Guadalest – The Number One Attraction on the Costa Blanca

El Castell de Guadalest, or Guadalest for short, is one of the most interesting and beautiful villages in Spain. High on a mountain, with stunning views of the valley and the river Guadalest, from which the town takes its name, the picturesque white village of Guadalest is a stunning location and is one of the hidden gems of the Marina Alta region. on the Costa Blanca, Spain.

The trip to Guadalest is almost as interesting as the town itself. Not for the faint of heart, the journey inland begins at sea level in the picture-postcard town of Altea and continues along roads that twist and turn on their way to the spectacular Sierra de Aitana, through the towns of Polop, Xorta and even the Guadalest Valley.

As the road climbs, the pretty villages of the region seem smaller and the rugged, dusty brown mountains with their proud, towering features give way to lush greenery and deep, vivid flowers, and the harsh sounds of seagulls are replaced. . by the melodious and melodic notes of the Alpine Swift and the Rock Thrush.

Approaching the town of Guadalest, through an abundance of pine trees, playing their melodies as the summer breeze gently dances over its pine trees, the town juts out over the rock, where the remains of an old medieval castle can be found. Built by the Moors over 1,200 years ago to protect the inhabitants of Guadalest in their battles with the Christians, the castle was once an important military outpost. Today, it lies in ruins, damaged beyond repair, marked by the scars of countless battles.

The town of Guadalest has two very characteristic neighbourhoods: El Arrabal, where the locals live and carry out their trades, in simple stalls, for the many visitors who keep this town alive and make it continue to be the most visited town in Spain, and El Castillo , where, as its name suggests, are the ruins of the old castle. Guadalest means Eagle’s Nest. It’s easy to see where the name comes from.

Visitors who wish to access the castle do so through a tunnel carved into the rock. Emerging from the tunnel, the castle ruins lay claim to precarious clifftop ledges that stretch out and dominate the valley floor. The fall and views are particularly impressive and extend down to the mountains and the coast.

The Arrabal has maintained a medieval atmosphere where visitors enjoy souk-style craft shops, cafes, restaurants and museums and where it is possible to experience a lifestyle that has changed little in over a thousand years. The main street of the Arrabal is called Calle de la Pena and is of sublime beauty. The whitewashed houses provide a blank canvas and contrast with the terracotta pots hanging from them, brimming with brightly colored flowers, their perfume absorbed by the high mountain breeze and mixed with the sweet scent of the pine trees. trees around the town. Along the street are a series of small stalls, run by excitable locals who joke with tourists and gesticulate wildly to encourage tourists to buy the wide range of leather goods and paint – the only outward sign that tourism has arrived. to Guadalest.

At the end of the main street is the town hall that, in ancient times, served as the headquarters of the dungeons. Also excavated in the rock, they date back more than 1000 years. Next to the town hall is the local church of the Virgin, with a bell tower also carved into the rock. This is the oldest part of the village and also the highest: it provides a vantage point from which to watch out for any intruders and ensure the protection of the village.

In addition to the castle and the stalls of El Arrabal, Guadalest has several authentic museums, in which it is possible to contemplate a great variety of pieces such as Picasso’s Guernica painted on a seed or the Statue of Liberty, in the hole of a needle .

Deep in the valley below Guadalest is the stunningly beautiful turquoise blue lake of the Rio Guadalest. Established by the construction of a dam built between 1953 and 1964, the lake is over 25 meters deep and 270 meters long and supplies much of the water to many of the towns along the Costa Blanca. The lake can be seen from most Guadalest viewpoints and makes an excellent backdrop against which to see the picturesque and popular town of Guadalest.

A vacation on the Costa Blanca is a truly magical experience. Be sure to include Guadalest in your plans for that special extra.