EL CASTELL COSTA BLANCA

This huge fortress, stretching along a ridge, dominates the town. Actually two castles, one pre-Roman and one later, its towered walls are still impressive and it's easy to see why it was considered one of the most secure in the region. The section known as the lower castle is the older the majority of its surviving walls and towers built by the Moors. It occupies the site of the Iberian, Roman and Carthaginian fortress and some sections of the stonework date from Roman times. The Queen's Tower is said to be named after Hannibal's wife, who gave birth to a son here. The upper castle is much larger; a confusing succession of ancient gateways, crumbling courtyards, guardrooms, and towers. Highlights are the tiny and beautiful Gothic chapel of Santa Maria, reconstructed in 1431 on an earlier site, and a series of Arabic cisterns and watchtowers. The view from the highest point is well worth the climb; the town lies directly below, with ranges of hills to the south and the ancient frontier with Castile to the east.