is part of our Costa Blanca guide, and it works well as a quieter base for a week or as a half-day trip from Alicante.

Quick facts

• Where: El Campello, in the Alacantí comarca, Alicante province, Valencian Community.
• Residents: 31,419 (1 January 2025, INE).
• Coast: 23 km of coastline, according to the town council.
• Beach: yes, in town. Muchavista is 3,300 m long and Carrer la Mar 1,850 m, per the council.
• Distance to Alicante: La Illeta dels Banyets, at the edge of town, is about 9 km from Alicante city (MARQ museum).
• Train: the TRAM tram runs between Alicante and El Campello; Line 3 is the one TRAM names for the town.
• Language: Valencian and Spanish; Spanish works everywhere.
• Fish auction: held at the fishing port and open to the public, per Turisme Comunitat Valenciana.

Where to base yourself

El Campello is long and thin, stretched along the sea, so the useful question is which stretch of coast you want to wake up beside. The council lists 17 beaches and coves, and the stay choice mostly follows them.

Muchavista and the southern beach strip

Muchavista is the big beach. The council describes a long fine, golden sand beach with a promenade of more than 3 km, restaurants, hammock hire, water sports, tram and bus access and facilities for visitors with reduced mobility. It runs south until it merges into San Juan beach in the Alicante area, and the council calls the setting semi-urban. That means convenience, a flat walk and plenty of apartments, but also less of the old fishing-town feel. It suits families and anyone without a car.

The port and Carrer la Mar

The marina, the fishing port and the Carrer la Mar beach sit close together near the centre. The council lists Carrer la Mar as 1,850 m long and about 30 m wide, with fine and golden sand, a promenade, a tram stop and a car park charged by the hour. The marina has room for more than four hundred vessels, according to the council. Staying here puts you within walking distance of the fish auction, the tower and the Illeta, and it is the best choice if you want the town and not just the sand.

The northern coves

North of the port the coast turns rocky, with coves such as Cala d’Enmig, Cala Baeza and Cala Lanuza. These are quieter, and you will want a car or a taste for walking. The shore is more stone and coarse sand than the long beaches, so bring water shoes if you swim from the rocks.

Things to do

The sights are few and close together, so this is a town to enjoy slowly rather than to tick off.

La Illeta dels Banyets

The Illeta is a small former peninsula with remains from several periods. MARQ describes Bronze Age cisterns, an Iberian settlement dated to the 4th and part of the 3rd century BC, and a Roman villa from the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. The site covers about 10,000 m², roughly 4,000 m² of it archaeological. MARQ also says that in 1943 the rock was joined to the land with dynamite, which destroyed much of the prehistoric necropolis – a useful reminder that what you see is not complete. Footwear matters: MARQ recommends comfortable shoes and a hat, and water and sun protection. The site is run by MARQ, and visits and tickets are arranged through it, so check the current hours and prices on the MARQ website before you go. The Illeta’s swimming area is a separate matter: the council describes a rocky platform and a small stone creek that make it popular for diving.

Torre de la Illeta

The watchtower next to the site was built between 1554 and 1557, according to the council, and restored in 1991. Our place page covers how to reach it and what to expect: Torre de la Illeta.

Villa Marco and its gardens

Villa Marco is a rustic estate from the middle of the 19th century. The gardens were laid out at the start of the 20th century for Renato Bardin, honorary consul of France, and have five areas with two sculptures by Vicente Bañuls, “La Noche” and “La Marsellesa”, according to the council. Turisme Comunitat Valenciana calls them Versailles-style gardens. It is a calm half hour away from the beach.

Fish auction and harbour

The council lists a fish auction and public sale at the fishing port, and Turisme Comunitat Valenciana says the auction is open to the public all year and that anyone may bid. It also says to check the fishermen’s guild about the annual rest month, so call the guild on +34 965 631 193 before you plan a visit around it. Times change by season and catch, so we do not give hours here. The professional fishing area has about thirty moorings, per the council.

Museum

The council lists the FAMEC collection in the House of Culture on Plaza de la Constitución. It gives no opening hours, so ask at the tourist office.

Beaches and places nearby

The beach choice is the real decision in El Campello, and the council’s own figures make the differences clear.

Muchavista is the long one: 3,300 m by 80 m, per the council. Carrer la Mar is the central town beach at 1,850 m. L’Almadrava is 600 m of sand and pebbles with a garden promenade, and L’Amerador is 800 m by 20 m of gravel, a semi-natural beach. Punta del Riu is semi-natural with stones. Turisme Comunitat Valenciana adds that Punta del Riu is a good beach to bring a dog to, and that Cala d’Enmig and Cala Baeza are good for snorkelling.

The honest limitation: much of the coast is stones, gravel or coarse sand, not soft sand. Only the larger beaches such as Muchavista and Carrer la Mar are described by the council as fine, golden sand, and a few coves such as Cala Lanuza. If a soft sandy beach is a must, choose the south of town.

For the wider area, Alicante is close: see Alicante, its Playa del Postiguet and the MARQ Archaeological Museum, which runs the Illeta. North along the coast are Villajoyosa and Benidorm.

Other town guides nearby: San Vicente del Raspeig (about 11 km in a straight line), Finestrat (about 23 km in a straight line), Ibi (about 27 km in a straight line).

On CostaMap near El Campello: Torre de la Illeta (El Campello) (1.4 km) · Canelobre Caves (Cuevas del Canelobre) (9.4 km) · MARQ — Archaeological Museum of Alicante (11 km) · Santa Bárbara Castle (Alicante) (11 km) · Playa del Postiguet (Alicante) (11 km) · Madness Coffee (Alicante) (12 km).

Food and drink

This is a fishing town, and fish and seafood are the obvious thing to look for. We did not find an official source naming a signature dish for El Campello, so we name none. A walk along the promenades at Muchavista and Carrer la Mar passes many restaurants, and the council lists restaurants on most of the larger beaches. For the freshest fish, the auction at the port is where the local boats sell. We give no restaurant names because we have no source for current quality or hours.

Where to stay

Accommodation is mostly apartments and mid-range hotels along Muchavista and near the port. The council shows accommodation near Muchavista, Carrer la Mar, L’Almadrava and Punta del Riu. Prices vary strongly with the season and we have no dated figures, so compare current rates on the booking site you use. If you plan to use the tram and walk, sleep near a tram stop and the beach; if you want coves and quiet, choose the northern side with a car.

Getting there and around

The easiest route is the TRAM. TRAM d’Alacant announced in February 2025 that, from 17 February 2025, service between Luceros in Alicante and El Campello would run every 15 minutes, up from every 30 minutes before; the announcement says the change affects lines 1 and 3, and it ties line 3 to El Campello. Check the TRAM timetable for today’s times, because schedules change.

From Alicante–Elche airport the usual route is a bus or taxi into Alicante and then the tram; we could not find a published direct link, so check before you travel. By car, El Campello is on the coast road north of Alicante, with car parks near the beaches; the council shows a paid car park at Carrer la Mar charged by the hour. In summer, parking near the main beaches fills up, and the tram avoids this.

On foot, the central part is flat and easy: the port, Carrer la Mar and the Illeta are close together, and Muchavista has a promenade of more than 3 km.

Best time to visit

El Campello is a beach town, so the swimming months are the main season and the coast is busiest in summer. Outside that period, the Illeta, the gardens, the port and the promenades are still pleasant, and the fish auction continues all year according to Turisme Comunitat Valenciana. We give no temperature figures because we did not read them from a weather source; AEMET publishes current forecasts and climate data.

FAQ

Is El Campello worth visiting?

Yes, if you want a beach town with a real harbour and good tram links to Alicante. It has little nightlife compared with Benidorm, and the Illeta and Torre are small sights, so it is a base and a beach stop, not a big-sights stop.

Does El Campello have a good beach?

Yes. Muchavista is 3,300 m long and described by the council as fine, golden sand. Many of the northern coves are stones, gravel or coarse sand.

How far is El Campello from Alicante?

La Illeta dels Banyets, in the municipality, is about 9 km from Alicante city according to MARQ. The TRAM connects the two, with a 15-minute interval announced from February 2025.

Can I watch the fish auction?

Turisme Comunitat Valenciana says it is open to the public all year and that anyone can bid. Call the fishermen’s guild about the annual rest month before you go.

Can I visit La Illeta dels Banyets?

Yes, through MARQ, which runs it. MARQ lists guided visits and combined tickets; check its site for the current hours and prices.

Sources and freshness

Checked October 2026 · 9 sources Show

Last checked: October 2026. Sources:

• INE, population of Alicante municipalities
• El Campello town council, beaches
• El Campello town council, places of interest
• Turisme Comunitat Valenciana, El Campello
• Turisme Comunitat Valenciana, fish auction
• MARQ, La Illeta dels Banyets
• Alicante Plaza, population
• TRAM d’Alacant, new Alicante–El Campello timetable
• AEMET

Main photo: chisloup, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.