# Peñíscola Pope Luna's castle on a rocky headland joined to the mainland, a whitewashed old town of 27 streets, boat trips and the unspoilt Irta coast, an hour from Castellón. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/peniscola · Revisado: 2026-11-13 Peñíscola is a rocky headland joined to the mainland by a sandy isthmus, with a Templar castle on top and white houses running down to the water. It was the last seat of Pope Luna, Benedict XIII, who shut himself away here in the early 15th century without ever giving up the tiara. Today the old town is about 510 houses on 27 streets inside the wall, with the North Beach on one side and the fishing harbour on the other. To the south begins the Sierra de Irta, a natural park with some 12 km of undeveloped coastline. It is a perfect Sunday from Castellón and a good overnight stay from Valencia or Tarragona. ## How do you get there from Castellón and Valencia? By car. From Castellón it is about 75 km and a little under an hour along the AP-7 or the N-340, with the exit for Benicarló and Peñíscola. From Valencia, about 145 km and an hour and a half or an hour forty along the same AP-7. From Tarragona, around an hour and a half heading south. The coastal train stops at Benicarló-Peñíscola station, a few kilometres from the town, so without a car you need to connect with a bus or a taxi: for a Sunday, the car is better. ## Where do you park? Don't drive into the old town: it is pedestrian-only, with slopes and steps. There are car parks on the seafront promenade, by the harbour and in the South Beach area, five or ten minutes' walk from the Portal de Sant Pere. In summer and at Easter they fill up early; arrive before 10:00. If you are staying in the town, ask your hotel: the Gran Hotel Peñíscola has its own paid car park, and Camping Ferrer is 800 m from the old town. ## How much time do you need? A day covers the essentials: the castle (a good hour), a walk around the old town and the walls, the Bufador if the sea is up, a half-hour trip on the little tour boat around the headland and a rice lunch. With a night you add the Sierra de Irta: the circular Badum tower route, almost 15 km, or in July and August the boat that tours it from the sea. With children, the town council's Pirate Trail and the beach fill the rest. ## What is there to see in the old town? Go up through the Portal de Sant Pere, from 1411, when the sea reached the walls, or through the Portal Fosc, the only land entrance until the 18th century. On the way: the House of Shells, the Font de la Petxina, the church of the Virgen de la Ermitana, the Plaza de Santa María (a Game of Thrones location) and the Bajada de Felipe II, the ramp designed by Bautista Antonelli. Finish at the Artillery Park, the gardens between the medieval and Renaissance walls, and go into the castle: €5 for general admission, €3.50 reduced, card payment only. ## What can you do on the water? Besides the little tour boat, you can get close to the sea. On the North Beach, the paddle surf school has a guided board trip to the castle and surf lessons on days with waves, from June to September. On the South Beach, next to the harbour, you can hire a licence-free boat for up to seven people, from €120 an hour, and kayaks by the hour. With children, when the sun is strong, the hedge maze on the N-340 is the afternoon plan. ## When is it best to go? In spring and autumn. The castle is open from 9:30 to 21:30 from Palm Sunday to 15 October and from 10:30 to 17:30 the rest of the year; it closes on 1 and 6 January, 9 September, 9 October and 25 December. In July and August the town fills up and the Sierra de Irta requires a reservation to drive along the track; in return, there is a boat to Irta. In winter everything is quieter and almost everything is still open, although some beach hotels reduce their services. ## Where should you eat and stay? Rice and fish. In the old town, El Raconet de Ca Deu is open every day with creamy rice dishes and seafood paella. On the North Beach promenade, Casa Jaime, from 1967, is a 24-seat seafood eatery: you order the rice when you book, by phone only, and it closes on Wednesdays and Sunday evenings. To sleep, the RH Boutique Portocristo is at the foot of the old town; the Gran Hotel Peñíscola, further north, is the family one, with a spa and kids' club; and Camping Ferrer, within walking distance of the centre, is good for a motorhome or a cabin. ## Dónde está - Zonas: Game of Thrones Locations - Cerca: Morella (a 51.8 km), Valderrobres and the Matarraña (a 61.3 km), Montanejos (a 85.3 km), Priorat (a 101.1 km) ## Qué hacer - **Papa Luna Castle** (1 h 15 · Everyone; with a pushchair, better a baby carrier · €5 · reduced €3.50 · free up to age 8 · card only): The castle was built by the Templars in the early 14th century on Arab remains, at the highest point of the Peñíscola rock. A century later Benedict XIII, Papa Luna, made it a papal seat, living here his last years without renouncing the tiara. It has been a historic-artistic monument since 1931 and is run by the Castellón Provincial Council, which opens it all year except five days. From the entrance hall to the dungeon You enter by the only gate, on Calle Castillo, where the ticket office is. From there the route is free and passes through the entrance hall, the stables, the guardroom with its cistern and the parade ground. Then come the papal quarters, which were Papa Luna's rooms: the workplace, the antechamber that served as a dining room, the main chamber, the library and the study. Then the castle church, the water or cistern house, the great Gothic hall or throne room, the kitchen, the Conclave hall, which was the main wine cellar, and the dungeon. The terraces, at the end, look out over Playa Norte and the Sierra de Irta. With your ticket you get a leaflet with the plan, and there is a free audio guide in an app for Android and iPhone: download it before you go up. Allow an hour and a quarter. The Artillery Park, by another door Going round the fortress on the sea side is the Artillery Park, with the batteries, tunnels, ramps, moats and the powder magazine that Philip II had built in the last quarter of the 16th century against pirates and the Turkish fleet, and gardens made in the 20th century. It is not connected to the castle: you enter via Calle Santos Mártires. At Easter and from June to September the Provincial Council runs free guided tours, up to 30 people, which start at the lighthouse, go along the walkways and gardens above the sea and end in the park. Price, card and free entry General admission costs €5. €3.50 is paid by young people aged 9 to 16, over-60s and pensioners, students, teachers and unemployed people with proof, and organised groups of 30 or more. Children up to 8 accompanied, people with disabilities and residents of Peñíscola don't pay. All reductions and free entries are verified at the access control. Payment is by card only, at the ticket office or when buying online on its website. Closed five days a year In winter, from 16 October to Palm Sunday, it is open from 10:30 to 17:30; in summer, from Palm Sunday to 15 October, from 9:30 to 21:30. The ticket office closes half an hour before. It is closed all day on 1 and 6 January, 9 September, 9 October and 25 December. To go up, cross the old town by the Portal Fosc or by the Philip II Ramp, the Renaissance ramp designed by Bautista Antonelli; the walk through the old town and walls is the natural way. On the way down you can go to El Bufador, on the same rock, and the castle, boat and rice plan links it with the port's golondrina boat. - **Peñíscola Old Town and Walls** (1 h · Everyone · Self-guided · free): Peñíscola's old town fits inside the wall: about 510 houses on 27 narrow, steep streets that climb the rock to the Papa Luna castle. You walk it, with no ticket, in a good hour if you stop at every corner. These are the stops the tourism website points out and the order that works best. The gates in the wall Enter by the Portal de Sant Pere, built in 1411, in the time of Benedict XIII, to give the city an entrance from the sea: the water reached the walls until the fishing port was built in 1925. In the centre it bears the coat of arms of Papa Luna. Tradition says Saint Vincent Ferrer came in this way to ask the Pope to abdicate, and that the answer was the famous "non possumus". The other great gate is the Portal Fosc, which until the 18th century was the only land entrance to the fortress. It was made in the time of Philip II, to a design by Vespasiano Gonzaga with works directed by Bautista Antonelli; on the outside it has a monumental doorway with the royal coat of arms and, inside, a guardroom and a second arch opening onto the town. Inside the old town Among the streets, look for the Casa de las Conchas (House of Shells), whose façade a neighbouring couple began covering with shells in the 1950s and which is now lined entirely. Nearby is the Font de la Petxina, ordered built by Philip II in the second half of the 16th century and which was a great public washhouse. The church of Santa María dates from the 13th century, as its Romanesque doorway shows; it was rebuilt after a fire in the mid-14th and the present building is mostly from the 18th. It keeps pieces of silverwork from the papal period. The Plaza de Santa María served as a set for Game of Thrones in 2015 and for El chiringuito de Pepe in 2014. The Sea Museum (Museo de la Mar), in the former Príncipe bastion, has free admission and tells the town's seafaring history; Berlanga shot scenes of Calabuch there in 1956. Next to it is the Bufador, the natural tunnel through which the sea shoots out in stormy weather. The gardens and La Porteta End at the Artillery Park, the castle gardens linking the medieval and Renaissance walls. There are the powder magazine and a hidden passage that goes down to La Porteta, the old landing stage and customs house outside the wall. In the same gardens, the Calvario bastion, designed by Antonelli, has vaulted casemates which between 1912 and 1971 were schools: the gun loops served as windows. Practical tips You can bring a dog on a lead, but there are many stairs and narrow streets: it is hard with a pushchair. In summer, better early in the morning or at dusk, when the sun is less fierce on the slopes. With children, the town council's Pirate Trail covers almost all these stops with a character and videos. Finish with the Papa Luna castle and, for lunch inside the walls, El Raconet de Ca Deu. The tourist office, on the seafront promenade, gives you the map. The Game of Thrones streets The sixth season of Game of Thrones was filmed in Peñíscola in 2015. Peñíscola Turismo marks as the series' filming locations the wall's walkway, the Plaza de Santa María, the Philip II Ramp, the Artillery Park and the Portal Fosc: almost all of this walk. To follow them with the tourist office's map, and those of El Cid or Calabuch, see the Peñíscola Cinema route. - **El Bufador** (15 min · Everyone · Free): What it is El Bufador is a natural tunnel that runs through the rock on which Peñíscola stands and links the old town with the sea. The tourism website describes it like this: on stormy days, the water surges violently up the tunnel and comes out with a loud roar. In calm seas you barely hear it; with an easterly wind, the water comes in hard and comes out of the mouth between the houses with a dull noise and a cloud of spray. It is a short stop, of ten or fifteen minutes, but it is one of the things children remember most about the town. Where it is and when to go It is inside the old town, between the Portal de Sant Pere and the Sea Museum. The gate, from 1411, opened the city's entrance on the sea side, which reached the walls until the port was built in 1925; from there you go up the old-town streets to the mouth of the Bufador. The visit is free and open, at any hour, and you can bring a dog on a lead. To see it in action you need to come during an easterly storm. In summer, with a calm sea, it usually does nothing spectacular, so don't plan it as the main visit of the day. In heavy swell, don't lean over: the water and spray come in with force and the ground gets wet. From the sea The Bufador can also be seen from outside. The Golondrinas Clavel boat that goes round the rock includes among what you see the castle, its stairway and the Bufador; it lasts 30 minutes and leaves from the port. It is on our page for the boat trip around the rock. What's nearby El Bufador is the second stop on the Pirate Trail that the town council publishes for doing with children. Next to it is the Sea Museum, in the former Príncipe bastion, with free admission: in winter it is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 15:00; in spring, every day from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00, and in summer, from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 21:00. From here, the rest of the old town and walls can be covered in an hour, with the climb to the Papa Luna castle as the finish. To eat without leaving the walls, El Raconet de Ca Deu is a rice restaurant on an old-town street, below the castle. At the tourist office, on the seafront promenade, they give you the old-town map. - **Boat Trip Around the Peñíscola Rock** (30 min · Everyone, small children too · Desde 10 € per person): What it is A short boat trip round the rock: you leave the fishing port, pass beneath the walls and the castle and see Peñíscola from outside, as it was seen before Playa Norte filled with hotels. According to the boat company, from the boat you see the Papa Luna castle, its famous stairway and the Bufador, the natural tunnel through which the sea shoots out in storms. It is a short, effortless activity and good for small children. Who runs it and how much it costs It is operated by Golondrinas Clavel with the golondrina Olimpia. According to its website, the trip lasts 30 minutes and costs €10 for adults, €8 for pensioners and €5 for children. It runs all year, although departures depend on sea conditions. The website doesn't publish fixed times, so call beforehand on 666 114 851 or 639 693 938, or write to reservas@golondrinasclavel.com. It also doesn't give the boat's capacity, whether pets are allowed or accessibility: ask when you book if you need to. Where it leaves from From the Peñíscola port, south of the rock, next to Playa Sur. The port has a fishing area and a sports one for boats up to 8 m, run by the Generalitat. Until 1925, when it was built, the sea reached the walls: that is why the Portal de Sant Pere, from 1411, was opened as the entrance to the city from the water. You walk there from the old town going down towards the port. What to combine it with In July and August, the same boat makes an hour-and-a-half outing along the unspoilt coast of the Sierra de Irta Natural Park, with a swim: it is in the boat trip along the Sierra de Irta coast. After the trip, the old town and walls can be covered in an hour, and the Papa Luna castle crowns the climb. With children, the Pirate Trail starts at the Portal de Sant Pere, very close to the port, and Playa Sur, next door, has a pirate ship among its play equipment. - **Boat Trip Along the Sierra de Irta Coast** (1 h 30 · Families and anyone who doesn't want to walk · Desde 20 € per person): What it is The Sierra de Irta was declared a natural park and marine reserve on 16 July 2002. It protects 7,743 hectares south of Peñíscola and a marine strip with about 12 km of undeveloped coastline, one of the last such stretches on the Mediterranean. Its highest point is the Campanilles peak, at 572 m. In July and August, Golondrinas Clavel runs an hour-and-a-half outing from the port to see that coast from the sea, with a stop to swim in its clear waters. It is a comfortable way to get to know the park without walking, and works well with children. Price, season and booking The "Peñíscola Irta Natural Park" outing is made on the golondrina Olimpia only in July and August. It lasts 1 h 30 min and costs €20 for adults and €10 for children; the website doesn't publish a pensioner rate. It doesn't publish departure times either, so you need to book and ask the time by phone, on 666 114 851 or 639 693 938, or by email at reservas@golondrinasclavel.com. The website doesn't give a pet policy or the boat's accessibility: ask when you book. It leaves from the Peñíscola port, south of the rock, next to Playa Sur. Wear your swimsuit, and bring a towel, cap and sun protection: the swimming stop is out at sea. What you see Irta's coast is cliffs and unspoilt coves, with no buildings. On one of the highest cliffs in the Comunitat is the Badum tower, an 11 m watchtower declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 1985; the boat company doesn't detail the exact route, so ask whether it can be seen from the boat. Inland are the Ebrí tower and the castles of Xivert and Polpis, of Arab origin and later Templar, which can't be seen from the boat but can from the walking routes. If you prefer to go by land The park can also be explored on foot and by bike. The Badum tower circular route links Mas del Senyor, the tower, the Clot de Maig and the Pebret dunes, in almost 15 km. In summer, to drive in along the coastal track you must book on the GVA Parcs Naturals app. Inside the park, wild camping, flying drones without authorisation and lighting fires outside the designated areas are not allowed. If it feels like too little, the same boat does a 30-minute loop round the rock all year: see the boat trip around the rock. - **Badum Tower Circular Route in the Sierra de Irta** (4 h 30 · 15 km · Experienced walkers · Self-guided · free): What it is The Badum tower is a circular watchtower, in the shape of a truncated cone, 11 m high and built of rubble masonry. It has no door at ground level: you entered by a window about 6 m up that gave onto the lookouts' room, to make it hard for pirates. The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Valencia with the Habsburgs' double-headed eagle was added later, in one of its restorations. It has been a Site of Cultural Interest since 1985 and stands on one of the highest cliffs in the Comunitat Valenciana, inside the Sierra de Irta Natural Park, with views over Peñíscola. The circular route proposed by Turisme Comunitat Valenciana leaves Peñíscola and links Mas del Senyor, the tower, the Clot de Maig and the Pebret dunes: almost 15 km along paths and the coastal dirt track. The route From Peñíscola you first reach Mas del Senyor, a recreational area of the park where you can rest. You continue to the Badum tower and, from there, an old path leads to the Clot de Maig area. Then you go down to the coastline and the dunes of Pebret beach, and return by the track to the tower and the starting point. Turisme doesn't publish duration or ascent: allow four or five hours at a good pace, plus stops. Minors must be accompanied. Beside the route, past the tower, are the Pebret and Russo beaches, marked by a restored former carabineros' barracks, with parking and picnic areas. They are a good place to stop for lunch or a swim. Getting there and when to go You leave from the south of Peñíscola along the coast road, which becomes a track on entering the park. In the summer months, to drive along the track you must book on the GVA Parcs Naturals app. Almost the whole route is without shade: go from October to May or set off at dawn. Don't count on fountains; bring all the water you need, a cap and hiking footwear. Park rules and other routes Wild camping, flying drones without authorisation and lighting fires outside the designated areas are not allowed. The park, declared in 2002, protects 7,743 hectares and 12 km of undeveloped coast, and has more waymarked routes: the PR-V 194 and its variants of Vistahermosa, la Mola and el Pebret, or circular ones such as the Irta lighthouse to Cala Cubanita and the Font de la Parra, and others towards the castles of Xivert and Polpis. Peñíscola's tourism website has the PDFs for each. If you prefer to see this coast without walking, in July and August there is a boat trip along the Sierra de Irta coast. To sleep with the beach in front of you, the Gran Hotel Peñíscola is on the front line of Playa Norte, on the other side of the rock. - **Pirate Trail and Adventure Trail with Children** (1 h 15 · Families with children aged 4 to 12 · Free): Peñíscola Turismo publishes two routes for exploring the old town with children, each with a character who acts as guide, a downloadable PDF map and a video at each stop in Spanish Sign Language with subtitles. They are free and done independently, at your own pace. Peñíscola was the first coastal destination with the Family Tourism Seal of the Spanish Federation of Large Families and is part of the Tour & Kids club of the Comunitat Valenciana. Pirate Trail, with the pirate Mar It lasts 1 h 15 min and goes through the lower, seafaring part of the rock. It has ten stops, in this order: the Portal de Sant Pere or Papa Luna gate, the Bufador, the Sea Museum, the powder magazine and the Casa de las Petxinas (House of Shells), the Santa Ana spring, the walkway round the wall, the Font de la Petxina or Font de Fuera, La Porteta, Les Fontetes and the Font de Sant Pere. It is the most entertaining for little ones: the Bufador tunnel, the shell façade and the passage down to La Porteta are full of adventure. Adventure Trail, with the knight Roque It lasts 1 hour and climbs towards the castle through the upper part. Its nine stops are Santa María, the Portal del Desafío, the church and the Governor's House, the town hall, the Philip II ramp, the old schools, the castle gardens, the castle itself and the Ermitana. It combines well with admission to the Papa Luna castle, which according to the tourism website opens in winter from 10:30 to 17:30 and in summer from 9:30 to 21:30. How to prepare Download the route PDF and the videos at home from the family tourism page of peniscola.es: they weigh between 21 and 45 MB each and can be saved on your phone, so you don't depend on coverage between the walls. At the tourist office, on the seafront promenade, they also give information on the routes. Both call for comfortable footwear: there are slopes, steps and stone paving, and with a pushchair they get complicated. The website doesn't state a specific age; they are designed for small and primary-school children. If you are short of time, do the Pirate Trail in the morning and the castle with the Adventure Trail in the afternoon, when the heat drops in summer. More plans with children The Sea Museum, a stop on the Pirate Trail, has free admission. On Playa Sur, next to the port, there is a pirate ship among the play equipment, and Playa Norte adds climbing-net pyramids, children's areas and a floating water park. To see the rock from the water, the boat trip around the rock lasts only half an hour. And for sleeping with children, Camping Ferrer is 800 m from the old town. - **Peñíscola Playa Norte** (3 h · Everyone · Free): Playa Norte is Peñíscola's great beach: a strip of fine sand that starts at the foot of the rock, with the Papa Luna castle in the background, and continues along Avenida del Papa Luna towards Benicarló. The tourism website gives it about 5 km on its points-of-interest page and 5.5 km on the beaches page. It has a Blue Flag and the Q for Tourist Quality, SICTED and AENOR certifications. What's on the sand It is an urban beach with all services, designed for spending the day. The town council spreads across its beaches two climbing-net pyramids, 16 volleyball courts, six children's play areas and two beach football pitches. On Playa Norte there is also a floating water park, in the area of 40 Avenida del Papa Luna, and there are jet-ski, paddleboard companies and watersports schools along the promenade; the family tourism page lists their contacts. As it is so long, it pays to choose a stretch: the one nearest the old town has the castle in view and is a step from the rock's streets; to the north, the beach continues in front of hotels and apartments to Benicarló. Playa Sur and other options On the other side of the rock, next to the fishing port, is Playa Sur: smaller (tourism gives 470 m on one page and about 650 m on another), with calm water because a breakwater protects it. It has accessible access, showers, lifeguards and a play area with a pirate ship for children. For a quick swim after the castle, it is handier. Right next to it, separated by a small breakwater, is Las Viudas beach, which appears in Calabuch, the film Berlanga shot in Peñíscola. If you are looking for something wilder, to the south, past the Badum tower, the Pebret and Russo beaches are already in the Sierra de Irta Natural Park, with parking and picnic areas. How to organise it The beach is free. The main swimming season runs from June to September, but the promenade beside the sand can be walked all year. You walk there from the old town; to get along the promenade there is a tourist train that leaves from 4 Avenida del Papa Luna. Bring a parasol and water if you are going to spend the day. Several of our listings are on the front line: the Hotel RH Boutique Portocristo, next to the old town, and the Gran Hotel Peñíscola, about 4 km away. To eat on the same promenade, Casa Jaime is a seafood eatery from 1967. To combine with the beach, the old town and the Papa Luna castle are at the end of the sand. - **Peñíscola Film Route, from El Cid to Game of Thrones** (1 h · Film and series fans, families · Independent · free): Peñíscola has been acting as a film set for more than a century, and the tourist office has turned it into a walking route: fourteen numbered stops, from the promenade to the Sierra de Irta, each with the titles that were filmed there. The map can be downloaded from the Peñíscola Turismo website or requested at the office. These are real filming locations, not sets: what you see is the wall, the squares and the coast that appear on screen. The five Game of Thrones stops The sixth season of Game of Thrones was filmed here in 2015, and the map marks five stops with the series, all inside the wall: 4 · Paseo de Ronda, the path along the wall that looks over the port. 5 · Plaza de Santa María, beside the church. 7 · Rampa de Felipe II, the stone ramp that goes down to the Parque de Artillería; it also appears in El Cid. 8 · Parque de Artillería, the gardens and bastions beneath the castle, with visiting hours. 9 · Portal Fosc, the vaulted passage that was the only entrance by land; it is also a set for El Cid. The rest of the route The other stops come from other shoots: the North beach of El Cid (1961), with Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren; the South beach, the port, the Sea Museum, the lighthouse and the Plaza de Armas of Calabuch (1956), by Berlanga, and of París Tombuctú (1999), also by Berlanga; and Chiringuito de Pepe (2014) almost throughout the town. La Porteta and the Bufador are from Los corsarios del Caribe and El día nunca por la tarde. Stop 14 is the Sierra de Irta, where series such as Tramontana and El barco were filmed. How to do it The map gives an hour on foot. Start at stop 1, on the North beach next to the tourist office, enter through the Portal de Sant Pere and go round the old town along the paseo de ronda, the Plaza de Santa María and the Rampa de Felipe II. The map reminds you that the Papa Luna castle has also been the setting for many shoots: go in when you finish the Parque de Artillería, which is next door. The tourist office also has a recipe guide, "Plato de cine" (Film Dish), with dishes inspired by these films. There are stairs and slopes in the old town: with a pushchair, a baby carrier is better. If you prefer a stroll round the town without the film thread, see the old town and walls. - **Guided Paddleboarding from Playa Norte to the Foot of the Castle** (1 h · No experience; able to swim · Desde 15 € per person per hour): Playa Norte ends against the rock, and from the water the Papa Luna castle can be seen whole, with the wall running down to the rocks. On a paddleboard you get there in a short while, standing up and without noise. What the guided outing is Paddleboarding is done standing on a wide board, with a long paddle. On calm water it is learned in minutes: first you kneel on the board, then stand up and paddle looking ahead. The Paddle Surf Peñíscola school, on Playa Norte, has a one-hour guided outing with an instructor that includes that explanation and a route along the coast to the castle. No experience is needed. It costs €30 per person and includes the board, paddle and a photo report. From the board you see the old town from below: the white houses on the rock, the Renaissance wall and the Templar castle on top, which was the last seat of Benedict XIII. It is the same view the tour boat from the port gives, but at your own pace and at water level. Three ways to get on a board Beginner lesson, €25 per person: an hour with an instructor to learn to paddle, with board, paddle and photos. Guided outing to the castle, €30 per person: an hour with an instructor and the route to the rock. Free hire, €15 an hour: board, paddle and life jacket; wetsuit €5 more. For those who have already paddled. On the other side of the rock, on the Playa Sur, Nautic Riders also hires out paddleboards at €15 an hour, next to the port. The Playa Sur is sheltered by a breakwater and usually has stiller water; from there there is no guided outing, only hire. When to go and at what time The Playa Norte school works in high season, from June to September, every day from 10:00 to 21:00. Outside those months it publishes no schedule: write beforehand by WhatsApp. The best times are first thing and late afternoon: there are fewer people on the water and the low light gilds the castle's stone. With a levante or swell, the outing makes no sense; the school decides the day. With children and teenagers The school says it adapts lessons to any age and fitness, but does not publish a minimum age or whether children can go on an adult's board: ask when you book. For teenagers who can swim it works well: an hour, €30 and a photo with the castle behind. For the youngest, the half-hour trip on the boat around the rock gives the same view without getting wet. Before and after Playa Norte is the beach you see from the board; it has showers and facilities (see our Playa Norte listing). After the water, climb to the Papa Luna castle: in summer it opens from 9:30 to 21:30. For lunch on the same promenade, Casa Jaime has been a seafood eatery since 1967, with the rice ordered when you book. If you sleep in the village, the RH Boutique Portocristo is at the foot of the old town, a few steps from the sand. - **Licence-Free Boat from Peñíscola Port, with Snorkelling on Board** (1 h · Groups and families; an over-18 drives · Desde 120 € per boat per hour): Peñíscola is best understood from the sea: a rock set in the water, with the white village and the castle on top. With a licence-free boat you can go round it yourself, stop wherever you like and jump in with a mask. The boat and what is included Nautic Riders, at the Nudo Beach Club on the Playa Sur, next to the port, hires out a 15 hp boat that can be driven without a nautical licence. Up to seven people fit. The price includes fuel and a snorkel kit with diving mask. Before setting off you leave a deposit, which is returned when you get back if there is no damage, and show your ID card, NIE or passport. The driver must be over 18. It costs €120 an hour, €190 for two hours and €360 for four hours, per boat. Between seven, an hour works out at about €17 a head. The booking form listing also mentions three hours, so ask what durations are available that day. What you can see A 15 hp boat is not fast: it is for cruising along the coast, which is exactly what matters here. From the port, the trip round the rock puts you beneath the wall, opposite the Sant Pere gate of 1411, which was opened when the sea reached the walls, and beneath the mouth of the Bufador, the natural tunnel through which the water shoots out in a storm. To the north the Playa Norte opens out, with the castle behind. To the south begins the Sierra de Irta, a natural park and marine reserve with about 12 km of undeveloped coast. Nautic Riders' website does not say how far you can go with the 15 hp boat or for how long: ask when you collect the boat, along with the areas where you can anchor and swim. Who it is for For a group of friends or a family who want their own boat for an hour or two, with no fixed schedules or other passengers. You do not need to know how to sail, but you do need common sense: you are the skipper. If you prefer to be taken, Golondrinas Clavel's tour boat makes the trip round the rock in 30 minutes all year and, in July and August, the boat to the Irta coast with a swim. When and how to book The company recommends booking in advance, especially in summer, on its website or by WhatsApp on 663 299 778. It publishes no seasonal calendar. In bad weather, it cancels the outing or moves it to another day: with a strong levante, the sea off Peñíscola gets uncomfortable for a small boat. Before and after on land The port is a few minutes' walk from the old town. If you go out mid-morning, when you get back climb to the Papa Luna castle or walk the old town and walls. For lunch, El Raconet de Ca Deu, inside the old town, is open every day with soupy rice dishes. To spend the night by the sea, Camping Ferrer is 800 m from the old town. - **Beginner Surf Lesson at Peñíscola's Playa Norte** (1 h · Beginners; able to swim · Desde 25 € per person per hour): Peñíscola's Playa Norte is long, fine-sanded and open to the sea, and when swell comes in it is a good beach for taking your first steps in surfing. The school of Paddle Surf Peñíscola, which signs its beach club as Entredosaguas, gives beginner lessons next to the rock. One hour to get to your feet The beginner lesson lasts an hour and costs €25 per person. It includes the soft foam board, which forgives knocks, the leash that ties it to your ankle, the wetsuit and the hour with the instructor; at the end, a drink at the school's beach club. The school says it adapts to each student's pace and has classes for all levels and ages. If you already know how to catch waves, hire a board and leash for €15 an hour, with the wetsuit €5 more. Waves in the Mediterranean There are not waves every day here: in summer the Mediterranean is flat on many days. On those days, the same school has paddleboarding to the castle. The sensible thing is to write the day before by WhatsApp, on 644 02 60 66, to find out whether there will be sea. The season it publishes is June to September, every day from 10:00 to 21:00. Who signs up It is an activity for teenagers and adults who can swim and want to try. The website gives no minimum age; if you are going with a child, ask beforehand. With small children, the Playa Norte has net pyramids, volleyball courts and play areas while the older ones are in the water. After the lesson Shower on the beach and climb to the old town, at the end of the sand. For lunch on the seafront, Casa Jaime closes on Wednesday and Sunday evenings; book by phone. - **Independent Kayaking from the Playa Sur, next to Peñíscola Port** (1 h · No experience; under-16s with an adult): A kayak is the cheapest and quietest way to see the rock from the water. On the Playa Sur, at the foot of the port, Nautic Riders hires out kayaks by the hour so you can paddle at your own pace along the Peñíscola coast. Single or double kayak There are single and double kayaks. The double is the one to choose if you are going with a child or with someone who has never paddled: one sets the rhythm and the other helps. The hire includes the kayak, paddle, life jacket and some basic instructions before setting off; no experience is needed. When booking online you choose one or two hours, and the company also mentions full-day hire. It does not publish the kayak price on its website: ask by WhatsApp on 663 299 778. Where to paddle The company speaks of the Peñíscola coast, its clear waters and its coves, and asks you to stay in the areas it points out when you set off. The Playa Sur, sheltered by a breakwater, has the calmest water in the town, and from it the rock is a few minutes' paddle away. Ask before setting out whether you can go round it and how long to allow. Ages and documents From age 16 you can hire without an adult; younger people go accompanied. Bring an ID card, NIE or passport, and expect that they may ask for a deposit which is returned at the end. What to combine it with After the water, the Playa Sur has showers, lifeguards and a pirate ship among the play equipment for little ones. If someone in the group would rather sit down and stay dry, the tour boat makes the trip round the rock in half an hour from the same port. And if you want more independence and more distance, the same company hires out the licence-free boat. - **Peñíscola Hedge Maze, with Dinosaurs and a Children's Maze** (Families with children · €7.50 · ages 4 to 14 €4 · free under 4): Between Peñíscola and Benicarló, next to a nursery on the N-340, there is a hedge maze that its website presents as the largest in Spain and the third in Europe. It is an afternoon outing for families, away from the sand and the slopes of the old town. Hedges, dinosaurs and a square in the centre The maze covers 7,000 m², within a 9,000 m² site including the car park. Its walls are 4,000 Japanese privet plants, and the centre, the goal, is a square of Red Robin photinia. Along the corridors are dinosaur sculptures made by hand by Joaquín Bosch, the owner. For the little ones there is a separate children's maze, made of germander. Tickets General, from age 14 up, costs €7.50; children's, ages 4 to 14, €4, and under-4s do not pay. Groups of six adults or more pay €6 per person and people with disabilities €3, only at the ticket office and with proof. The ticket is valid all day, from opening to closing, and the ticket office sells until an hour before closing. Tickets bought online are not refundable. The calendar and hours are not in text on the website: the ticketing system shows the open days, and in November 2026 it had no dates on sale. Before going, call 964 480 377 or 684 480 640, or write to laberintopeniscola@gmail.com. Getting there and what is there It is at the Peñisverd Garden Center, on the N-340, kilometre 1038. There is no public transport: you go by car or taxi. It has more than 50 parking spaces, toilets, including adapted ones, and a small bar with drinks and something to nibble. Dogs do not enter the maze, but can be on a lead in the rest of the site. Schools and associations book by phone or on the website. In your day in Peñíscola It works well in mid-afternoon, when the sun is fierce on the beach or after the Papa Luna castle. In the morning, the Pirate Trail through the old town; in the afternoon, the maze. For sleeping with children, the Gran Hotel Peñíscola has a kids' club. ## Dónde comer - **Casa Jaime** (Restaurant, Peñíscola, €€€). Qué pedir: a seafood rice, which you order when booking, or the fishermen's stew; ask about the fish of the day from the fish market. - **El Raconet de Ca Deu** (Restaurant, Peñíscola, €€). Qué pedir: the creamy rice with baby squid or the seafood paella, with some garlic prawns to start ## By car: Park Below and Walk Up You arrive by the AP-7, or by the N-340 and the CV-141 from Benicarló. The old town is pedestrian and hilly: leave the car in the car parks on the promenade or by the harbour and walk up. The car comes back into its own for getting into the Sierra de Irta. Presupuesto orientativo: 70–140 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Hotel RH Boutique Portocristo** (Hotel): The RH Boutique Portocristo is a four-star hotel of the Valencian chain Hoteles RH at Avenida Papa Luna, 2, the first number on the Playa Norte promenade. It is about ten metres from the sand and right up against the old town, so you walk up to the castle. The chain recommends it for couples, although it admits children up to 12 on the booking. Ten metres from the sand, at the foot of the rock From the door you have the Playa Norte on one side and the walls on the other. In summer there is a sunlounger service on the beach, at €10 to €15 a day and €12 to €18 from 5 July to 31 August. From 19 June to 15 September the rooftop chill-out terrace opens, with views of the sea and the castle. Front, side or no view All rooms have air conditioning, heating, a safe, a minibar, satellite television and free wifi. The sea-front room, 24 m², has two 90 cm beds and a terrace facing the beach. The sea-side room, 21 m², has a 150 bed (some, two 90s) and a terrace with a side view. The standard, also 21 m², has a terrace with no sea view, and the standard triple, 22 m², two 135 beds. The economy double and the single, the latter 14 m² with a 135 bed, have a small balcony; the single has no sea view. Adults-only pool and wellness The outdoor pool, with a sun terrace and free sunloungers and parasols, is adults only. The wellness area has a jacuzzi, steam bath, rain shower and massage room, and the sauna and gym are free for guests; massages and treatments are paid separately. Buffet in season and meal times From 1 April to 31 October the restaurant is a buffet with live cooking; the rest of the year it serves at the table. According to the chain's FAQs, breakfast is from 8:00 to 10:30 (until 11:00 at weekends), lunch from 13:00 to 15:30 and dinner from 20:00 to 22:30. It also has the terrace restaurant Porto·Rico on the promenade. The room is ready at 16:00 and must be vacated before 12:00; if you arrive after 18:00, let the hotel know. Parking a hundred metres away The hotel has no parking of its own. It offers a garage about 100 m away, for about €20 a day, booked through the hotel itself. It does not admit pets. Bookings made on its website can be cancelled free up to 72 hours before arrival. From here you can walk to the old town and walls and the Peñíscola de Cine route. For dinner, Casa Jaime is at number 5 on the same avenue, and the Raconet de Ca Deu is inside the walls. - **Gran Hotel Peñíscola** (Spa hotel): The Gran Hotel Peñíscola is an independent four-star hotel on the northern stretch of the seafront promenade, at 132-136 Avenida Papa Luna, on the front line of the more than 7 km of beach running from Peñíscola to Benicarló. The old town and castle are about 4 km along the promenade. It has 422 rooms, refurbished in 2020, and is designed for families: it holds the Children Friendly and Comunitat Valenciana family tourism seals. Rooms with a terrace, from 14 to 32 metres All rooms have a terrace, full bathroom with hairdryer, TV, fridge, independent air conditioning and heating; the safe is paid separately, as are the sea views. The family room, of 14 m², has two 135 beds for two adults and two children, and is offered with front views of the beach, side views towards Benicarló or as a premium terrace, on the first floor, with two sun loungers. The junior suites, of 18 m², add a sofa bed and sleep up to six. The Gran Suite, of 32 m², has two bedrooms each with a bathroom and a shared lounge, for large groups. There are adapted rooms of 17 m² with a walk-in shower, at no extra cost. The kids' club and the Funny-Club The kids' club, free for children aged 4 to 12, is open every day from 26 February to 7 November, from 9:30 to 13:30 and from 15:30 to 19:30. The Funny-Club, for children aged 3 to 11, runs at weekends, public holidays and long weekends, and in summer from mid-June to mid-September. There is also a play area for ages 2 to 14. Children up to one year sleep free with their parents and those aged 2 to 11 pay half the adult price. Water circuit and indoor pool The spa has a water circuit with hammam, sauna, jacuzzi and Turkish bath: €10 for guests and €15 for the public, from age 4, by reservation, with swimsuit and towel. The heated indoor pool, at 30 degrees, is open all year; it is booked, has 55-minute sessions and requires a cap. The outdoor one, unheated, is open from 1 May to 31 October and is for guests only. Buffet closed from November to February Breakfast is served from 8:00 to 10:30. The Mediterranean buffet restaurant serves lunches from 13:00 to 15:30 and dinners from 20:00 to 22:30, also to non-guests, by reservation, with a children's menu and high chairs; it is closed from 3 November to 28 February, so in winter ask when you book which services are running. Car, bike and transport The underground garage costs €16 a day and only takes electric and plug-in hybrid cars; the outdoor car park, €12.80 a day, and about 300 m away there is a covered public car park with chargers. Bikes are stored for €3 a day. The shuttle bus from Castellón airport stops at the door and the hotel offers guests a transfer to the centre with a ticket bought beforehand. For your day in the town, the Papa Luna castle and the Peñíscola Maze, which is between Peñíscola and Benicarló, are a few minutes by car; the maze has a small one for children. For rice facing the sea, Casa Jaime, at the other end of the promenade. - **Camping Ferrer** (Campsite): To sleep in Peñíscola without taking the car all day, Camping Ferrer has its pitches on Carretera de l'Estació, 33, inside the built-up area: 800 metres from the old town and Playa Norte and 500 from Playa Sur. It is a three-star family campsite with 77 pitches, wooden cabins and twelve double rooms, and is part of the family tourism product club of the Comunitat Valenciana. The official tourism guide lists it as adapted for people with disabilities. Pitches in the shade of mulberries and poplars The pitches are spread over a wooded area, in the shade of mulberry and poplar trees, something welcome in August. The price includes the car or motorbike and the tent, caravan or motorhome up to seven metres, electricity hook-up, wifi and use of the pool and children's playground. Check-in is from 13:00 and check-out before 12:00. For motorhomes there is grey-water and chemical-toilet emptying. Cabins for five and double rooms The wooden cabins are next to the pool and sleep up to five people, babies included. They have a bedroom with a double bed, another with two beds, a pull-out sofa bed in the living-dining room with kitchen (two electric hobs, microwave, fridge and utensils), bathroom with shower, TV, air conditioning, wifi and a terrace with table and chairs. They don't include bed linen or towels, so bring sheets and towels. The twelve rooms are in the main building: doubles with two beds, bathroom with shower, TV, air conditioning, terrace, bed and bath linen and daily cleaning. In cabins and rooms check-in is at 14:00 and check-out at 12:00, and the price includes parking for one vehicle. Pool, restaurant and washing machines The pool is open from late June to September. There is a children's playground, a barbecue area, a café and a restaurant with its own booking phone, 964 969 467. The washing machines and dryers work with tokens, there is a vehicle wash and tourist information at reception. The website doesn't publish the rates or opening months: ask on 964 489 223 or at info@campingferrer.com. Dogs, on pitches only Dogs are allowed on the pitches, always on a lead and never left alone so as not to disturb neighbours. They can't go into the cabins or rooms. On foot you reach the old town and walls and Playa Norte without touching the car, and in summer you save yourself looking for parking next to the rock. With children, the town council's Pirate Trail covers the old town with a downloadable map. ## As a family: A Castle, a Boat and a Beach Within Five Minutes Peñíscola works well with children because everything is a short walk away: the castle, the boat and the beach fit into one morning. The slopes and steps of the old town are the only thing that weighs on you with a pushchair. ### What Works Best The Pirate Trail, 1 h 15 min through the old town with a downloadable map The castle: €3.50 for ages 9 to 16 The circuit of the rock by tour boat: 30 minutes, €5 for children Playa Norte, with nets, play areas and beach football The hedge maze on the N-340: €4 for ages 4 to 14, with a children's maze ### Where to Sleep Gran Hotel Peñíscola, with a free kids' club for ages 4 to 12 Camping Ferrer, with cabins, a pool in summer and a playground ### Where to Eat El Raconet de Ca Deu: rice dishes and tapas, open every day Casa Jaime has no children's menu ### Bear in Mind A backpack carrier is better than a pushchair in the old town and the castle The route to the Badum tower is almost 15 km without shade: not for little ones ### Qué hacer as a family - Papa Luna Castle - Peñíscola Old Town and Walls - El Bufador - Boat Trip Around the Peñíscola Rock - Boat Trip Along the Sierra de Irta Coast - Pirate Trail and Adventure Trail with Children - Peñíscola Playa Norte - Peñíscola Film Route, from El Cid to Game of Thrones - Guided Paddleboarding from Playa Norte to the Foot of the Castle - Licence-Free Boat from Peñíscola Port, with Snorkelling on Board - Independent Kayaking from the Playa Sur, next to Peñíscola Port - Peñíscola Hedge Maze, with Dinosaurs and a Children's Maze ## Consejos ### Castle first In winter it closes at 17:30. If you arrive at midday, go in before lunch. ### Bring a card The castle ticket office does not accept cash. ### Check the sea before going to the Bufador With a calm sea there is no show; with an easterly wind, there is. ### Irta in summer, by reservation To drive along the track you must book on the GVA Parcs Naturals app. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How much does it cost to enter Peñíscola castle? €5 for general admission and €3.50 reduced (ages 9 to 16, over-60s, students and unemployed people, with proof). Card payment only. ### What are the castle's opening hours? From 10:30 to 17:30 from 16 October to Palm Sunday, and from 9:30 to 21:30 the rest of the year. The ticket office closes half an hour earlier. ### Can you see Peñíscola in a day from Valencia? Yes: it is an hour and a half or an hour forty each way. There is time for the castle, the old town, the boat and lunch. ### Are there boat trips? Yes. Golondrinas Clavel runs a 30-minute loop around the headland all year (€10) and, in July and August, an hour-and-a-half trip to the Sierra de Irta (€20). ### Can you go with children? Yes. The town council's Pirate Trail, the boat, the North Beach and the castle all work well. With a pushchair, the old town is slopes and steps: a baby carrier is better. ### What is the Sierra de Irta? A natural park and marine reserve south of Peñíscola, with some 12 km of undeveloped coast, coves and the Badum tower on the cliff.