Once used as a watchtower by the areas inhabitants, the Penon was an excellent vantage point to spot attacks from Berber pirates and warn the surrounding community. Various artefacts and remains have been found, providing evidence of its history over the years, among these finds have been remnants of Greek ceramics from the 4th to 3rd centuries BC, Roman coins, fragments of Byzantine pottery from the 4th century, and the remains of an Arabic wall from the Moorish occupation (8th - 13th centuries).
Nowadays, Penon de Ifach is a tranquil refuge for a large number of bird and plant species, including a rare wild orchid that can only be found on the Penon itself. Approximately 80 bird species can be found here and include include Eleanora’s falcon, Audouin’s gull, peregrine falcon, and marine ravens. In 1987, the Penon was declared a protected Natural Park and although visitors are allowed on the rock, daily numbers are limited. During the busy summer months it is advisable to arrive early. If your thinking of climbing the rock, it is also advisable to wear appropriate footwear, it will takes around two hours to complete and begins in the exhibition rooms at the base of the rock. There is a walking trail which takes you all the way to the summit by way of a tunnel excavated during the 20th century to make the climb easier, however be warned, although the walking is reasonably easy on the lower slopes, it becomes very tricky beyond the tunnel.
Along the way the Penon offers some of the most spectacular views to be found anywhere along the Costa Blanca coastline, so be sure to take your camera! Penon de Ifach is perhaps one of the most photographed sites of the Costa Blanca and is located in the bay of Calpe.
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