Santa Bárbara Castle

About this place

Rising above Alicante on Mount Benacantil, this fortress commands both the bay and the approaches from inland. That position explains its strategic value through successive periods of the city's history. Study the defences alongside the views to understand why rulers wanted control of the hill. The hill reaches about 166 metres above the sea, making the relationship between elevation and defence easy to grasp. From the shore, its profile forms part of Alicante's distinctive identity. Seeing the site both from below and from the upper defences helps connect the castle's physical setting with its long strategic importance.