Guadalest

Guadalest, on top of a five-hundred-metre-high rock, overlooks the reservoir that supplies water to the region of Marina Baixa.

In the corridor between the sierras of Aitana and Xortá we find Guadalest. Of Arab origin, the well-kept historic quarter was declared a Historic-Artistic Site. It is a good idea to go up to the castle of San José, a Muslim fortress from the 11th century, which can be accessed through a natural tunnel on the rock. From this fortress the visitor will have splendid views of the surroundings. From the 11th-century castle of La Alcozaina, the only structure that remains is a tower. In this town we must point out the parish church of Nuestra Señora de Asunción, from the 18th century; the 12th-century prison located underneath the City Hall; and six peculiar museums: Nativity Scenes and Dollhouses, Torture Instruments, Micro-miniatures, Ethnology, Micro-giants, and the Municipal Museum-House of Orduña, one of the ancestral homes in this municipality. On the first two weeks in July, a series of cultural events take place, of which we must highlight the "Day of the Tourist", when all tourists are welcomed, and a giant paella is prepared.