Stern Improvement for Calpe’s Peñón de Ifach

The famous rock of Calpe, Peñón de Ifach, has been seriously restricted due to the enormous invasion of tourists. The three routes can take only 150 people maximum, which means that only 20 people are allowed to go to the rock every 15 minutes to prevent the pathways from becoming too crowded. The three popular routes bound for Peñón come in three stages of difficulty. The easiest route is the climb towards the tunnel leading to the south face of Peñón, while a more taxing option leads to the ruins of the prehistoric military police headquarters. The more experienced hikers can try the most difficult route to the rock’s summit, provided they are in appropriate hiking shoes.

Tourists and visitors going to Peñón de Ifach are expected not to wander off the marked trails, to wear appropriate shoes and evade causing fire, to refrain from picking flowers and plants; dumping rubbish and disturbing animals. Hikers are also not allowed to climb the northwest side of the Peñón between April and July in order not to disturb the birds nesting. The regional government of Valencia will pay 2,000 euros for the purpose of improving the safety conditions on Calpe’s Peñón d’Ifach. Purportedly, a sum of 13,000 euros is required, and the rest will be invested by the local committee and other units.

Moreover, the regional government funding will go to the climbing routes of the rocks so as to really improve on the climbing conditions of climbers, with the aim of attracting more visitors and tourists in the area provided on gradual visitation, and enhancing the national tourism industry and other positive causes for the future of the locality. The Peñón de Ifach is among Valencia’s topmost visited nature parks and sites, but then is also the largely accident prone area where rescue operations are active yearly. Furthermore, just between the tunnel and information centre, a pathway will be built and should be completed by summer that leads to peak of the isthmus.