# Guadalest and the Guadalest Valley

You enter El Castell de Guadalest through a tunnel in the rock: castle, Casa Orduña, quirky museums, kayaking on the reservoir and Les Fonts de l'Algar, 50 minutes from Alicante.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/guadalest-and-the-guadalest-valley · Revisado: 2026-11-13

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.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Unusual places to stay in Spain
- Cerca: Altea (a 15.4 km), Villajoyosa (a 18.9 km), Xàbia (Jávea) (a 34.2 km), Bocairent (a 37.1 km)

## Qué hacer
- **San José Castle and Casa Orduña** (1 h · Everyone; stairs and rock · 4 €): At El Castell de Guadalest you don't climb to the castle by a separate path: you enter through a house. The Casa Orduña, at 2 Calle de la Iglesia, right as you come out of the San José tunnel, is the municipal museum and the only door to what remains of the village's two fortresses. A €4 ticket covers everything, and the full visit takes an hour.
The house of the marquis's governors
The house was built after the earthquake of 1644, which devastated the area and damaged the castle's buildings. It was built by the Orduña, a family of Basque origin who served the Cardona, admirals of Aragon; Sancho de Cardona received the title of marquis of Guadalest in 1542, and the Orduña were for generations governors of the castle and administrators of his estates. In 1708, in the War of the Spanish Succession, the house was burned and looted. In 1756 an Orduña entered the Order of Santiago, and with that the family became noble.
Inside you walk through a home of the valley's elites from the 17th to the 19th centuries: the kitchen, dining room, bedrooms, library and noble salons, with the family's belongings and papers. There are also temporary exhibition rooms; until 11 December 2026 a painting show by Nati Pamies and Candy López is on display. On the way out you cross a garden courtyard with its cistern.
Two castles on the same rock
From the house you continue upwards. First comes the Alcozaiba castle, also from the 11th century: three stepped enclosures, with cisterns and a three-storey watchtower in the middle one. Higher up is the San José castle, on the highest rock in the municipality. Its history is a chain of blows: the earthquake of 1644 split off the Cantalar, a piece of the crag; in 1708 the blowing up of a mine destroyed the west wing, and in 1848 the walls were demolished and the garrison withdrawn. Today what remains is above all the keep and the panorama: the turquoise reservoir below and the Aitana, Xortà and Serrella mountains around. The white bell tower you see from above is separate from the body of the church.
The path is steps and living rock. It is not for pushchairs or wheelchairs: if someone in the group can't climb, the museums of the arrabal and the reservoir dam are the alternatives the town council points to as accessible.
Opening hours by season
Open every day. In high and mid season, from 10:15 to 19:00; in low season it closes at 18:00. On Thursdays and Sundays it stops from 14:00 to 15:00. The ticket is paid at the house, by card too. For questions, the museum can be reached on 965 88 52 98 and at museomunicipal@guadalest.es.
You walk from the car park on Avenida de Alicante through the San José tunnel; the house is a few steps from the square. To eat without going back down, La Plaça is on the same street.
- **The San José Tunnel and the Reservoir Viewpoints** (45 min · Everyone · Free): El Castell de Guadalest has two parts: the arrabal, along Avenida de Alicante, and the upper village, which you can only enter on foot through a tunnel opened in the rock, the Portal de San José. When you come out of the tunnel you are in the square of the church and town hall, next to the Casa Orduña. From the viewpoints in the upper part you see the Guadalest reservoir, turquoise-green, with the Aitana, Xortà and Serrella mountains all around. The upper village is small: in three quarters of an hour you have walked it without rushing.
A little history
The village is at 587 metres above sea level, on the rock, with the Xortà and Serrella ranges to the north and Aitana to the south. It already existed in Muslim times. Two families marked its history: the Cardona, marquises of Guadalest, and the Orduña, trusted people who held power throughout the valley for centuries. Several earthquakes destroyed its two castles in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the 20th century came the great change: between 1953 and 1971 the reservoir was built, and with it tourism began. In 1974 it was declared a historic-artistic site, later a Site of Cultural Interest, and in 2015 it joined the association of Spain's Most Beautiful Villages.
What to see at the top
On arrival there is the municipal car park and the arrabal, where most of the museums are concentrated. Past the tunnel, in the old town, is the Casa Orduña, through which you climb to the San José castle; on the climb you see the Alcozaiba castle, also from the 11th century, and the bell tower, separate from the body of the 18th-century church. There is also a 12th-century prison and the ethnological museum.
Accessibility and surroundings
Because of the lie of the land, the town council says that people with reduced mobility can visit the museums and shops of the arrabal and reach the reservoir dam, which has parking. For more walking, there are three routes: around the reservoir, the climb to the Xortà summit (PR-V-18) and the one to Castell de Castells (PR-V-19). The Tourist Info can be reached on 965 885 298.
- **Canyoning in Abdet, at the Foot of the Serrella: the Mela and Sord Canyons** (3 h · From age 8; Mela to start, the Sord with some experience · Desde 40.78 € per person): Above the Guadalest reservoir, the CV-70 keeps climbing towards Confrides. At the end of the valley, at the foot of the Serrella, is l'Abdet, and from there leave the two canyons closest to the castle.
Two canyons, two levels
Mela, or the Abdet canyon, is the beginner one. It has abseils, down-climbs, jumps and slides, and Alicante Aventura presents it as a good first experience. It lasts about three hours. It has a condition you should know before booking: it depends on rain. In dry periods it may be dry or have very little water, and then there are no pools, jumps or slides. The company asks you to check the state of the canyon before booking. At the end you return to Abdet by a path that is steep at first and joins a tarmac track.
The Sord is something else: a dry, narrow, vertical canyon wedged into the limestone, of medium level and intended for those who have already done a canyon. It starts with several short abseils; then come one of 15 metres, with a pool below that can be avoided with a pendulum, and a free-hanging 25-metre one, in which you descend without touching the wall. At the end there are a couple of easy abseils and you come out into the bed of the Mela canyon, from where you continue or return to the meeting point. It takes about four hours. After heavy rain it may carry water.
Who it is for
Both accept from age 8, but they are not the same for a child. Mela is the one for a first time, with children or teenagers who swim well and are not scared in water. The Sord, the company recommends only with adults: the long abseils are hard for the youngest. For both you are asked not to have vertigo that freezes you, to be able to walk on uneven and slippery terrain and to have basic fitness. Pregnant women and anyone under the influence of alcohol cannot go.
Price and what is included
Each canyon costs €40.78 per person, adults and children. It includes the sports technician, technical equipment (at Mela, the wetsuit too), approved helmet, photos of the activity, which are sent by link and deleted after a month, and accident and civil liability insurance. The canyoning rucksack is optional. It does not include transfer or food. For groups of more than eight, the company asks you to get in touch first.
How to get to l'Abdet
From Benidorm, take the CV-70 towards the Vall de Guadalest, passing through the village and continuing up the valley. For Mela you meet in the Abdet car park; for the Sord, at Restaurante Mari Pico. Arrive 15 minutes early: the guides wait five minutes and leave. If you give notice of a delay or cancellation less than 24 hours ahead, there is no refund.
- **Kayaking on Guadalest Reservoir** (1 h 30 · Families; children with an adult · Desde 15 € per person): Guadalest reservoir is the turquoise water you see from the castle, wedged between pines and the Aitana, Xortà and Serrella mountains. Paddling on it is seeing Guadalest from the water, with the castle above. It is made possible by Kayak Beni, a family business that hires out kayaks on the shore.
An hour and a half without a guide beneath the rock
It is a hire, not a guided excursion. You arrive at the jetty, pay, they give you the kayak and you paddle at your own pace for an hour and a half wherever you like on the reservoir. The kayaks are very stable and unsinkable, so you don't need to have paddled before or be especially fit. Children can go aboard if they are with an adult. It is a gentle activity on still water, more a pleasure outing than a sport; you set the effort.
The website doesn't say whether the kayaks are single or double, the minimum age for children, or whether they provide a life jacket. If you go with little ones, ask when you book. It also doesn't publish what happens in bad weather or if you cancel: clarify it on WhatsApp, especially outside summer.
Fifteen euros, and in cash
It costs €15 per person for the hour and a half. There is no discount for children or groups unless you agree it beforehand. You can only pay in cash, and don't count on a cash machine on the shore: bring the money with you.
In July and August they hire out every day from 11:00 to 17:30. The rest of the year they only work by prior reservation, by phone or WhatsApp on 653 782 774. Groups must write directly on WhatsApp.
Access to the jetty
The jetty is on the shore of the reservoir, below the village, and is reached by narrow tracks. The company itself warns that access is awkward and asks you to set off half an hour early, because arriving late can cost you your slot. On the website there is a link to the map with the exact point. By the water there are six free shaded parking spaces and picnic tables where you can eat what you bring.
The reservoir was built between 1953 and 1971, and with it tourism began in Guadalest. If someone in the group doesn't paddle, there is a trail around the reservoir, and the town council says the dam, with its own parking, is accessible for people with reduced mobility.
Before or after the water
The easiest combination is to go up to the village in the morning, cross the San José tunnel and enter the castle, from where you will see the whole reservoir, and go down to paddle after lunch. In July and August, in the heat, the afternoon on the water is welcome. For lunch on the way, Nou Salat is on the Callosa road, 2 km from the village.
- **The Curious Museums of Guadalest** (1 h 30 · With children, for a rainy day): In a village of a few streets there is room for eight museums. They are small, lie between Avenida de Alicante and the upper village and can be seen in half an hour each: the Micro-miniatures Museum and the Micro-giant, with paintings made on a grain of rice and portraits carved on a grain of sand; the Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum; the Nativity and Dolls' Houses Museum, with antique toys; the historic vehicle collection, with motorbikes and microcars from the 1920s to the 1970s; the Medieval History Museum, of torture instruments, and the Ethnological Museum, with country life and work and models of a mill and an olive press. Each charges its own admission: check the price at the door.
Where each one is

Micro-miniatures: 11 Calle Iglesia; 965 885 062. Among its pieces, a bullring on a pinhead, the Bible on the cross-section of a hair and a flea on a bicycle on the edge of a seed, which are viewed with magnifying glasses.
Micro-giant: 2 Calle Sol; 600 790 072. It contrasts miniature work with large sculptures.
Salt and Pepper Shakers: on Avenida de Alicante, next to the bar of the same name (699 871 658). More than 20,000 pieces from all over the world.
Nativity and Dolls' Houses: 2 Calle de la Virgen; 965 885 323. The work of Antonio Marco, in a building against the rock: dolls' houses, an ecological nativity scene with bonsais and a river with fish, and antique toys.
Medieval History, torture and capital punishment: 6 Calle Honda; 655 817 674. Guillotine, garrotte, iron maiden.
Ethnological: 1 Calle La Iglesia; 639 336 057. A typical 18th-century house with the life of the valley from the 18th to the 20th century.
Vall de Guadalest historic vehicles: Callosa-Guadalest road, km 7; 965 882 197. About 140 motorbikes and several microcars from the 1920s to the 1970s, with ample parking, a bar-restaurant and a shop.
Casa Orduña, the municipal museum, on 2 Calle Iglesia, through which you climb to the castle.

How to organise them
You don't need to see them all. With children the miniatures and the dolls' houses work well; the torture one is not for the youngest. The vehicle museum is 7 km away, at the entrance to the valley: leave it for the drive in or out. The town council cites as accessible for people with reduced mobility the salt cellar museum, the Micro-giant, the dolls' house museum and the vehicle museum. Also see the walk through the old town and the San José tunnel.
- **Les Fonts de l'Algar** (2 h 30 · Families; water shoes for the water · Desde 6 € per person): Les Fonts de l'Algar are a stretch of the Algar river, already in Callosa d'en Sarrià, where the water tumbles down in cascades and pools in natural basins, which are called tolls here. They are run by the Callosa town council as an enclosure with an entry fee. From El Castell de Guadalest it is about 15 km downhill along the CV-755, and it is the natural complement to the castle on a hot day.
Seven tolls and a 13-metre waterfall
Past the ticket office, a path with many steps follows the river beside the waterfalls; the main cascade is about 13 metres. The walk takes about 45 minutes, plus however long you stay in the water or take photos: you can stay as long as your ticket allows. There are seven marked bathing areas. The water comes out at 17 or 18 degrees in summer and winter, so the dip is short. There is a lifeguard at Easter and in the summer season; the rest of the year you swim at your own risk. Bring water shoes or sandals for the river and flat footwear for the path.
At the top is the picnic area, with tables, shade, toilets, a vending machine and children's games. It is the only place where you can eat. You can't enter with alcohol or glass containers.
What it costs and when it opens
The website still links the 2025 rates. In low season, from 15 October to 15 June, adults pay €6; in high season, from 15 June to 15 October, €8. Children aged 4 to 10 pay €3 all year, and under-4s go in free. There is a reduced price with a student card or for over-65s, which can't be combined with other discounts, and a group rate from 20 people. Under-16s must go with an adult. The ticket office accepts cards.
Open all year. In November, from 9:00 to 17:30; from December to February, from 9:00 to 15:30; in July and August, from 9:00 to 20:00. Closed on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 and 6 January. In July and August the visit runs in shifts: from 9:00 to 13:00, from 13:00 to 16:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00, and you leave when yours ends. If you are bringing food in those months, enter through ticket office 2, next to the picnic area, where there are free lockers.
Tickets, car and bus
At the ticket office, tickets are sold on the day until capacity is full. Online, with Vivaticket, you have to buy at least 24 hours ahead, and no changes or refunds are accepted. Free parking is next to the Tourist Info, 700 m from the entrance, and there is another free one 100 m before; private ones charge about €5. Without a car, the Avanza bus reaches the centre of Callosa, and from there it is 3 km on foot or by taxi, about €7 to €10.
The terrain is natural, with steps and changes of level that ramps don't overcome: pushchairs have a hard time and the website advises going without one. With a dog, only from 16 September to 14 June, on a lead and without going into the river.
The visit is part of the Sunday in Guadalest: castle and Algar plan. If you sleep in the valley, El Molinet del Governador is between Callosa and El Castell, and Nou Salat is on the same road.
- **Estret de les Penyes Water Canyon, in Bolulla** (3 h · Beginners and families with children from age 8 who swim well · Desde 47.98 € per person): The Estret de les Penyes, also called the Bolulla canyon, is a rock gorge between Bolulla and Callosa d'en Sarrià, very close to Les Fonts de l'Algar. It is short and watery: narrow walls, pools, jumps, natural slides and springs, and at the end an abseil of about 20 metres down a waterfall.
What the descent is like
You meet at Restaurante La Cascada (Casa Federico); the Alicante Aventura guides wear fluorescent orange T-shirts. From there it is about 30 minutes on foot to the start. In total, with the approach, the canyon and the return, it takes about three hours. It is a beginner's canyon: fine for a first time and for families with children from 8, as long as they are calm in the water.
If it has not rained
Like all the canyons in the area, it depends on rainfall. With low flow it may be dry and the activity may not run. The company asks you to check the state before booking. If you prefer something that does not depend on water, the Sord canyon, in Abdet, is dry.
Price and equipment
€47.98 per person, the same for adults and children; for groups of more than eight, you need to get in touch. It includes the technician, wetsuit, harness, approved helmet, photos and insurance. It does not include footwear: canyoning boots or trainers with a good wet grip sole. Without suitable footwear, the guides may not let you go down and do not refund the money.
- **Ponoig Via Ferrata, in Polop, up to the León Dormido Viewpoint** (4 h · From age 14, in good shape and without fear of heights · Desde 55 € with guide): The Ponoig is the mountain that rises above Polop, at the entrance to the Vall de Guadalest and about 20 minutes from Benidorm. Its summit is called the León Dormido (Sleeping Lion). Its via ferrata climbs about 230 metres almost vertically to that viewpoint, and you come down hanging from a rope.
Closely spaced rungs and little room to rest
The route has two very different sections, both vertical, equipped mostly with rungs. They are very close together, so it impresses more by its verticality than by the difficulty of each move, but the climb is continuous and there are hardly any ledges to stop on. There are no suspension bridges, handrails or hinges: it is wall. It is graded K4; Alicante Aventura rates it medium difficulty and says that with its guides beginners also do it, although ideally you will have done an easier ferrata first.
From the car park to the abseils

Meeting. They give you a meeting point at the route's car park, in Polop; the company places it in La Nucía in its listing. You must arrive 15 minutes early, and the guides wait five minutes as a courtesy.
Equipment. The guide hands out helmet, harness and lanyard with energy absorber and explains how to move while secured.
Climb. The two vertical sections, with the guide beside you.
Summit. At the León Dormido you see the Costa Blanca, with Altea, La Nucía and Benidorm in the distance.
Descent. There is no return trail: a path across the mountain leads to the abseil area, and you descend with two abseils, of 25 and 35 metres.

In all it is about four hours.
Who can go and what to bring
From age 14, in good physical shape and without fear of heights; not for pregnant women. Bring sports shoes, comfortable clothes for the season, cycling gloves (the company recommends them and does not include them), sun protection, at least a litre and a half of water and something light to eat. A small rucksack is optional.
Alicante Aventura's price and conditions
€55 per person. It includes the technical guide, equipment, accident and civil liability insurance and photos, which arrive by a WhatsApp link that is deleted after a month: download them soon. It does not include transport. Book online or by phone and WhatsApp on 622 197 848; for groups of more than ten, by phone only. Before starting everyone signs a consent form, and anyone who does not sign gets no refund. If you arrive late without having given 24 hours' notice, you lose your place with no refund or change. Up to 48 hours before they refund the amount or change the date; if the company cancels because of weather or safety, it refunds everything. It does not publish a season, so confirm dates when you book.
With the morning on the wall, the afternoon can be relaxed: head up the CV-70 to the Castell for the San José tunnel, or go down to cool off at Les Fonts de l'Algar.
- **Tasting and Visit at MASOS Winery, in Mas de Ondara (Benimantell)** (1 h 30 · Adults; the pairing menu has a children's menu · Desde 25 € per person): The Vall de Guadalest had vines for centuries and lost them overnight. MASOS is the attempt to recover them, and it is in the same valley as the castle.
An estate with vines since 1237
MASOS is at Mas de Ondara, an estate of 353 hectares in Benimantell, in the same valley as the Castell de Guadalest. It was a Muslim alquería and already appears in the Llibre del Repartiment of Jaume I, of 1237, which mentions the cultivation of the vine. It was a Morisco alquería until the expulsion of 1609, and after the repopulation it passed through the families that shaped the valley, the Cardona and the Orduña: the same ones as the Casa Orduña and the castle. Today the estate keeps a farmhouse with its own winery and a chapel, among centuries-old olive trees.
In 1759 the botanist Cavanilles described the valley's extensive vineyards. In 1905 phylloxera reached the Alicante vineyards, destroyed them and drove many locals to emigrate. A century later, the Vidal Balaguer family opened the winery, restored four farmhouses with their estates and planted more than five hectares of vines following the contour lines of the mountain.
The four wines
The winery makes a white, Mas de la Mona; a rosé, Penya del Castellet; a red, Albor de Masos, and a selection red that bears the family name, Vidal Balaguer. It also bottles an extra virgin olive oil, Oro de Masos. The visit goes through the tank room and the barrel room of the farmhouse.
Three ways to visit

Wine tasting, €25. Three wines, the white, the rosé and the young red, with an explanation of how they are made. It does not include the winery visit.
Wine and oil tasting with visit, €35. The most complete for a morning: an hour and a half with the history of the estate, the vineyard and the winery, and then the four wines with produce from the valley and the oil. Sessions at 12:00 in Spanish and at 16:30 in English.
Pairing menu. Visit to the tank and barrel room and a seasonal menu, with local produce, by chef Enrique Martínez, with the four wines and the oil. €95 with drinks, €75 without and €35 for the children's menu.

They are bought on its website, where it also sells gift cards from €25, or ordered on 965 295 577 and at bodega@masosguadalest.com. It sells wine to over-18s.
How to fit it into the day
The 12:00 visit fits after the castle, which opens at 10:15: castle first thing, before the coach parties from the coast, and the winery at midday. If you do the pairing menu, you already have the day's lunch. The website links the estate's location on the map; confirm it when you book, because it does not publish a postal address.
- **Climb from the Castell to the Summit of the Serra de Xortà (PR-V-18)** (15.8 km · Experienced walkers in good shape · Free): From the viewpoints of the upper village, the Serra de Xortà closes the horizon to the north. The PR-V-18 trail, published by the Town Council, leaves from Castell de Guadalest itself and climbs to its summit: it is the way to swap the castle for the mountain and see the valley from above.
The route
You leave the village towards the reservoir, along the CV-755 or calle Costeretes, opposite Tienda de Claudio. From the reservoir to the Blocón ridge the PR-V-18 shares a path with the PR-V-19, which goes to Castell de Castells. The first kilometres cross Mediterranean pine wood with gorse and rosemary, among farmland.
At the Beniardà junction you keep right and climb up the Cuevas ravine; about 200 metres later, the path turns northeast and goes up a forest track towards the pass between the Blocón ridge and the western crags of Xortà. Around kilometre 6.5 you pass beneath the vertical walls of the south face of the Blocón and then the path winds along the north slope of the range. At the pass the track splits in three: the PR-V-18 takes the one on the right, keeps climbing, passes a house, leaves the track and reaches the Fuente de los Tejos. From the spring you climb a small ravine to another pass and, turning right, to the summit: the Cerro de los Parados, at 1,218 metres.
What to know beforehand
It is 15.8 km of climbing from the village, which is at 587 metres: more than 600 metres of ascent. The Town Council publishes no time, difficulty or return route, so plan it as a full mountain day, with a map or track, water for the whole day and an early start. The Fuente de los Tejos is the only water point the route names: do not count on it. For questions, the Town Council answers on 965 88 50 95 and the Tourist Info on 965 885 298. With a dog, on a lead.
If you prefer something shorter
The same Town Council mentions a trail around the reservoir, much easier, and in summer the reservoir kayak is another way to see Xortà from below.

## Dónde comer
- **La Plaça Bar Restaurant** (Restaurant, El Castell de Guadalest, €). Qué pedir: the menu of the day on the terrace, looking out over the reservoir
- **El Mirador de Guadalest Restaurant** (Restaurant, El Castell de Guadalest, €€). Qué pedir: ask by phone what is on that day: no menu is published
- **Nou Salat Restaurant** (Restaurant, El Castell de Guadalest, €€). Qué pedir: traditional market cooking from the Sales Gomis family
- **Xortá Restaurant** (Restaurant, El Castell de Guadalest, €€). Qué pedir: the menu of the day; on Sunday, with a booking
- **ConTemple Restaurant, at VIVOOD** (Restaurant, Benimantell, €€€€). Qué pedir: the Brasas Experience, with duck picanha or red tuna trio

## By car: The Car Stays at the Entrance
You reach El Castell by the CV-755 from Callosa d'en Sarrià or from Benidorm by the CV-70. The upper village can only be entered on foot through the tunnel: leave the car in the car parks at the entrance, next to Avenida de Alicante, and walk.
Presupuesto orientativo: 60–120 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Cases Noves** (Small hotel): Cases Noves is a five-room rural hotel at 1 Calle Achova, inside El Castell de Guadalest, in the lower part of the village. It is run by Marcel and Carlos and is designed for adults. The reason to sleep here is the time of day: when the coast coaches leave, the village is almost empty, and in the morning you are a few minutes' walk from the San José tunnel before anyone arrives.
Five rooms, castle or sea
Each room is named after a mountain range or the village and looks one of two ways. Facing the castle are Bernia, the largest in the house, with a bath; El Castell, with a sloping attic ceiling; and Xorta. Facing the sea are Aitana, with a bath and balcony, and Guadalest, also with an attic ceiling. The house groups them by size: Bernia, Aitana and Guadalest are the Premium, and El Castell and Xorta the Superior. When you book, decide which view you want: it is what changes most from one to another.
The common areas are those of a home more than a hotel: a fireplace, a music room, a reading room, the dining room and a terrace. There is an honesty bar, teas and infusions, and wifi is free. The house also offers massages and sells maps of walking and mountain-bike routes through the Vall de Guadalest and Aitana; its website mentions dinners, but gives no days or prices, so ask.
Breakfast, included and until late
Breakfast is in the room price and is served from 8:30 to 11:30, a wide margin for those who want to set off early to walk or stay in. There is fresh juice, different each day, seasonal fruit already cut, pastries and yoghurt, sometimes with muesli; toast with butter, jam, oil and tomato, cold meats, cheese, and scrambled eggs or bacon, depending on the day. Coffee, tea, milk and cocoa.
Summer with a municipal pool
From mid-June to mid-September the Guadalest municipal pool opens, about 200 metres away, beneath the village's rocks. Cases Noves guests go in free. It has an Olympic-size pool, a children's pool, lawn and a bar, and on Tuesdays and Fridays it also opens at night.
Via Polop, better than via Altea
The house recommends arriving from the AP-7 by the Benidorm exit and the CV-70, through La Nucía and Polop, and climbing the last 12 km of mountain road; before entering Guadalest, go straight on at the roundabout and you will be about 500 metres away. It advises against the Altea route along the CV-755, because of the bends. You book on its website, with a discount for direct booking, or on 681 944 017.
For the next morning, the San José castle opens at 10:15; to eat up there, La Plaça, and if you want to walk, the climb to the Serra de Xortà starts from the same village.
- **El Molinet del Governador** (Country house, desde 90 € / night): El Molinet del Governador is a former mill driven by the water of the Guadalest river, at 16 Partida El Molinet, between Callosa d'en Sarrià and El Castell: 7 km from the village and 13 km from Altea. Today it is a country house divided into five independent apartments, for 4 to 8 people, run by the same family for almost a century.
The Orduña mill
It isn't known when it was built. Its website attributes it to the Orduña, who held the lordship of El Castell from 1669, which is why it is also called the Molinet de Orduña; one of them, Joaquín de Orduña y Feliu, became governor of Alicante. It was one of only two mills that took their water directly from the Guadalest river. In 1927 Joaquín Galiana Blanquer bought the estate from that governor's daughter. His son Juan and daughter-in-law, María Dolores Vila, restored it with their savings to turn it into rural accommodation, and since 2020 it has been run by their son, Juan José Galiana, with his wife and daughters. If you are interested in El Castell's history, the Casa Orduña is the same family's house in the village.
From the Verderón, in the courtyard, to the Jilguero, under the roof

Verderón, on the ground floor, for 4 or 5: living-dining room with kitchen, bathroom, a small double bedroom and a large triple. It opens straight onto the courtyard below and is the closest to the barbecue and the fountain.
Pardillo and Pinzón, on the second floor, for 4 each: living-dining room with kitchen, toilet, a double-bed room and a twin. They share an entrance from the back courtyard.
Ruiseñor, for 6: living-dining room, a large bathroom with shower, a double-bed room and two twins, with a courtyard at the entrance.
Jilguero, the largest, for 8, on the third floor under sloping attic ceilings: two double bedrooms, two twins and two bathrooms with shower, with valley views and an upper courtyard for eating outside. You reach it by a flight of stairs.

All have a kitchen equipped with microwave and coffee maker, washing machine, wifi, TV with Netflix and board games, and most have a wood-burning stove with firewood included.
What it costs by season
Pardillo and Pinzón are from €90 a night for two in low season and up to €150 at Easter or New Year's Eve. Verderón runs from €120 to €170; Ruiseñor, from €170 to €220, and Jilguero, from €170 to €250, depending on occupancy and date. High season runs roughly from 20 June to 10 September. The minimum stay is two nights in low season and three on long weekends, Easter and New Year's Eve; for the rest of high season, it varies. To confirm, 20% is paid, and a deposit is left which is returned after the apartment is checked; the website gives different amounts depending on how many apartments you rent, so ask.
With children and with a dog
There is a free cot if you ask beforehand; you bring the cot sheets yourself. One pet per apartment is allowed, with a €5 supplement per night: it can't be left alone in the apartment or get onto beds and sofas.
What's nearby
You need a car: the house is in the countryside, among crops. Going down towards Callosa you have Les Fonts de l'Algar, and going up, El Castell and the reservoir for paddling. Altea and its beaches are 13 km away.
- **Finca Seguró** (Country house, desde 124 € / night): Sleeping inside a barrel in the Sierra de Aitana
Finca Seguró is an estate more than 200 years old in the municipality of Sella, at over 800 metres above sea level, right in the Sierra de Aitana. The family has lived here for more than 35 years. Little by little they planted vines on the old terraces, set up their own winery and opened the house to guests. It runs on solar energy and spring water.
The barrels are spread among the vineyards and the olive trees, each with its own private terrace with two armchairs, a table and a parasol. Inside there is a 1.80 by 2 metre bed, two side benches and a small table; the large windows are designed so that you can see the landscape from bed. They have air conditioning, heating, wifi and a mosquito net, and a separate entrance.
For families there is the Barrill Deluxe, for four: a 1.60 metre bed and a 1.10 by 1.80 metre bunk where the little ones sleep. The estate also has rooms, such as the Romero, of 30 m² and with wheelchair access.
Bathrooms outside the barrel and booking conditions
The barrels have no private bathroom. The toilets and showers are shared and are close to the barrels, so at night you will have to step out onto the terrace and walk a few metres. Bring comfortable footwear and keep a torch or your phone handy. If this does not suit you, a room, such as the Romero, is the alternative on the same estate.
As a guest you can use the estate's common areas. Breakfast, dinner and the wine tasting are booked separately. At night, what you see most from the terrace is the sky over the Aitana.
On its booking engine, on a Friday in November 2026 the barrel for two came to €124 a night, the Romero room to €140 and the Barrill Deluxe to €170. When you book you leave a card as a guarantee and the total is charged 7 days before arrival. If you cancel at least 7 days ahead you pay nothing; after that the full amount is charged. They also hold a €100 deposit.
The website does not publish rules on dogs. If you want to bring yours, ask beforehand by email or phone.
The winery and the next valley
The estate makes its own wine, Siete Bancales, from hand-harvested grapes grown on high terraces on limestone soil. Tastings are by reservation and, from six people, can be private. On the other side of the Aitana is the Vall de Guadalest: there you have the Castell and its tunnel and the climb up the Serra de Xortà. More ideas in Guadalest.
- **VIVOOD Landscape Hotel & 5E Spa** (Spa hotel): Sleeping in a suite hung on the hillside
VIVOOD is in Benimantell, on the road from Guadalest to Alcoy, about two kilometres from the Castell de Guadalest. It is not one building: it is 35 independent suites and villas, wood and glass modules raised above the ground and spread across an 84,000 m² estate among olive trees, pines and a great rock wall. Each has a floor-to-ceiling window towards the valley, so the landscape is the first thing you see when you open your eyes. It was founded in 2015 by Daniel Mayo, an architect who previously made self-assembly wooden houses, and its website presents it as a hotel intended for adults.
There are four categories and the difference lies in the exterior. The Double Suite is the simplest: a minimalist space with the window and the terrace. The Pool Suite adds a heated jacuzzi. The Premium Pool Suite has a lounge terrace with a heated outdoor jacuzzi and mountain views. The Premium Villa is the largest and the only one with a private heated pool. All have a Queen or King bed, a rain shower with a view and climate control.
The spa, the pools and the meals
The 5E Spa is at the foot of the rock and offers a five-stage circuit: sauna with a cold plunge, hammam, bithermal tunnel, a salt-water flotarium and the infinity pool looking at the valley. It is open Monday to Sunday from 11:00 to 20:00. If you book on its website with the flexible rate, access to the spa pool is free. Massages, rituals for two and the Spa Night, two hours with the spa closed just for you at sunset, are paid separately and requested in advance.
For eating you have two restaurants. The Panorámico, for guests only, serves seasonal Mediterranean cooking with views of the valley and is where the Breakslow breakfast is served at the table. ConTemple, the fine-dining one, is open at midday Wednesday to Sunday and admits outside customers with a reservation. There is also a bar by the pools and room service. In the Premium Villa you can order the floating breakfast, served in the private pool, 24 hours ahead and with a €15 supplement.
Before you book
Check-out is at 12:00. The website does not publish check-in time, so ask if you arrive early. Nor does it say anything about dogs: if you are travelling with yours, enquire first. Booking on its website has advantages that they announce themselves: free cancellation on all rates and spa access with the flexible rate. You arrive by car: from Alicante it is about 50 minutes via the AP-7 and Benidorm; the hotel also offers a private chauffeur transfer that picks you up on arrival (the Alicante AVE station is about 50 minutes away).
The Castell de Guadalest is five minutes by car: if you go up early, you cross the San José tunnel before the coach tours from the coast. The MASOS winery is a step away, also in Benimantell. For a full night as a couple, see the Guadalest couple's getaway.

## As a family: A Castle, a Kayak and Some Natural Pools

Guadalest is short and striking: a tunnel in the rock, a castle on top and miniature museums that children watch with their noses pressed to the glass. It is rounded off with kayaking on the reservoir or a swim at Les Fonts de l'Algar.

### What works best
The San José tunnel and viewpoints: free and in 45 minutes

The micro-miniatures and dolls' house museums

Kayaking on the reservoir: children go with an adult

Les Fonts de l'Algar in summer, with a lifeguard

### Where to sleep
El Molinet del Governador: apartments for up to eight and a free cot

Cases Noves is adults only

### Where to eat
La Plaça, simple and with a terrace

Picnic at Les Fonts de l'Algar, in the upper area

### Bear in mind
With a pushchair, the upper village has stairs: better a baby carrier

Water shoes for the river at Algar

Mid-morning the coast coaches arrive

### Qué hacer as a family
- San José Castle and Casa Orduña
- The San José Tunnel and the Reservoir Viewpoints
- Kayaking on Guadalest Reservoir
- The Curious Museums of Guadalest
- Les Fonts de l'Algar
- Estret de les Penyes Water Canyon, in Bolulla

## Consejos

### Arrive before 10:30
The coaches from the coast arrive mid-morning.

### Bring cash
The kayak can only be paid for in cash.

### Book Sunday lunch
The village dining rooms are small.

### Shoes with a grip
The castle is steps and rock; Algar, wet stone.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How much does it cost to enter Guadalest castle?
€4, with the Casa Orduña included: the castle visit starts from the house.

### Can you drive up to the upper village?
No. You park at the entrance and walk up through the San José tunnel.

### How long does it take from Alicante?
About 50 minutes and 65 km along the AP-7 via Benidorm.

### Can you kayak on the reservoir?
Yes, with Kayak Beni: €15 per person for 1 h 30, daily in July and August and by reservation the rest of the year.

### What is there to do near Guadalest?
Les Fonts de l'Algar, in Callosa d'en Sarrià, 15 km away: waterfalls, pools and swimming in summer.

### Is there canyoning near Guadalest?
Yes. In l'Abdet, at the head of the valley, the Mela canyon is for beginners and the Sord is intermediate; each costs €40.78 with a guide.

### Can you visit a winery in the Vall de Guadalest?
Yes, MASOS, in Benimantell: a tasting of three wines for €25 or a visit with four wines and oil for €35.

### Can you take a dog?
On the streets, on a lead. At Algar, only from 16 September to 14 June and without swimming. El Molinet del Governador admits one per apartment.