traveldk.com

In 1244, Murcia, strategically located on the border with the Arabic kingdom of Granada, became a vassal state of the powerful Kingdom of Castile, which annexed it outright in 1266. When Granada fell in 1492, Muslim converts (Moriscos ) flooded into Murcia. Their expulsion in the early 17th century caused economic crisis.

After the Reconquest, Jaime I reestablished the Kingdom of Valencia, with special privileges, including the right to a separate court and their own currency. These ancient rights were only withdrawn after the Kingdom backed the losing side in the War of the Succession (1700–1714).

In 711, the first Berber armies invaded the Iberian Peninsula, conquering most of it within a decade. Renamed Al-Andalus, it was ruled first by a mighty caliphate and then as a series of smaller kingdoms (taifas ). Arabic irrigation techniques created the fertile orchards which still characterize the Costa Blanca.

Abderramán II founded the city of Mursiya (Murcia) in 825.

This delightful mountain village topped by a ruined castle makes the perfect starting point for exploring the gorgeous Sierra Mariola, with hiking trails and the traces of abandoned snow wells.

Beautifully flood-lit at night, this cliff-top castle is perched right on the cliff edge.

Elaborately carved marquetry ceilings introduced by the Arabs, but absorbed into the Christian tradition after the Reconquest.

Elaborate tiles, many produced in the Costa Blanca region using techniques introduced by the Arabs.

The highest castle in the region, it dominates a lofty peak.

Turkish pirate Jayr al-Din – better known as Barbarroja (“Red Beard”) – was the scourge of the Mediterranean.