Alicante 4 - Castillo de Santa Bárbara

Time to visit that emblem of Alicante, the castle. I had caught a cold getting chilled coming back from Benidorm so I opted for the easy way up, via the elevator. The tunnel goes deep into the heart of the hill, then the elevator takes you to the summit.

At the top one emerges onto a path leading to the peak of the castle. There was a group of schoolchildren, probably on an excursion. I was glad that I had picked a clear day for the good views.

A view of the harbour and marina.

Panorama of Alicante harbour

To the east of it, the Playa del Postiguet.

Part of the beach is obscured by the parapet, but one can see the T shaped breakwater.

Fortunately, Alicante is not a high-rise forest like Benidorm. The tall building closest to the castle is the Tryp Alicante Gran Sol, a high-rise hotel.

A barrel cactus on the grounds.

The castle was built by the Moors, then captured by Castillian forces on the feast day of Santa Bárbara. At first I thought she was the mother of St Augustine who wept over his dissolute ways, but that was Santa Monica.

The city extends to the north where there are suburbs, a university, and the circumnavigatory highway.

Looking eastwards at the other coastal hill.

Panorama to the east

Those mountains to the north would be the Serra del Maigmó.

A sundial sculpture.

Metal sculptures like these dotted the grounds.

At the top, the Spanish flag and radio antennae.

Looking back at the lower levels.

These days the invaders are tourists and they are quite welcome.

And that was my day viewing Alicante from high.