Badum Tower Circular Route in the Sierra de Irta

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.