Guadalest

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Make sure you visit Guadalest, a white Spanish village perched dramatically on a high mountain ridge in the middle of a beautiful green valley. Take your camera, you will want a memento of this beautiful place in Spain. There are very good souvenir shops selling local craftsmanship and products. You can visit the 15th century castle and bell tower balanced on a vertical rocky outcrop. The views across the valley and turquoise reservoir below are astonishingly beautiful. There are a some museums to visit including a really interesting miniatures museum. There is a good choice of cafes and restaurants, the prices here are amazingly reasonable. The Guadalest lake is an excellent location for fresh water fishing, you will need a licence, this can be obtained from the local fishing tackle shop. The drive up to the village is very enjoyable, it makes a nice change to get away from the coast for a while and enjoy the natural beauty and tranquility of the mountains.

Benimantell Castle

On a rocky peak near the Village of Guadalest, is found the so-named Penya Castellet. Above this point are found the ruins of what was Benimantell Castle, one of the ancient forts that formed the defensive body of the ancient town.

Registered in the General Registry of Land of Cultural Interest of the National Artistic Patrimony, medieval walls from different eras remain standing.

PEÑÓN DE LA ALCALÁ tower rises from an extremely steep rocky point with difficult access.

With a cylindrical body, today only its lower half may be seen, with masonry factory.

It was found in a strategic location to watch over the valley, being in fact a watchtower that protected the northeast side of the Guadalest Castle.

Due to its unusual appearance, it has become one of the most well known images of the town

The Castle of the King is a fort incorporated in the ancient walled grounds of the city and which is accessed through a tunnel excavated in the rock.

This tower-cemetery located in front of the church bell tower offers the visitor, because of its height, the best views of the area: the prairie and reservoir of Guadalest.

GUADALEST (pop. 200) is of Islamic origin, and in this period, its forts were already considered very valuable. Conquered by the troops of Jaime I, it would be ceded to Vidal of Sarrià, to which family it would belong to until 1335, later being passed to Prince Pedro of Aragón.

Since 1543, it was the center of the marquisette of Guadalest, with which Carlos I distinguished Sancho Folc de Cardona y Ruíz de Lihory.

He exercised his territoriality on a large number of populated areas, the majority of which would remain uninhabited following the expulsion of the Moors in 1609.

It is notable that the Orduña family maintained a permanent link to the city, as keepers of its forts, governments and legal system.

A strong earthquake in 1644 seriously affected the fort and dwellings of the village. During the War of Succession, it again suffered serious damage from a mine explosion.