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  3. Amazing Castles to visit in the Costa Blanca
Alicante Costa Blanca is much more than the worldwide famous beaches. It is a place which gave rise to a lot of wars between realms and cultures, a territory which went through epic battle and which had to defend itself against all type of invaders.
 
It is not surprising, therefore, that the province of Alicante hosts a big number (more than 200) of defensive constructions: castles, coastal towers, batteries and fenced palaces which can explain more than 1500 years of the history of this territory. Between the defensive constructions the most attractive are the castles of Alicante. Castles of Visigothic kings, Arab leaders and Christian monarchs conform part of the group of 5 routes which include the 100 more important castles of the Costa Blanca. Here we propose 5 of the unmissable castles for you to visit in the Costa Blanca.

 

Castle of Biar

Situated in a strategic place, in the summit of a hill, the Castle of Biar was built by the Arabs in the 12th century. This castle with a double wall had an important paper in the Muslim defence of the valley of Biar until Jaume I conquered it after a long siege which lasted almost half a year. The participation of the castle was key also in the wars between Castilla and Aragon in the 14th and 15th centuries.  Today, in the interior of the castle, you will be able to contemplate one of the most ancient vaults in almohade style.

 

Castell of Guadalest

One of the most beautiful villages in Spain is The Castell of Guadalest situated in the ancient path joining the Costa Blanca with the interior of the province of Alicante. In this village, you can find the small Castle of Saint José from which you can only visit its remains, but, nevertheless, it is a magic place and worth visiting it. The castle was built on a rock in the high part of the village in the 11th century by the Muslims. Its strategic situation made it one of the most important castles which during the Middle Ages dominated the entire valley and the sea. Two earthquakes are to blame for the destruction of this monument and, nowadays only some remains are left from this castle.

 

Castillo Atalaya, Villena

The origin of the Castillo Atalaya in Villena goes back also to the period of the Arab domination. The castle was conquered by the Christian armies in 1240, but it continued to be the stage for different sieges along all its history, especially during the Wars of Succession. In spite of this intense history, we are speaking about one of the best examples of preservation in the castles the Costa Blanca. From its two walls, the external one is defended by 12 towers, while the inner one shows a big of tower of the homage with 4 floors. They almohades vaults in this tower are really remarkable and the designs left by prisoners in the different rooms.

 

Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas, Onil

The Palacio- Fortaleza del Marqués de Dos Aguas, most of the times named as the Castle of Onil, is one of the most beautiful civil buildings in the province. This mediaeval castle-palace was built in the 16th century by the family Vilanova who had the title of Marquis of Dos Aguas (Two Waters); from where the name of the palace comes. This lovely construction in Gothic-Renaissance style was -till recently- the house of Onil Town Hall, but nowadays its rooms are the meeting place for different exhibitions.

 

El Castillo de Banyeres

We finish this trip through the most beautiful castles in the Costa Blanca in the Castle of Banyeres with almohade origin, which was built in the 12th century. The castle has form of an irregular polygon and it is divided in two parts: the inferior enclosure with the dependencies for the daily life and the upper enclosure with the tower of the homage of 17 metres which is the most significant element in the castle. From this tower you can admire the views of 4 provinces (Albacete, Alicante, Murcia and Valencia). The castle lived through several wars and had an important paper especially in the war of Succession, because of that reason Felipe V awarded the village the title of noble, faithful, loyal and real villa.

These are only 5 of the wonderful castles in the Costa Blanca. There are hundreds which are also waiting for you so that you learn through them the complex and turbulent history of these noble region.