Morella Castle

The castle crowns the rock on which Morella stands, at 1,072 metres, and from the top you command the whole Els Ports district and the natural pass from the interior to the coast that it guarded. It is built on the rock itself, which forms part of its defences, and is a Site of Cultural Interest. The rock has been inhabited since the third millennium BC; Iberians, Romans, Visigoths and Arabs passed through, and the castle took the form you see after the Christian conquest, with alterations in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The tourist office lists among those who set foot here Abd al-Rahman III, El Cid, James I, Ferdinand of Antequera, Pope Luna, Saint Vincent Ferrer, the Prince of Viana and General Cabrera.

The new entrance, on Calle del Hospital

Since summer 2026 you enter at the end of Calle del Hospital, beside the Sant Francesc convent, at the top of the old town. There is now a ticket booth, toilets and a paved access. The temporary entrance used before, through the bullring and a scaffold staircase over the wall, no longer exists, so ignore old directions.

Ninety steps to the parade ground

The visit is a walk round the military fortress, which climbs in zigzags up the mountain to the parade ground at the summit. The way includes a stretch of earth with loose stones and a staircase of more than 90 steps before the top. Up there the view takes in the rooftops, the whole wall, the scattered farmhouses and the surrounding sierras. Allow an hour for climbing, looking and coming down, a little more if you stop at every viewpoint. There is a free audio guide through the Guidum app, which you should download before going up.

Open daily, except on orange or red alert

It opens every day. From October to March, 11:00 to 17:00; from April to September, 11:00 to 19:00. It closes on days of orange or red weather alert, so in winter check the AEMET warning before going: it blows up there.

General admission costs €5. The reduced fee, €4, is for over-65s, ages 6 to 16, students under 25 with a card, Carnet Jove, large families and people with disabilities. Groups of more than 25 pay €3.50 per person. Accompanied children under 6 and residents of Els Ports do not pay. You pay at the ticket desk, in cash or by card; a ticket bought online gives no priority, so you join the same queue.

With children, a pushchair or a dog

With children who already walk on their own the climb is no problem, but with a pushchair or wheelchair you cannot reach everything: the official listing warns that the last stretch is not adapted and that each person should judge what they can do. Bring a baby carrier. Dogs go in on a lead; potentially dangerous breeds must be muzzled.

The climb combines well with the basilica of Santa María, which is on the way, and with the Sant Miquel towers if you enter the town from the north. The Sunday plan in Morella leaves it until after lunch.