The town of El Peñón houses one of the skylines most imposing, as well as emblematic, it could be said, of the regional coast. In addition, if Calp is well known for something, it is for being a highly touristic and quite international municipality. Something that began to grow more than 60 years ago.
The desire for a secure economic development left behind the effort put into the vast vineyards and extensive fields of Calpino almond trees that crowded up to the coast at the beginning of the XNUMXth century. The agricultural economy, although subsistence, was exchanged for that of the service sector. Tourism changed everything and little by little the Benidorm of the Marina Alta was forged as we know it today.
This is how the farms and large buildings appeared and dwarfed the agronomist and sailor town that endured, all at once, the progressive shadow that those unknown monsters projected on their low houses. And, although the tall blocks and large buildings began to appear before the 60s, it was from this year on that the tallest were recorded, exceeding 8 stories.
The tallest buildings of the 60s
The first was El Dorado, specifically with 11 floors. From Juan Carlos I Avenue, impressive views of the Salinas and, from the other side, a pristine panoramic view of the Peñón de Ifach of 1960.
It was not until 1962 that two more of these great buildings began to be forged. In those years, the now called Dámara II, of 10 heights, was practically alone to the north of the center of Calp. It currently shares space with two farms that were not built until the 70s. The next building already appears in the same fishing port, the Sirena, also with ten imposing floors.
They were followed by the L-shaped Brigantine and the Frontimar in 1965. The first located in Plaza Ifach and the second on the busy Gabriel Miró avenue. Also in that year, the Salinas building on Luxembourg street was added, which, facing the sea, still enjoyed exclusive views of Cala del Morelló and the Baños de la Reina.
In 67 the Río building was registered, on the Arenal-Bol beach. In addition, a giant in the shape of a T also began to show its head, again, in front of the port of Calp, it was the current El Pla building. But a year later, and one street back, in Gibraltar, three buildings on the same plot began to keep him company. The La Luz apartments, the most prominent to date, with 12 balconies protruding from their facades.
At the end of the marked period, back to Gabriel Miró, its neighboring counterpart Pondarosa was built next to the Frontimar, which began to be built in 1968. However, not happy with all of them, during 69 the last two constructions of the decade appeared.
They were the Calpe Mediterráneo to the north, in front of the Fossa beach, and the Peñón de Ifach building to the south, on the Arenal-Bol beach, which separately contemplated how the town proliferated in the years to come.
Historical giants today
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Rio Apartments
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Building Rock of Ifach
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Mermaid Building
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The PLA
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Pondarosa and Frontimar
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Current Dámara II building
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Apartments La Luz
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Brigantine Building
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Mediterranean Calpe Building
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Eldorado
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Las Salinas
*The years mentioned refer to the beginning of each construction. Data: Electronic Headquarters of the Cadastre.
“…OCEANIC???”