Peñón de Ifach at Calpe

The Peñón is the emblem of the Costa Blanca: a single mass of pale rock joined to Calpe by a low neck of land, with sand on both sides and a marina at its foot. It photographs best from a distance — from the promenade of Playa de la Fossa or from the salt flats behind town, where the rock is reflected in the water on a still morning.

The reflection is the frame most people miss. Las Salinas, a working salt lagoon in the middle of Calpe, holds flamingos for part of the year and gives a mirror of the Peñón without any crowd at all.

The headland itself is a nature reserve. There is a walking route to the summit through a tunnel, but access is limited and can be closed in bad weather or when the daily quota is full — check before counting on it. For a photoshoot the views towards the rock are the stronger picture anyway.