Spain has always been popular with film directors. All manner of famous movies have been shot in Spain. The country lends itself to films that require wide open spaces, desert landscapes, white washed villages, glamorous coastal locations and, of course, castles. When it comes to castles, Spain is in the top three favoured film locations.
Next year Antonio Banderas will direct and star in a film based on the life and death of the last Nasrid King of Spain, Boabdil. The city of Granada, and the surrounding mountains of La Alpujarra, will play a big part in that movie.
But long before Banderas was promoting his home country via the cinema, classic films such as ‘El Cid’ were being filmed in Spain.
Oscar nominated
Peniscola
In 1961 life in what was then a small fishing town called Peñiscola changed forever. Film director Anthony Mann marched a crew of thousands into the previously sedate coastal resort. The making of the Oscar nominated movie ‘El Cid’ was about to put Peñiscola firmly on the tourist map. Where it has stayed ever since.
Today, long after lead actors Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren left Peñiscola, its other star attractions continue to be enjoyed by holidaymakers and expats alike. The comment you will hear most often from people living in the area, is that they are enjoying the so called forgotten coastline of Spain. Not that they are complaining about that.
Mark Smith moved to the fortress city of Peñiscola almost thirty years ago and likes the fact this part of the so called Orange Blossom Coast is, to many people, an unknown quantity.
He says: “Of course things have changed greatly since I moved here but towns like Benicarló and Vinaròs are still genuine working towns which have not suffered from tourist development. Peñiscola itself is at a crucial stage. At present the coach parties come and go and the shops need them. However, the amount of building work here is relentless. I pray that the city retains its original charm at all costs.”
King of the castle
Castle grounds
So far it does. In the old part of the city, just over 500 properties are tightly packed together on 27 steep, narrow streets that intertwine. These are some of the most characterful dwellings in the whole of Spain. Those living in them are accustomed to people simply staring up at their homes. They are every bit as interesting as the castle and adjoining lighthouse.
The castle itself is the second most visited monument in Spain, after the Alhambra Palace in Granada. It is a national listed building that rises 64 kilometres above the sea. It was built by the Knights Templar between 1294 and 1307 and is the best preserved example of their construction work.
They played no part in the construction of the uppermost battlements. They were built in order to stage the dramatic fight scenes in ‘El Cid’. The north beach, which played a supporting role in the film, is vast at over 5000 metres in length and 44 metres wide.
Benicassim
Travelling north along the coast from Castellón, the first resort worth visiting is Benicàssim. Known mainly for its production of Moscatel wine, it has arguably the best beaches along the Costa del Azahar. The housing on the front is a mixture of high rise apartments and antiquated properties that would not look out of place on the Florida Keys.
Popular since the 19th century, Benicàssim. It is a favourite of Spaniards living in Madrid and Valencia. Many have second homes here, some of which are rented out and have wonderful sea views. The long promenade is popular with walkers of all nationalities and generations. Because the terrain is so flat it is possible to witness some of the most energetic strolling to be seen along any coastline.
Peniscola
Back in Peñiscola you will need to be quite fit and energetic. The climb up to the oldest part of the city can be hard going, especially in the summer months. Peñiscola is somewhere that has become increasingly dependent on tourism. Visit in February and it seems to be, to all intents and purposes, closed.
Return in March and the hotels and restaurants are opening up in readiness for the arrival of thousands of visitors, including many movie buffs and a few men playing pirates – all in the name of tourism you understand. Peñiscola has much more to offer than would be Captain Hooks.
The Serra d’Irta, for example, lies on the southern shore of Peñiscola and is the last unspoilt mountain range in the Valencian region. Here cliffs measure 40 metres in height and the area attracts rare birds and those who like to watch them. The sea is home to several botanical species that are exclusive to the area and, therefore, of interest to scuba divers.
Costa Azahar
Benicarló meanwhile is more sedate than its more famous neighbours. It is sandwiched between Peñiscola and Vinaròs. Much more than a fishing port, Benicarló is home to much of the agriculture in the Maestazgo region. Turn off the coast road; drive ten minutes inland and you witness farmers collecting their produce.
Travelling further north you come to the busy and popular Vinaròs, which is a good place to use as a holiday base. British expats sing the praises of the place and enjoy the fact that much of the tourist trade passes right by. It is undeniably the case that Vinaròs is at heart a working town. Areas of it are rough and ready and living here would not suit everyone, but it does boast some of the best fish restaurants in the area.
Go inland
Drive inland and you will arrive in some of the most interesting villages and towns in the vicinity. Places such as Calig, Cervera del Maestre and Xert – the latter of which is over 400 metres high. Some of these pretty hamlets may consist of little more than a street or two but they make for peaceful and pleasant diversions from the coast. However, in visiting them you are but stopping off en route to the jewel of the inland crown, Morella.
This is arguably the most attractive place in the entire province of Castellón. I saw it on a foggy, overcast day when much of it was hidden in the clouds. But if a location in Spain can impress you in bad weather, then it truly has something to offer. A medieval fortress town it has, of course, a castle but it also boasts a dinosaur museum, a classical music festival in August and – for 365 days a year – some of the most long distance views to be found anywhere.
Morella is one of the oldest, continually inhabited towns in the whole of Spain and to live here you will need to be fit. It is almost certain that if you venture out in Morella, you will have to climb back home via some very steep streets.
Room with a view
Back on the coast the multitude of fish caught along this coastline has to make a journey of its own. It travels along the Costa del Azahar further north to the restaurants of Barcelona.
The ever popular, spectacular city that is only a 215 kilometre car journey north of Vinaròs.
Now there’s an idea. A road movie. But what title?
Got it! A Fish Called Wander.
But who would play me, now that Steve McQueen is dead?
