Gibralfaro Castle

Gibralfaro was built in the early fourteenth century by Yusuf I of Granada on a hill that had carried a lighthouse and earlier fortifications, and the name comes from the Arabic and Greek for rock of the lighthouse. It held out for three months against the siege of 1487 before hunger forced surrender. The main reason to climb is the rampart walk: a complete circuit of the walls with the whole city below, the port, the cathedral, the bullring seen directly into from above, and the bay running east toward the Axarquia. A small interpretation centre in the old powder magazine covers the castle's history. A walled passage, the coracha, connects down to the Alcazaba.

What you actually see

• The rampart circuit - a walkable loop around the castle walls.
• The bullring from above - La Malagueta seen down into from the walls.
• The coracha - a walled passage linking down to the Alcazaba.
• The bay panorama - the port, city and coast running east.

When to go

Spring and autumn; the walk up is steep and brutal in summer heat, so the bus or a taxi is sensible then. Late afternoon light over the city is the best, and sunset from the walls is the local choice.

Honest expectations

The footpath up from the Alcazaba is steep and exposed with little shade. The interior is largely empty, with the ramparts and views the substance of the visit. The parador restaurant next door is expensive.

Nearby

The Alcazaba and Roman theatre lie below; Malaga's cathedral and Picasso Museum are in the old town.