El Campello

38°25′39″N 0°24′4″W / 38.42750°N 0.40111°W / 38.42750; -0.40111Country SpainAutonomous community Valencian CommunityProvinceAlicanteComarcaAlacantíJudicial districtSant Vicent del RaspeigGovernment • AlcaldeJuan José Berenguer (2011) (PP)Area • Total55.27 km² (21.34 sq mi)Elevation26 m (85 ft)Population • Total27,893 • Density500/km² (1,300/sq mi)Demonym(s)campeller(a) (Valencian)
campellero/a (Spanish)Time zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Postal codeOfficial language(s)ValencianWebsiteOfficial website

El Campello (Valencian pronunciation: [el kamˈpeʎo]; Spanish: Campello) is a town on the Costa Blanca of Spain, within the Valencian Community. It is a 20-minute tram ride from Alicante city. There is a busy marina and fish market.

The tower overlooking the harbour was built in the 16th century as a lookout for ships.

During October each year, the town holds its moros i cristians (Moors and Christians) festival. The festival includes daily "battles" through the town, where arquebuses are extensively used. There are numerous parades and late night fireworks displays. The evening parades through the centre of the town are resplendent with extravagant costumes.

Places to visit

There are archaeological remains at 'La Illeta' (in Valencian), beside the harbour, where circular cabins dating back to 3000 BC have been found. Also known as 'Banyets de la Reina', the remains of Roman-era fish factories can be seen at the site.

It is an archaeological site of great importance and occupies 4,000 square meters. A number of items were discovered, including Bronze Age remains, and the remains of an important Iberian population that occupied that place during the second and third centuries BC, and the remains of a Roman villa of the second century, including four fish ponds dug into the rock of the same time (though badly eroded, yet visible), and finally the remains of an Arab occupation that was more sporadic in the Middle Ages.

Education

Lycée Français d'Alicante, a French international school, is in El Campello.^[2] The school moved to El Campello in 2005.^[3]

Gallery

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  El Campello Aerial image
• 
  Shoreline of El Campello
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  Typical Moorish costume on the parade
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  Typical Christian costume on the parade
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  El Campello Tower
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  La Isleta

References

External links