# A weekend in Peñíscola and the Sierra de Irta, an hour from Castellón

Papa Luna castle and the old town on Saturday, a boat trip round the rock and rice, and on Sunday the Badum tower and the wild coast of Irta before heading home.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/peniscola/itineraries/peniscola-sierra-de-irta-weekend · Revisado: 2026-11-12

Dónde: Peñíscola

Peñíscola is an hour from Castellón and an hour and forty from Valencia. In a day you see the castle and the old town; with a night you also see what almost nobody sees: the Sierra de Irta, twelve kilometres of undeveloped coast south of the town, with the Badum tower above the cliff. The plan goes all on foot on Saturday and by car to the park entrance on Sunday.

## Where to sleep?

AccommodationWhereFor whom

RH Boutique PortocristoAt the foot of the old town, North beachCouples: wellness and a rooftop with views of the castle

Gran Hotel PeñíscolaNorth beach, 4 km from the old townFamilies: kids' club and spa

Camping Ferrer800 m from the old townMotorhome or cabin, tight budgets

## What changes with the season?

In spring and autumn everything fits: the castle in good light and the Irta route in good temperatures. In July and August the Irta track requires a reservation on the GVA Parcs Naturals app to drive; in exchange, Golondrinas Clavel runs a one-and-a-half-hour trip to Irta by sea (€20). In winter the castle closes at 17:30: go in on Saturday morning.

## With children

Swap the Badum route for the old town's Pirate Trail (1 h 15) and a beach morning. The Gran Hotel Peñíscola has a free kids' club for ages 4 to 12 from late February to early November.

## El plan

### Saturday · 10:30 · Old town and castle
Park on the promenade and enter by the Portal de Sant Pere. Climb through the Artillery Park to Papa Luna castle: €5, card only, a good hour.

### Saturday · 12:30 · Boat trip round the rock
Thirty minutes from the harbour with Golondrinas Clavel, €10 adults and €5 children. Call ahead on 666 114 851: departures depend on the sea.

### Saturday · 14:00 · Rice at Casa Jaime
On the North beach promenade, 24 seats. The rice is ordered when you book.

### Saturday · 17:00 · El Bufador and North beach
If there is an easterly, the Bufador; if not, a walk on the sand with the castle in the background as evening falls.

### Saturday · 21:00 · Dinner in the old town
El Raconet de Ca Deu is open every night until 23:30: a soupy rice or tapas.

### Sunday · 9:00 · Badum tower route
By the coast road to the park entrance. The loop of Mas del Senyor, the Badum tower, the Clot de Maig and the Pebret dunes is almost 15 km: four or five hours without shade. Carry water.

### Sunday · 14:30 · Lunch and the drive back
Back in the town, lunch at El Raconet de Ca Deu and set off around 17:00.

## Un consejo más

Book Casa Jaime when you book the hotel: they only take calls from 9:30 to 13:00.

## Cuándo no ir

Doing the Badum route in the middle hours of a summer day: there is no shade.

## Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hotel RH Boutique Portocristo**: 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**: 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**: 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.