If you've spent any time in Calpe, you'll know the town has two faces. There's the tourist strip — sunscreen, inflatable flamingos, the same fridge magnets you'll find in every Costa Blanca resort — and then there's the Calpe the locals actually use. The difference is stark, and the key to finding it usually involves knowing where the markets are, when they run, and which stalls are genuinely worth stopping at.
I've lived here for ten years. I've done the tourist circuit plenty of times with visiting friends and family, but I also do my weekly shopping here. This guide is the honest version — no fluff, just the places that are actually good.
September is, in my opinion, the single best month to explore Calpe's market scene. The worst of the summer crowds have gone, the heat is tolerable before 11am, and the stalls haven't yet shifted into winter mode. The produce is spectacular right now — late-season tomatoes, figs straight off the tree, the first of the autumn almonds. Don't miss it.
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Find rentals →The Wednesday & Saturday Market (Mercado Semanal)
This is the big one. Calpe's weekly outdoor market runs on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, typically from around 9am until 2pm, and it sets up along the streets near the old town and spreads toward the Avenida de Gabriel Miró area. Go early — by 11am, the good stalls are getting picked over.
The market has three distinct sections, and knowing which is which saves a lot of time:
The food section is the reason locals come. Look for the stalls run by farmers from the surrounding Jalón Valley — they bring whatever's ripe that week. In September that means enormous beefsteak tomatoes, peppers for roasting, aubergines, and the first pomegranates of the season. There's usually one elderly man who sells nothing but his own almonds and dried figs, and whatever he's charging, it's worth it.
The textile and clothing section is extensive and honestly variable. There's some genuinely cheap, decent-quality beachwear and linens — perfect if you've forgotten something or the kids have destroyed another set of flip-flops. Skip the fake-branded stuff; it's the same quality you'd find anywhere.
The artisan and craft section has grown in recent years. You'll find ceramics, leather goods, handmade jewellery, and a few stalls selling locally-produced olive oil and honey. The olive oil from the Guadalest valley that occasionally appears here is excellent — I've been buying from the same producer for six years.
Parking tip: don't try to drive to the market itself. Park near the Playa de la Fossa end of town and walk up, or use the car park near the Peñón. Arriving by 8:45am means you might actually find a space.
The Fish Market (Lonja de Calpe)
This is one of Calpe's genuinely unique assets and most visitors completely miss it. The Lonja de Calpe — the fishing auction house — sits right at the port, and on weekday afternoons (usually from around 4pm onwards, though times vary by catch) you can watch the day's haul being auctioned to local restaurants and traders.
You can't buy directly at the auction itself, but there's a small retail fish market at the port where the morning's catch is sold from early morning. Get there before 10am for the best selection. September is an excellent month for fresh fish here — the sea is still warm, the boats have been going out consistently, and you'll find dorada, lubina, salmonetes, and occasionally the prized red mullet that Calpe is known for.
If you're staying in a holiday rental with a kitchen — and if you're renting an apartment in Calpe through us, most of our properties have fully-equipped kitchens — this is genuinely the best way to eat in Calpe. Buy fish at 9am, make a simple supper that evening. Nothing beats it.
Calpe Old Town: The Hidden Artisan Shops
The old town (Barrio Antiguo) doesn't have a formal market, but scattered among its whitewashed lanes are several small shops worth knowing about. The ceramics workshop near the Iglesia Antigua sells hand-painted pieces that are actually made locally — not imported from the far east and stamped with a Spanish flag. The prices reflect the craft, but they're not outrageous.
There's also a small delicatessen-style shop on Calle Delfín that stocks local wines from the Marina Alta DO, alongside jars of locally-produced products — salt cod prepared in the Valencian style, artichoke hearts in oil, dried herbs from the mountains behind Jalón. It's the kind of place that makes excellent gifts that will actually get used when you get home.
For more on the old town itself, see our full Calpe old town guide.
Supermarkets: The Practical Reality
Let's be honest about this part too. For everyday shopping, Calpe has a Mercadona on the edge of town (on the road toward Altea) which is where most locals actually do their big weekly shop. It's well-stocked, reasonably priced, and the fresh produce section is better than you might expect from a supermarket chain. There's also a smaller Spar near the Playa de la Fossa that's more convenient for a morning top-up without the car.
For wine, the Mercadona selection is fine, but if you want something more interesting, the Vinoteca near the port stocks a good selection of Costa Blanca wines — particularly from the Jalón Valley Moscatel producers, which are criminally underrated and genuinely delicious chilled as an aperitif.
Shopping in September: Why Timing Matters
If you're visiting Calpe in September — and there are very good reasons to — the shopping dynamic is notably different from peak July and August. The tourist-trap shops that line the beachfront start their end-of-season sales, which means you can actually find decent beachwear and summer clothing at half price. The markets are less crowded, traders are in better moods, and you can actually have a conversation with a stall holder without shouting over a crowd.
The weekly market on a cool September Wednesday morning, followed by a coffee at one of the old town terrace bars, followed by fresh fish for lunch — that's a near-perfect day in Calpe, in my opinion.
Staying Near the Markets
The best base for exploring Calpe's markets and shopping is somewhere central — close enough to walk to the weekly market, the port, and the old town without needing the car every time. Our holiday rental properties in Calpe include apartments and villas across the town, many within easy walking distance of all the locations mentioned in this guide.
Booking direct through JV Properties saves you up to 18% compared to booking the same property on Airbnb or similar platforms — that's money that would be much better spent at the fish market or the Wednesday ceramics stall. Browse available properties for your September dates and see what's available.
Calpe's market scene won't make the headlines the way the Peñón de Ifach does. But spend a Wednesday morning working your way through the food stalls, picking up figs and tomatoes and a jar of local honey, and you'll understand why people who come here for a week keep coming back for decades.
