Casa Jaime
What to order: a seafood rice, which you order when booking, or the fishermen's stew; ask about the fish of the day from the fish market.
geocalia
Day itinerary · 40.36° N · 0.41° E
Peñíscola: Papa Luna's castle, a boat and rice.
The Templar castle first thing, the old town and the Bufador, half an hour on a little boat around the rock and rice at Casa Jaime, an hour from Castellón.
Leaving from
Part of PeñíscolaGame of Thrones Locations
Add to my trip
Total time8 h
By car1 h each way
From Castellón1 h by car
Walking2–3 km through the old town
DifficultyEasy
Cost€55–80 pp
Best timeMarch – June · September – November
With childrenYes; a carrier is better than a pushchair
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Castellón de la Plana 1 h by car
AP-7 or N-340 from Castellón, about 75 km
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1
Peñíscola Old Town and Walls
Portal de Sant Pere, Casa de las Conchas, Parque de Artillería · 45 min
- 2 min on foot
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2
Papa Luna Castle
Papa Luna's castle · 1 h 15 · €5, card only
- 2 min on foot
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3
El Bufador
El Bufador, if the sea is running · 10 min
- 6 min on foot
- 4
- 11 min on foot
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5
Casa Jaime
Casa Jaime · rice ordered when you book · €€€
Avenida Papa Luna, 5, 12598 Peñíscola · +34 964 48 00 30
Restaurant €€€Book - 15 min on foot
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6
Peñíscola Playa Norte
Walk along the North beach with the castle behind · 45 min
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Back home
You reach Castellón around 18:30
Approximate cost
About €45–70 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Peñíscola Old Town and Walls
Peñíscola is an hour from Castellón and an hour and forty minutes from Valencia. It is a seaside Sunday with no need to swim: a Templar castle on the rock, a white old town of narrow streets, half an hour by boat around the headland and a rice dish in a seafarers' house dating from 1967. Everything is done on foot once you have parked.
The day, hour by hour
8:45 · Set off. From Castellón, take the AP-7 or the N-340, about 75 km. Park on the seafront or by the harbour: the old town is pedestrianised.
9:45 · The old town. Enter by the Portal de Sant Pere, from 1411, look for the Casa de las Conchas and the Font de la Petxina and climb through the Parque de Artillería, the gardens between the medieval and Renaissance walls.
10:30 · Papa Luna's Castle. It opens at 10:30 in winter and 9:30 in summer. General admission €5, reduced €3.50, card only. Allow a good hour: parade ground, papal basilica and terraces over the sea.
12:00 · El Bufador. On the way down, if there is a storm, the sea shoots out in a jet through a tunnel in the rock. In calm weather, you hear it and little else.
12:30 · Little boat trip. At the harbour, Golondrinas Clavel does the circuit round the rock in 30 minutes: €10 adults, €5 children. It does not publish fixed times: call ahead on 666 114 851.
14:00 · Casa Jaime. On the passeig of Playa Norte, 24 seats. Book by phone from 9:30 to 13:00 and order your rice: here the rice dishes are made to order. On Sundays it opens at midday.
16:30 · Playa Norte. A stroll on the sand with the castle behind you to work off lunch.
17:30 · Head home. In Castellón around 18:30.
What to order
Rice: the one with squat lobster and cuttlefish roe with artichokes, or the day's seafarer's rice. If you do not eat fish, Casa Jaime is not for you; El Raconet de Ca Deu, in the old town, has chuletón and rabbit as well as rice dishes.
With children
The council's Pirate Route, with a downloadable map, takes 1 h 15 through the old town. The castle costs €3.50 for ages 9 to 16. They love the boat. A carrier is better than a pushchair.
Time1 h
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
El Raconet de Ca Deu
What to order: the creamy rice with baby squid or the seafood paella, with some garlic prawns to start
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Peñíscola
Spring and autumn. In summer the castle opens until 21:30 and the town fills up; in winter it closes at 17:30, so go in the morning.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Bring a card
The castle ticket office does not accept cash.
- 2Book Casa Jaime on Friday
By phone only, from 9:30 to 13:00.
- 3Call the boat
Departures depend on the sea.
We'd skip it
A Saturday in August at midday: parking and getting into the castle is another story.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Castellón to Peñíscola?
An hour, about 75 km on the AP-7 or the N-340.
How much does the castle cost?
€5 general admission and €3.50 reduced, card only.
Is there a boat in winter?
The trip round the rock runs all year, depending on the sea.
Where can I eat on Sunday?
Casa Jaime, at midday and with a booking, or El Raconet de Ca Deu, open every day.
Can you go with children?
Yes: the Pirate Route, the boat and the beach all work well.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/peniscola/itineraries/papa-luna-castle-boat-and-rice
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.