El Castell de Guadalest: Exploring Spain’s Spectacular Mountain Village

There are some places that look impressive in photographs, but when you finally see them for yourself, you realise the pictures never quite captured the scale of the place. El Castell de Guadalest, tucked away in the mountains of Alicante, was certainly one of those places for me.

I had seen photographs of Guadalest before my visit, particularly the famous turquoise reservoir and the old village seemingly clinging to the mountainside, but actually arriving there was something completely different.

It is one of those places where you immediately want to slow down, look around and take everything in.

A Village High Above Alicante

Guadalest sits high in the mountains of the Marina Baixa, surrounded by some spectacular scenery. Although it is not particularly far from the busy resorts of the Costa Blanca, it feels a world away from the beaches, hotels and coastal roads below.

The drive towards the village is part of the experience in itself.

As the road begins climbing into the mountains, the landscape becomes increasingly dramatic. Rocky peaks rise on either side, and, every so often, there are wonderful views across the valleys.

Then Guadalest appears.

Perched high on the rock, with the remains of its castle above it, the village almost looks as though it has grown naturally out of the mountain.

Entering the Old Village

One of my favourite parts of visiting Guadalest was simply making my way into the historic centre.

Access to the old village is through a tunnel cut directly through the rock. Known as the Portal de Sant Josep, it immediately gives you the feeling that you are entering somewhere quite different.

Once through the tunnel, the atmosphere changes.

There are narrow streets, whitewashed buildings, little shops, cafés and viewpoints appearing between the houses. It is not a large place, and that is part of its charm. You can wander without really needing a plan.

I found myself stopping constantly, partly to take photographs and partly because almost every corner seemed to reveal another view.

The Castle of San José

Dominating Guadalest are the remains of the Castle of San José, an 11th-century fortress built during the period of Muslim rule in this part of Spain.

Its position makes perfect sense.

From up here, the views across the surrounding countryside are enormous. Long before modern roads and towns appeared below, this would have been an incredibly strategic location.

Time has not always been kind to the castle. Earthquakes and centuries of conflict caused considerable damage, and today much of it survives as ruins.

For me, however, that actually adds to the character of the place.

You are not walking around a perfectly reconstructed tourist attraction. There is still a ruggedness about it, and the surviving walls sitting against the mountains provide a reminder of just how old Guadalest really is.

That Incredible Reservoir

And then there is the view that Guadalest is probably most famous for.

Looking down from the village towards the Guadalest Reservoir is quite something.

The colour of the water immediately catches your attention. Depending on the light, it can appear an extraordinary turquoise or deep blue-green, surrounded by mountains and rocky countryside.

It almost looks unreal.

I had seen this view many times in photographs, but standing there and seeing the reservoir spread out below the village was far more impressive.

For anyone interested in photography, Guadalest is an absolute gift. You have the old stonework of the village and castle, the whitewashed houses, mountains, valleys and that remarkable water below.

The difficulty is knowing when to put the camera down.

More Than Just the View

It would be very easy to visit Guadalest simply for the castle and reservoir, but there is more packed into this small village than you might expect.

Guadalest has become known for its collection of small and sometimes rather unusual museums. They cover everything from local history and traditional life to miniature objects and curiosities.

There is also the Casa Orduña, a historic house dating from the 17th century, which offers another glimpse into the history of the village and the people who lived here.

But you do not necessarily need to spend the whole visit moving from attraction to attraction.

Some of the best moments come from simply wandering.

Finding a quiet corner, looking across the rooftops, stopping for something to drink or discovering another viewpoint was just as enjoyable for me as visiting the main historic sites.

A Place With Real Character

Guadalest is understandably popular with visitors, particularly during the summer months, and it can become busy.

Despite that, I never felt that its history had completely disappeared beneath the tourism.

Look beyond the souvenir shops and cafés, and there is still a remarkable old mountain settlement here. Stone walls, tiny streets and fragments of fortification are reminders that people have occupied and defended this extraordinary location for centuries.

There is also something slightly surreal about standing among buildings that have been here for generations while looking down towards the modern reservoir below.

Old and new sit together remarkably well.

My Visit to Guadalest

What stayed with me most after visiting El Castell de Guadalest was the setting.

I have visited plenty of castles, historic villages and mountain locations over the years, but Guadalest manages to combine all three.

It has history, architecture and atmosphere, but above everything else it has that landscape.

Standing high above the valley, looking across the mountains and down towards the brilliant turquoise water of the reservoir, is something I will remember for a very long time.

It is also a reminder that there is far more to Alicante than its famous coastline.

Travel a relatively short distance inland, and the landscape changes completely.

For me, Guadalest was well worth making that journey.

It is beautiful, slightly unusual, full of history and one of those places where exploring with a camera in hand is an absolute pleasure.

El Castell de Guadalest may be a small village, but it certainly leaves a big impression.

By Daren Frankish

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