Calpe () or Calp () is a coastal municipality located in the comarca of Marina Alta, in the province of Alicante, Valencian Community, Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of and a population density of . The city lies at the foot of the Penyal d'Ifac Natural Park. In 2022 the population was 24,096 inhabitants. The economy of Calpe is based mainly on tourism and fishing. Many Iberian, Roman and Arab archeological sites exist in the town because of its strategic coastal location. The Prime Meridian crosses Calpe. History There are some remains that testify the presence of inhabitants in the region of Calpe in prehistoric times; some remains date back to the Bronze Age. The first buildings were introduced by the Iberians, constructed on the higher grounds. The Penyal d'Ifac (in Spanish Peñón de Ifach) was the natural lookout for the inhabitants that lived in the surrounding areas. Another lookout was the Morro de Toix Mountain, from which the Mascarat Ravine, an essential passage along the coast, could be controlled. The area gained in importance during the Romanization of the Iberian Peninsula. The township's proximity to the sea favoured marine trade and fish factories. Evidence is at the historical site Els Banys de la Reina (the Queen's Baths). After the Arabs conquered Iberia, they built a castle overlooking the Mascarat Ravine. When the area was conquered by the Crown of Aragon, the Muslim administration was maintained: small townships set apart and protected by a castle or fortress. Therefore, the inhabitants of the region were dependent upon the Castle of Calpe. In 1290, Calpe came under the control of the Aragonese admiral Roger of Lauria, who ordered for a village named Ifach to be built in the proximity of the Rock of Ifach. In 1359, the battle between the then monarch Peter IV of Aragon and Peter I of Castile in the War of the Two Peters caused the destruction of Ifac and a surge in the population of the Alqueria (from the Arabic Al-garya, meaning the "small town"). This rural building, generally constructed on mountainsides, is of an austere nature and simple design. It is made up of one or two floors at the most, with just the one gallery. In 1386, the administrative unit of the Castle of Calpe was divided into the towns currently known as Benissa, Teulada, Calpe, and Senija. The town was