Castles in Spain

Almost a thousand years of history on a hilltop in Almería: one of the largest and best-preserved Moorish alcazabas on the peninsula, joined to a ring of walls and a Christian castle.

Beside the Guadalquivir, the Alcázar of the Christian Monarchs sums up centuries of Córdoba's history: Romans, Umayyads, Almohads, Castilian kings, the Inquisition and a prison.

A Nasrid palatine city overlooking Granada, with palaces whose decoration ranks among the high points of Andalusi art, along with gardens and an alcazaba woven into the landscape.

An Andalusi fortress dating from 760, perched on the hill of El Redondo, with imposing towers and a careful early 20th-century restoration that keeps it standing.

A 15th-century Gothic military fortress with a Renaissance palace and a 47-metre keep, the tallest of any castle on the Iberian Peninsula.

Gibralfaro Castle, also known as the Alcázar of Gibralfaro, is one of the fortifications that form part of the historic heritage of the city of Málaga.

Beneath a stern fortress overlooking the Marquesado del Zenete lies one of the earliest and most dazzling Renaissance interiors in Spain, carved in Carrara marble.

The remains of an old fortification right in the heart of Ronda, protected as historical heritage and a quiet reminder of the town's defensive past.

A fortress built in the late 12th century on the Nasrid frontier, whose stones also bear the mark of the Castilians who conquered and remodelled it.

Renaissance palace built by the Ribera family in the 16th century on the site of Bornos's former Fontanar Castle, with a Renaissance and Arab garden and an interpretation centre.

A fortress set right within the town of Setenil de las Bodegas, protected as a Site of Cultural Interest since 1985 and a must-see on any visit to this village in the province of Cádiz.

An octagonal Almoravid alcazaba built on the site of Roman Suel, with towers, wall-walks and an imposing horseshoe-arched gateway that once kept watch over the old Marbella road.

A Caliphate-era fortress overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar, the castle of Guzmán el Bueno holds centuries of military history at the southernmost point of the peninsula.

A medieval fortress in Vejer de la Frontera, in the province of Cádiz: an essential stop for understanding the past of one of the province's best-known towns.

At the western end of Aínsa's main square, this castle, declared a monument in 1931, watches over the meeting of the Ara and Cinca rivers and today comes alive with music and fairs.

Pleasure palace of the taifa kings of Saraqusta and later residence of the Aragonese monarchs, the Aljafería is the great jewel of 11th-century Hispano-Muslim art.

Perched on a rocky hillock overlooking Mesones de Isuela stands one of the largest castles in Aragon, once held by the Knights Templar and later by the powerful House of Luna.

Perched on the rock and gazing out over the Hoya de Huesca, Loarre Castle is reputed to be the best-preserved Romanesque fortress in Europe.

On the hill overlooking La Fresneda, the scant remains of the Order of Calatrava's medieval castle invite you to imagine the Matarraña's past.

A Gothic castle with a circular floor plan, the oldest of its kind in Europe, overlooking Palma from a wooded hill with views of the bay and the Tramuntana.

A French-style Neo-Gothic castle in the heart of the Urdaibai estuary, built at the behest of Eugénie de Montijo for an imperial family that never came to live in it.

A Neo-Gothic fortress of medieval origin rising at the heart of a wooded estate in Gatica, a secluded spot that is nonetheless close to Bilbao.

In the Álava hamlet of Letona, a prestige tower from the late 16th or early 17th century which, together with the palace of the López de Letona family, speaks more of lineage than of warfare.

A medieval fortress perched on a hillock in Campoo de Suso, in southern Cantabria, visible from afar and protected as a site of cultural interest since 1983.

The King's Castle keeps watch from on high over the Puebla Vieja of San Vicente de la Barquera, a fortress protected as a monument that invites you to explore the historic heart of the town.

A pentagonal fortress on a headland in Castro-Urdiales, converted into a lighthouse in 1853 and regarded as one of the best-preserved castles in northern Spain.

Jutting out like a ship's prow over the Eresma valley, the Alcázar of Segovia was a royal residence for centuries and is one of the most famous medieval castles in the world.

Rising above Berlanga de Duero, this castle sums up centuries of history: Muslim fortress, Castilian stronghold, seigneurial residence and artillery bastion.

Encaramado sobre el peñasco de La Muela, el castillo de los Velasco domina Frías y el valle de Tobalina: uno de los castillos roqueros más espectaculares de Castilla.

Built in reddish brick on a low hill overlooking Medina del Campo and the surrounding district, the Castle of La Mota is one of the finest examples of the Valladolid School.

The castle-palace of the Marquesses of Villafranca, in the heart of El Bierzo and closely tied to the Camino de Santiago, is a stop steeped in history for pilgrims and curious travellers alike.

A jewel of Gothic-Mudéjar architecture built in the 15th century, Coca Castle is a fortress so admired that it has replicas in Olmedo and even in Austria.

A fairytale castle in white granite beside Astorga Cathedral: the palace Gaudí dreamed up for a bishop friend, now home to the Museum of the Ways.

Íscar Castle, in the province of Valladolid, is a fine excuse to discover this corner of Castile and León by following the trail of its fortress.

León's citadel, known in the Middle Ages as the towers of León, which went from serving as a prison to housing the Provincial Historical Archive since 1982.

A medieval fortress that shares its name with the town of Medinaceli in the province of Soria, and an enticing stop for anyone exploring the defensive heritage of Castile and León.

A 15th-century fortress built by Beltrán de la Cueva above the Mombeltrán valley, featuring a barbican, corner towers and an elegant Renaissance doorway.

Long and narrow, like a ship run aground on a hilltop, Peñafiel Castle towers over this town in the province of Valladolid and houses the Provincial Wine Museum within its walls.

A 12th-century Templar fortress rising above the confluence of the Boeza and the Sil, a jewel of medieval military architecture and an essential stop on the Camino de Santiago.

A 12th-century fortress crowning a promontory above the Segovian town of Turégano, the town's emblem and a National Monument since 1931.

The castle and walled town of Alarcón, in Cuenca, which together with their five outlying towers form a remarkable stronghold, listed as a Site of Cultural Interest since 1992.

Crowning the highest point of Toledo, the Alcázar sums up centuries of history, from Roman palace to imperial residence, and today houses the Army Museum and the Library of Castile-La Mancha.

Almansa Castle, in the province of Albacete, is a Bien de Interés Cultural listed as a monument and an essential stop for anyone exploring the heritage of Castilla-La Mancha.

A fortress rising above the hill of San Cristóbal on the outskirts of Belmonte, protected as a monument since 1931 and now a Site of Cultural Interest.

Guadamur Castle is a fortification in the province of Toledo that gives character to the village around it and deserves a stop on any route through the province.

Palace-fortress of the bishops of Sigüenza, built in the 12th century on the site of a Muslim fortress and now a Parador, bearing witness to nine centuries of history.

A fortress of Andalusi origin later converted into a palatial residence, Yeste Castle keeps watch over a landscape of mountain ranges and river sources from the heart of the village.

Set on a hill overlooking both the salt valley and the Cardener valley, Cardona Castle is probably the most important medieval fortress in Catalonia.

A frontier castle in the Berguedà, listed as a Cultural Asset of National Interest, which gives its name and character to the village of Castellar de n'Hug, in the province of Barcelona.

La Torre de las Horas, antigua torre del homenaje de un castillo fronterizo del siglo IX, preside el núcleo antiguo de Pals y resume once siglos de historia ampurdanesa.

An 11th-century fortress crowning the hill of Montagut, 597 metres up, in the heart of the Garrotxa district of Girona.

A former military fortress perched atop Montjuïc hill, witness to many episodes in Barcelona's history and now in the city's hands.

Sant Jaume Castle, in Cadaqués, is a listed Cultural Asset of National Interest, a stop that sparks the curiosity of anyone exploring the Alt Empordà.

A medieval castle in Tavèrnoles, protected as a Property of Cultural Interest since 1949 and as a Cultural Asset of National Interest, inviting visitors to discover the area's past.

A Romanesque castle of dark stone between Collserola and the Vallès, the source of long-running legal disputes with the monastery of Sant Cugat and today one of the best-preserved in the area.

The oldest Muslim fortification on the Iberian Peninsula, built in the 9th century beside Mérida's Roman bridge and part of the ensemble declared a World Heritage Site.

At the very top of Hervás, the foundations of a 13th-century castle now support the Church of Santa María de Aguas Vivas, with the Sierra de Gredos as a backdrop.

A 13th-century fortress in Jarandilla de la Vera, also known as the castle-palace of the Counts of Oropesa or the Castle of Charles V: three names for a single story.

A 13th-century fortress overlooking the fertile plain of the River Ardila, in a Sierra Morena town where centuries of history are layered one upon another, from dolmens to the Knights Templar.

A fortress rising above Trevejo, a small hamlet belonging to Villamiel, inviting you to discover the defensive heritage tucked away in the heart of the Sierra de Gata in Cáceres.

A fortress built between the 9th and 12th centuries at the highest point of Trujillo, atop the hill known as Cabeza del Zorro, from where it overlooks the whole town in the province of Cáceres.

The medieval fortress of the Soutomaior family, transformed into a Neo-Gothic palace and museum, surrounded by a botanical garden with centuries-old trees and an award-winning camellia collection.

An 11th-century fortress perched on a rocky escarpment above Clavijo, linked to the legendary battle in which, according to tradition, the Apostle St James appeared.

A 12th-century Navarrese fortress crowning San Vicente de la Sonsierra and keeping watch over the Ebro opposite the Castilian castle of Davalillo, with unforgettable views across La Rioja Alta.

A 15th-century palace-fortress built by the Mendoza family at the foot of the Guadarrama, a Gothic gem by Juan Guas overlooking the Santillana reservoir.

Perched on a Navarrese hillock stands the castle where Saint Francis Xavier was born, a fortress with roots in the 10th century and the destination of the hugely popular Javieradas pilgrimages each March.

The court seat of Charles III the Noble, the Royal Palace of Olite is one of the great jewels of Gothic civil architecture in Spain and in Europe.

A medieval fortress perched on a hill above Jumilla, bearing Moorish and Christian traces on a site inhabited since prehistoric times and now a symbol of the town.

One of the largest fortresses in Spain, built between the 9th and 15th centuries and a key stronghold on the frontier with the Kingdom of Granada.

A small fortress perched on top of La Umbría hill, facing Gaibiel, protected as a Site of Cultural Interest (Bien de Interés Cultural) in the heart of Castellón's Alto Palancia.

A Templar fortress crowning the rock of Peñíscola that served as the papal seat of Pope Luna, the obstinate pontiff who gave rise to the Spanish expression «mantenerse en sus trece» («to stand firm on one's thirteen»).

A fortress perched on Mount Benacantil, right in the heart of Alicante, commanding views over the entire bay and the profile of the famous «Moor's face».

A double fortress in the Valencian Gothic style that crowns Xàtiva, facing the Serra Vernisa, and which the town has made the central emblem of its coat of arms.