DK Travel : Costa Blanca : Castillo de Santa Bárbara, Alicante

Castillo de Santa Bárbara, Alicante

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Visible for miles around, Alicante’s castle looms dramatically above the city. The hill it commands has been inhabited since the Bronze Age, but it was not until the end of the 9th century that the Arabs built the first fortress here. Rebuilt during the 16th and 17th centuries, it was expanded into a mighty garrison during the 18th. You can climb up through a breezy pine forest, pausing in the stunning modern Parque de la Ereta on the way, or take the lazy option and be cranked up 200 m (656 ft) in a lift bored through the rock.

Castle picnic area

Top 10 Features

1. Castle Complex

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.
2. Parque de Ingenieros

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.
3. Plaza de Cuartel

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.
4. La Toreneta

4. La Toreneta

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.
5. Cuartel de Ingenieros

5. Cuartel de Ingenieros

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.
6. Antigo Taverna/Cuerpo de Guardia

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.
7. Ramparts and Terraces

7. Ramparts and Terraces

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

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.
9. Parks

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.
10. Macho del Castillo

10. Macho del Castillo

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.

Practical Information

Within the castle complex, the Kiosko offers an expensive and limited menu of hot dogs, burgers and refreshments. Let the lift take the strain out of getting up to the castle, but stroll back down to enjoy the two lovely parks along the way. The castle complex has no information office, but maps and leaflets are available within the galleries. There is wheelchair access to the lift and central square only. Mount Benacantil 965 26 31 31 Castle: open Apr–Oct: 10am–8pm daily; Nov–Mar: 9am–7pm daily Free (return lift ticket: €2.40)