Guadalest, a castle on a rock above a turquoise reservoir.

El Castell de Guadalest is a small village hanging from a rock in the Vall de Guadalest, inland in the Marina Baixa. The highest point, the castle of San José and the white bell tower of the church, can be seen all along the road; below, a turquoise reservoir between the Aitana, Xortà and Serrella ranges. The upper village can only be entered on foot, through a tunnel cut into the rock. It is an easy Sunday outing from Alicante; from Valencia and Murcia it is under two hours away.

How do you get there from Alicante, Valencia or Murcia?

By car. From Alicante it is about 65 km and about 50 minutes: the AP-7 to Benidorm and from there the CV-70 via la Nucia and Polop, or the AP-7 to Altea and the CV-755 via Callosa d'en Sarrià. From Valencia, about 140 km along the AP-7 and a little over an hour and a half. From Murcia, a little under two hours along the A-7 and the AP-7. The last stretch is a winding mountain road: allow a little more than the sat nav says.

Where do you park?

At the entrance to the village, next to Avenida de Alicante, where the tourist office and the first row of shops and bars are. The upper old town does not admit cars: from the car park you walk a few minutes to the San José tunnel. On Sundays and in summer, the excursion coaches from Benidorm arrive mid-morning; if you arrive before 10:30 you park more easily and enter the castle with fewer people.

What is there to see?

The upper village: the tunnel, the church square, the viewpoints over the reservoir. Then the Casa Orduña, a manor house turned municipal museum, from which you climb to the castle of San José: €4 for the joint ticket, from 10:15 to 19:00. Construction of the castle began in the 11th century; an earthquake in 1644 split off part of the rock and a blast in 1708 destroyed the west wing. What remains is the keep and views that justify the trip. In the suburb and the upper village there are also eight small, quirky museums, from the micro-miniatures museum to the one of salt and pepper shakers, good for a rainy day or with children.

How much time do you need?

Half a day for the village and the castle, at a relaxed pace. For a full day, add one of these two things: kayaking on the reservoir, with Kayak Beni, an hour and a half for €15 (daily in July and August, by reservation the rest of the year), or Les Fonts de l'Algar, the waterfalls and pools of the River Algar in Callosa d'en Sarrià, 15 km away, with swimming and a picnic area. If you stay overnight, the village empties at dusk and in the morning you have it almost to yourself.

What if you want something more than the castle?

The valley offers more days. In Benimantell, the MASOS winery has replanted vines on an estate that has had them since 1237: a tasting and winery visit, an hour and a half for €35. In l'Abdet, at the foot of the Serrella, Alicante Aventura guides two canyons, Mela, for beginners, and the Sord, with a 25-metre abseil, from age 8. On the way down towards Callosa is the Estret de les Penyes, a water canyon for beginners, and in Polop, at the mouth of the valley, the Ponoig via ferrata, a K4 for over-14s. On foot, the PR-V-18 climbs from the village itself to the Xortà summit, at 1,218 metres.

When is it best to go?

In spring and autumn, for the light and the temperature. In summer, the castle first thing and the afternoon in the water: Algar runs its visits in three shifts in July and August and does not admit dogs from 15 June to 15 September. In winter the village is quiet and restaurants with a fireplace, such as the Xorta, make sense; confirm opening hours at the tourist office first.

Where should you eat and sleep?

In the upper village, La Plaça serves home cooking and a set menu with a terrace over the reservoir. On the Callosa road, the Nou Salat, from a family of restaurateurs in the valley, and the Xorta, with a picture window over the valley and the sea, open Tuesday to Sunday at lunchtime. To sleep, Cases Noves is a five-room adults-only rural hotel inside the village, and El Molinet del Governador, 7 km away, rents rural apartments for 2 to 8 people and admits dogs. Pensión El Tossal, which still appears in some listings, has closed.