Cristina Hodgson
SPAIN is a land strewn with castles and fortresses, all of which reflect the country’s history, and many of them are remarkably well-preserved.
But with more than 10,000 well-preserved castles and palaces across the country, it can be a taxing task just deciding which to visit. For this reason, the travel magazine Viajar has made a selection of the most impressive and beautiful in Spain, of which one is found in Malaga.
According to Viajar, the magnificent Castillo de Gibralfaro, which sits on a high hill overlooking Malaga city and port, has made the cut as one of the best and most impressive castles in Spain.
Dating back to the 10th century, the Castillo de Gibralfaro, situated 130 metres above the city of Malaga, offers spectacular views of the city of Malaga and the Mediterranean Sea.
The Moors erected the fortress near an old lighthouse constructed by the Phoenicians as part of the defensive system that was intended to protect Malaga and the Nasrid kingdom of Granada from Christian attacks and forms a very important part of the history of Malaga City and province.
The name Gibralfaro comes from ‘gabel’ which means rock in Arabic and ‘faro’ meaning lighthouse in Greek.
Among the features that make up this castle are its surface area, just over 16,000 square metres, and the walls that surround it, which have five towers, a keep, a weapons room, a cistern, stables and various outbuildings.
The Gibralfaro Castle, like the Alcazaba, can be visited between 9am and 8pm, with prices and discounts?? €3,50 one monument; €5,50 combined Alcazaba and Gibralfaro.
It is also possible to rent different areas of the castle for events, filming or photo shoots.
The ranking of Spain’s 10 most impressive castles according to the Spanish travel magazine is as follows:
1. Alhambra (Granada)
2. Loarre Castle (Huesca)
3. Coca Castle (Segovia)
4. Castle of Manzanares del Real (Madrid)
5. Castle of Alcañiz (Teruel)
6. Bellver Castle (Palma de Mallorca)
7. Castle of Peñíscola (Castellón)
8. Castle of Trujillo (Cáceres)
9. Castle of San Juan de las Águilas (Murcia)
10. Castle of Gibralfaro (Málaga)
READ MORE:
- The highest castle in Spain is in Cordoba
- Five incredible castles in Spain’s Malaga every history-lover should visit
