The Hotel is located right on the highway overlooking the Peñón of Ifach and the town of Calpe. Parking is free right at the door. Although Calpe is loaded with beachfront hotels, the vast majority of those in the listings were either full or way above what I was willing to pay. Since my main interest in Calpe was the Peñón and not the beach, it really didn't matter to much to me that I wasn't right close to it. And, when one is traveling by car, free convenient parking is a definite plus. My room had a balcony with a head on view of the Peñón. There were two twin beds, night stand, easy chair, TV, recessed closet area covered by a curtain, and an electric fan, which I did not need at all, as temperatures were in the 70's during the day and a good bit cooler after the sun went down. The bathroom was adequate and the shower worked well. They have restaurant service, but it didn't seem that many were using it. I noticed that breakfast was priced at 5€. The lady at the desk was very nice and very friendly. The room cost was 42.50€ per night. Regarding the Peñón, I had heard varying stories about the difficulty of the climb, so I decided to give it a try and, if need be, turn around if I reached the point of not feeling comfortable with it. The first part, from the base to the tunnel entrance is no problem and no special footwear is required. And the views are amazing at every turn. Once you reach the tunnel, which cuts through the rock to the other side, a good pair of hiking shoes is highly recommended. Although I saw a lot of people without them. I have a terrible, almost paralyzing fear of unprotected edges. My body goes into panic mode, I feel sick to my stomach, and my legs buckle and feel like jelly. But I had no problem at all in this regard. I felt very secure, calm, and safe all the way to the top. Even on the top, you are on a wide flat area with no sheer drop. There was nowhere along the route where I was teetering on an edge with an abyss. I was thrilled. The pathway to the top is mainly very rocky. In many cases the rocks are very smooth and thus the need for good grip shoes. In a number of areas, it is up to you exactly how you want to proceed. My biggest concern was avoiding a twisted ankle, so I was looking for a branch to grip on to, a flat stone to step on, etc. There are no trail blaze markings at all so, if you find yourself alone, you have to decide what will work best for you and your feet. Regarding the amount of time required, this is tough. I didn't look at my watch when I started, but I think it must have been five hours from car door to car door. But, I spent a LOT of time taking pictures, sitting down along the way to rest, enjoy a view, post real time pics to Facebook with the iPad, etc. So, this time frame could easily be cut in half. For anyone in reasonably good shape and a good pair of shoes, a hike to the top of the Peñón should not be missed!
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