As soon as I saw the incredible design of La Muralla Roja perched on the cliffs of Calpe, Spain, I knew that I had to come and stay here. Perched like a surreal pink fortress above the Mediterranean Sea, La Muralla Roja glows on the rocky coastline. Its bold walls are painted a Wes Anderson symphony of reds, pinks, blues, and purples, cutting a colorful figure against the deep blue Mediterranean.
This insanely gorgeous postmodern building is seriously one of the most unique stays I’ve ever had. But how do you even stay the night here? What’s it like living in the architectural masterpiece that is La Muralla Roja, the dizzying red fortress of Calpe?
I finally got to fulfill my dream of staying at La Muralla Roja, and this is exactly everything you need to know so you can do it, too!
What Is La Muralla Roja?
La Muralla Roja is a fantastical, avant-garde apartment complex located in Calpe, Spain. Designed by the renowned architect Ricardo Bofill in 1968 and completed in 1973, its striking design draws inspiration from Mediterranean and Arab architectural traditions, particularly the casbahs of North Africa.
The unique and towering apartment complex features interlocking geometric forms painted brightly in red, pink, blue, and purple. The puzzle-like pieces of the apartment create fascinating interplays of light and shadow during the day. La Muralla Roja has this incredible labyrinthine design, with countless staircases and interconnected terraces. Every turn here is an Instagram-worthy moment!
You might recognize La Muralla Roja, as it has become a sensational hit on Instagram. It was also the inspiration behind the iconic set design on the global hit TV show Squid Game!
Because La Muralla Roja is a residential complex, people actually live here. Many of the residents rent out their properties as AirBnBs or short-term vacation rentals, which is the best way to stay at this amazing apartment complex. You can only enter La Muralla Roja if you’re staying here, so make sure to book an apartment in advance!
Where Is La Muralla Roja?
La Muralla Roja is located in the super picturesque and quiet coastal town of Calpe, Spain. The apartment complex overlooks the gorgeous Mediterranean Sea and has some excellent views of the surrounding area, including the iconic Peñón de Ifach rock formation.
Calpe is a very charming little town with beautiful beaches and historic sights. It’s a great jumping-off point if you’re visiting the Costa Blanca or are heading to other popular destinations like Alicante or Denia (where the ferry terminal to Ibiza is located)!
Here are some cool activities to try while in Calpe:
How to Get to La Muralla Roja
Since La Muralla Roja is located in a small town, it can be hard to get here from other big cities. For example, if you’re coming from Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, or Valencia, there might be some effort involved!
The easiest way to get to La Muralla Roja (and Calpe in general) is to drive. If you’re flying into Spain, Alicante-Elche Airport is the nearest major hub, about an hour’s drive from Calpe. Calpe is a 4.5-hour drive from Barcelona or Madrid, 1.5 hours from Valencia, and a whopping 6 hours from Seville! There is parking at La Muralla Roja for resident guests, but there is no rental car agency in Calpe so you’ll have to drive from and return your car to a different town.
🥘 Planning a trip to Spain? Check out my list of the best places to visit and travel to in Spain—from someone who’s lived there before!
The other way to get to La Muralla Roja is by public transit. From the Alicante train station, you can take the tram which runs from Alicante to Denia and stops at Calpe along the way. You can take a taxi from the Calpe tram station to La Muralla Roja, which is less than 10 minutes and costs around 8 euros one way.
One annoying part of not having a car at La Muralla Roja is that there aren’t a lot of food options nearby. You can walk to the nearest Mercadona grocery store (about 15-20 minutes), or you can order food delivery like we did with Glovo!
Is Staying at La Muralla Roja Expensive?
How much does it cost to stay at La Muralla Roja? La Muralla Roja was originally built as a vacation home complex, so there are apartments here of all kinds and sizes. The price of staying at La Muralla Roja depends on the type of apartment and the time of year. When we visited in October, we got a one-bedroom apartment for 2 people and it cost around 165 EUR (170 USD) a night including all the taxes and fees. This is the apartment that we rented through Booking.com!
Our apartment came equipped with a kitchen, bathroom, and spacious living areas. While it wasn’t overly luxurious, it was completely comfortable and we loved the view from the terrace! I heard some rather bad reviews about La Muralla Roja from other bloggers, saying the apartments were dated, old, or run-down, but that wasn’t our experience.
Photography Rules at La Muralla Roja
Because La Muralla Roja is a residential apartment with real residents, it’s important to mind the rules when trying to take photos. I know, every twist and turn is worth whipping out the camera for—but don’t disturb the people who actually live there!
Apparently, there are designated times that you’re allowed to take photos at La Muralla Roja, which are from 10 AM to 12 PM and from 2 PM until 6 PM. However, we found that as long as you’re quiet and respectful, no one cares about these rules. Just don’t take photos of the residents or make a lot of noise. We wanted to take photos around sunrise and quietly went up to the roof to watch the beautiful sky change colors over the sea, and we ran into a couple of residents and they were very friendly and didn’t mind us being there at all.
However, note that you can’t shoot commercial photography here without a license. Drones are also strictly prohibited. They even have a sensor jammer to prevent drone flying, and management isn’t liable for any damages to equipment if your drone gets caught by the jammer and falls. So, as tempting as it is, leave your drone at home!
The Beauty of Staying at La Muralla Roja
It’s hard for me to express just how gorgeous it is staying at La Muralla Roja. Calpe is a small town, but the brightly colored fortress apartment makes the entire coastline light up! The structure seems to breathe with the rhythms of the day. At dawn, the pastel hues are kissed by soft, golden light; by midday, the vibrant colors are blazing with intensity; and in the evening, the walls deepen into muted blues and purples and blend into the sea.
Here are some of the most beautiful parts of the design of Ricardo Bofill’s La Muralla Roja.
Colorful Section Blocks
La Muralla Roja is divided into several “blocks” of different colors. There’s the pink quarter, the red area, the blue zone, and a small lavender-purple region. Only the staircase leading to the roof and parts of the roof walkways are purple, and there are no apartments here. So you’ll be staying in the pink, red, or blue zone.
My favorite has to be the red or pink zones as they are so large and extravagantly designed, with huge walls and tons of natural light. Our apartment was in the red zone and I loved the view! The blue zone is probably the most contained—it’s on the smaller side and doesn’t get a lot of light.
The Labyrinthine Stairs
One of La Muralla’s most iconic features is its winding geometric staircases. The complex is full of them, zigzagging back and forth to make dizzying square and triangular patterns that dazzle the eye!
Of course, this also means that La Muralla Roja is in no way an accessible building. Seriously, you need to be able-bodied to make it around this place. To get 10 feet horizontally, you might have to climb down the stairs all the way to the bottom and then back up on the other side! Scrambling around trying to navigate the apartment while ascending and descending so many flights of stairs was definitely confusing (and a workout), but it’s all part of the fun.
Rooftop Pool
Don’t miss La Muralla Roja’s rooftop pool, shaped like a cross. It’s actually not located at the highest point of the apartment, but if you’re at the roof then you’re very close to the pool already.
There are two entrances: one in the pink section and one in the blue section. The same key you use to enter the apartment complex gate is the same key that opens the pool door, so make sure you bring it when you go to the pool! Or you’ll have to take all the stairs to double back to your room….(which is exactly what happened to me.)
Changing Lightscape
I could’ve spent days here just taking photos because every turn and angle is just begging to be photographed. As the light changes throughout the day, the building shifts in colors, shadows, and tones. Light falls through the windows and makes unique patterns and shapes on the ground below. La Muralla Roja is truly an architectural masterpiece!
So…Is It Worth Staying at La Muralla Roja?
Yes, absolutely! 100%. As you can obviously tell, La Muralla Roja isn’t just an apartment—it’s a dreamlike experience and architectural marvel! The gorgeous architecture, beautiful views, and bright colors make it one of the coolest places to stay in the world. I was enamored the entire time and wish we could’ve stayed even longer!
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