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Perched high on the lofty peak of Mount Benacantil, Alicante’s castle is straight out of a story book. It’s one of the largest surviving castles in Spain, an impressive complex of sturdy stone halls and spacious squares built over 900 years.

Shaded with palms and scattered with wooden benches, the Parque de Ingenieros (Engineers’ Park) is the prettiest and greenest of the castle’s squares. The original Arab fortress, long demolished, once stood on this site.

This wide, sun-bleached expanse at the centre of the fortress is dominated by the massive former barracks building (cuartel ), which contains a small exhibition on the development of the castle. Nearby, the snack kiosk and picnic area offer fine views.

This battered yet still graceful watchtower is poised loftily over the main entrance into the castle. The oldest surviving structure in the whole complex, its base incorporates stones from the original Arab fortress.

One of the largest and most imposing of the castle buildings, the Engineers’ Barracks was built in the 18th century, when the fortress was expanded and fortified. Now it makes a magnificent gallery for art exhibitions.

In the 18th century, the castle tavern and the guardroom shared this building – guard duty must have been popular. Now it contains galleries and artists’ studios.

You can stroll along vast sections of the massive fortifications which still encircle the castle. The views are spectacular.

This is no ordinary lift. If you can’t face the long, hot climb to the top of the hill, it will swoop you up in seconds in to the heart of the castle. Tunnelled right through the rock, the lift starts from a cave-like entrance opposite the Postiguet Beach below.

The road up to the castle winds its way through the pine-shaded Parque Monte Benacantil. On the southern flank, the award-winning Parque de la Ereta includes a gravity-defying bridge, a water cascade, and a series of glassy, minimalist pavilions.

The highest point of the whole complex is the Macho del Castillo, a wide, scrubby square, which offers the most spectacular views of all. It is still scattered with rusting cannons, which poke threateningly through the fortifications in all directions.