There are people who try to tour Spain staying in the many Paradors (plush hotels to you and me).
There are religious visitors to Spain who want to visit all the cathedrals.
They will all need at least two lifetimes to complete their respective missions.
As will castle spotters. Yes, you heard me right, there are people who hop in the car and travel around Spain in order to see the many and varied castles that adorn the country of Spain. They vary in appearance, grandeur, location and historical importance.
Within these Walls
Salobreña Castle
Let us begin not inland, but on the delightful Costa Tropical. A great holiday destination in itself that you can see here via our high definition video.
It is famous not least for its tropical climate that delivers humid summers and warm winters. But, at Salobreña, there is also a castle that must be visited for its history, dramatic positioning and, of course, the view.
By day, and especially by night, it is the most eye-catching monument on a stretch of coastline that runs from Malaga to Almeria.
There has been a fortification at Salobreña since the 10th century. The Arab castle is a rare example of what could be produced when Moslem and Christian architects worked together on a construction project. Today it is one of the best kept castles in Spain and perhaps that this is why it is also one of the most visited monuments along this stretch of coastline.
Pretty path up to Salobrena Castle
The inner area combines the former Nasrid fortified palace and the outer areas served as military defence structures and were built by the Christians at the end of the 15th century.
It was one of the most impregnable places on the Al-Andalus coast and for the prisoners who were held there in total darkness – very often until their death – it was hell on earth.
Today it is possible to view where prisoners were kept captive. Others, arguably the lucky ones, were thrown from the castle towers on to the rocks below.
The castle, its sumptuous gardens and the nearby history museum are not the only reasons to stop here. Whilst it is possible to walk around Salobreña in one day, it is not possible to do it justice in that time.
An area once famed for its sugar plantations is undergoing a makeover. Just outside town, at La Caleta, a new marina is planned. The old part of Salobreña, near the castle, remains as charming as ever. The beach below is vast and, even at the height of the holiday season there is space for sun worshippers.
Room with a view
Castillo de Santa Catalina, Jaen
Jaén is one of those locations in Spain that too many people drive past en route between the north and south of Spain. That is a mistake. You should stop off and stay in or near Jaén.
Or, at the very least, drive up high to the castle ruins and the neighbouring Parador, one of many located throughout the country.
This particular hotel benefits from being within the walls of the old castle, the Castillo de Santa Catalina. The interior may be modern but it has been designed sympathetically, with the medieval in mind. They have kept antiquities such as a wooden statue of a Bishop dating from 1485.
But for those not paying to stay at the Parador, there are plenty of great views from the nearby escarpment and from the castle ruins. Walk past the Parador and follow a path that takes you to a clearing from where there is a great view of the huge cathedral below. Be careful on a windy day. You are on, or close to, a precipice and the winds can be very strong above Jaén. The view is stunning. Olive trees as far as the eye can see.
Looking down on Jaen Cathedral
There is much more to Jaén than a plush hotel and a ruined castle. Excellent tapas bars, fine parks and history by the bucketful.
Its old quarter conserves much of its historic splendour. The largest surviving Arab baths in all of Spain are located under the Villardompardo Palace. Jaén Museum displays the largest collection of Iberian objects to be seen anywhere in the world. This unique collection of sculptures were discovered in the 1970s and date from around 500 BC.
Healthy options
Lanjaron Castle
Lanjaron is the gateway to La Alpujarra. A spa town that is currently undergoing some noticeable alterations. For years the Spanish have travelled hundreds of miles to sample its therapeutic spa waters and health treatments.
I once found myself in the reception of the spa alongside a group of elderly Spaniards who talked so loud I thought my head was going to split open. Now I am used to wearing earplugs when travelling on Spanish buses, but I didn’t think I would need them with me this day. The decibel level was louder than at a rock concert.
Then, all of a sudden, a woman in a starched white outfit (think Nurse Ratched in ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’) emerged from downstairs. She blew a whistle and silence fell upon the spa. The crowd of previously chattering seniors said not a word. They merely followed her downstairs in a very obedient fashion.
I didn’t hang around to discover if they ever again emerged from the bowels of the building.
Next door to the spa they are building a new hotel for all those tourists who want a cure for their ailments. It would appear judging from the outside of the new building that no cure has been found for ugly modern architecture in Spain!
The castle at Lanjaron has seen better times. But work continues to make it more accessible to the public. It is located on a rocky outcrop below the main town and has glorious views towards the Costa Tropical, where the beaches of Motril, Salobreña and Almuñécar await you. Plans are at an advanced stage for the first seven star hotel at the latter popular and family friendly resort.
La Alpujarra
Above Lanjaron sit some of the most visited villages of La Alpujarra, including Pampaneira, Bubion and Capileira. Drive or walk above the latter village and your efforts are rewarded with the freshest air in Spain and glorious views. I can see why deposed Nasrid rulers fled to the distinctive La Alpujarra.
What strikes me about all these castles is the fact that those who built them were hard workers and those who resided within them knew a good view when they saw one. I haven’t found a castle in Spain with a bad lookout. Today many of the once grand castles may be in a state of ruin, but when you stand among those ruins you realise how amazing it must have been to live in them.
From a jack to a king
Castillo de Zoraya, Mondujar
At 900 metres above sea level, and two kilometres from the historic village of Mondujar, is the Castillo de Zoraya. Located halfway between the great city of Granada and the coast, and not far from the aforementioned Lanjaron, this castle was built by Muley Hacen. He was the father of the last Nasrid King of Spain, Boabdil – a character who Malaga born actor Antonio Banderas plans to play in a forthcoming movie.
There’s not much left of the castle today and, predictably, local authorities haven’t exactly gone out of their way to make the access up to the castle an easy one; but once you have made the climb you can get a feel for how it was originally laid out. It was surrounded by glorious gardens. When Boabdil was driven out of Granada by the invading armies, this was a stop off point on his way to exile in the mountainous region of La Alpujarra.
Luis Benavides-Barajas wrote “En Valle de Allegria”, a book that details the background of the delightful Lecrín Valley and its culinary history.
He says: “Mondujar was famous because Mulhey Hacen built a castle there. That is where he got married and where he died. Then just a few years ago, when they modernised the motorway, they found the remains of seven Kings buried in Mondujar.”
View of Mondujar from its historic Castle
Luis continues: “Hundreds of people flocked to the sight to see the bodies of the Kings and it caused terrible upheaval on the motorway. It’s incredible to think that those Kings were buried there for hundreds of years.
“I was telling all this to my friend who broke down on the motorway last week but all he seemed interested in was jacking up his car to change a punctured tyre. It’s a shame that so many people drive past the important landmarks of Spain usually because they don’t know they are there.
“For example, Boabdil’s mother is also buried high on a hill overlooking Mondujar. The authorities don’t advertise the fact that the beautiful Lecrín Valley is so historic because they wouldn’t want large numbers of tourists going there, instead of to the most visited tourist attraction in Spain, the Alhambra Palace in Granada.”
That is often the case in Spain. Everyone goes to the very same historic buildings.
When, all around you, are castle walls that you can touch – very often at no cost. You can see how the other half lived at a time when one’s wealth and importance were judged not by whether you had a home on the coast, in the city and in the country – but simply by the size of your castle.
