Santa Barbara Castle

Santa Barbara occupies the whole summit of Benacantil, a limestone hill 166 metres above the sea in the middle of Alicante, fortified since at least the Muslim period and taken on Saint Barbara's day in 1248, which gave it the name. Its present shape is largely sixteenth-century artillery work under Philip II, with three enclosures at different levels and a keep, and from the eighteenth century it was at times used as a prison. The castle opened to the public in 1963, and most visitors now arrive by a tunnel of about 205 metres from the seafront at Postiguet beach and lifts that climb some 142 metres inside the rock. From the walls the view covers the city, the port, the beaches and the coast. The rock's profile is known locally as the Moor's face.

What you'll find

• The three enclosures - fortifications at different levels of the summit.
• The rock lift - a tunnel from the seafront and lifts inside the mountain.
• The city panorama - Alicante, the port and the coast from the walls.
• The Moor's face - the rock profile visible from the beach below.

When to go

March to June and September to November; the summit is exposed and Alicante summers are hot. Evening is best for the view and the light. Entry to the castle is free and it stays open into the evening in summer.

What to expect

The lift charges and queues in season, and the walk up is steep with no shade. The interior is largely open ground and ramparts rather than furnished rooms. The exhibition spaces are modest.

Nearby

Postiguet beach is at the foot; Alicante's old town and the Explanada are alongside.

Key facts