The best crags are at Sella.
Myth. Sella (pronounced “Say-ya) is the most popular destination in the Costa Blanca, in part because it’s one of the few places you can get by without a car and because it has a host of moderate routes. We thought the climbing there was OK, but you’d miss out if you spent most of your trip there. To be fair, we only scratched the surface at Sella—for one thing, some of the best-looking crags were too hard for us. 

Here are some of our favorite Costa Blanca crags, plus a few we wished we’d gotten to: 

Gandía: About 20 minutes north of Calpe. Looks small from the road, but there’s plenty to do for several days unless your name is Graham. The cliff has the best rock we saw on the Costa Blanca, with cool tufa features and pockets. 

Peñón d’Ifach: An amazing plug of limestone rising about 1,000 feet from the sea by Calpe, with routes averaging around eight pitches. The classic of the cliff is Costa Blanca (6c+/5.11c), which can be climbed at 5.10 with a good variation. Bring a small rack of supplemental gear and a helmet for these routes. 

Alicalí: A beautiful small crag high in the Jalón (Xaló) valley, with vertical to overhanging pocket and tufa routes. Our favorite routes were Elendgliches (6a+/5.10b), Diferentes Partes (6c/5.11b), and Bells of Parcent (6b+/5.11a). Many of the newer routes are not in the Costa Blanca guidebook, so download the updated topo at d.1asphost.com/
costablancarock/. 

Toix Sea Cliffs: The roadside cliffs at Toix are popular but often sharp—the real gems are down by the water, where several sets of sea cliffs have been developed. Via Missing Link (6b+/5.11a) at Raco del Corv is a three-pitch line, with a sea-level traverse to an overhanging prow—said to be an unforgettable. The Candelabra del Sol has some hard routes, most requiring some gear, and some wild traversing expeditions. A newer cliff, Pirates of the Caribbean, has some incredible-looking routes that climb up to, around, and through a giant ceiling. Parle (6a+/5.10) is a three-pitch line described in one topo as “stupidly exposed and atmospheric” for the grade. This cliff is not in the standard Rockfax guidebook, so download a topo at: www.theorangehouse.net/topos/piratestopo.pdf. 

Big Inland Cliffs: Huge limestone walls loom over many valleys; these include Puig Campana, Ponoch, Divino, and the walls of Echo Valley. We didn’t get to any of these giants, but they look like great adventures. Bring a rack and a helmet. 

Deep Water Soloing: Climbers have been exploring the climbing and cliff-jumping potential of Moraira, north of Calpe. These cliffs are not in the Costa Blanca guidebook, but photos and a bit of info are available at www.theorangehouse.net/pages/Climbers.htm (click on DWS).