Boat Trip Around the Peñíscola Rock

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 [email protected]. 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.