Lorca Castle

The Fortaleza del Sol runs about six hundred metres along a ridge above Lorca, built on Muslim foundations and extended after the Christian conquest in 1244, when the town sat on the frontier with Granada for two and a half centuries; the Torre Alfonsina and the Torre del Espolon anchor either end. Excavation from 2003 in the Jewish quarter inside the walls uncovered a synagogue of the fifteenth century that had never been converted to a church, unusual in Spain, along with a large collection of glass lamps. An earthquake in 2011 damaged the castle and the town below badly, killing nine people, and restoration has continued since. A panoramic lift and walkway connect the town to the castle.

What you actually see

• The ridge fortress - six hundred metres of walls between two great towers.
• The synagogue - a fifteenth-century building never converted to a church.
• The glass lamps - a large collection recovered from the synagogue.
• The 2011 earthquake damage - restoration work still visible across the site.

When to go

March to June and October to November; Lorca is one of the hottest towns in Spain in summer and the ridge is exposed. The castle closes on some weekdays outside high season.

Honest expectations

Restoration from the 2011 earthquake is ongoing and parts of the castle and town remain closed or scaffolded. The site is long and exposed with little shade. The lift from the town runs on limited hours.

Nearby

Lorca's baroque churches and the Plaza de Espana are below; the Sierra Espuna lies northeast.