Dénia Castle

Dénia Castle is a fortress of Islamic origin dating from the 11th–12th centuries, on a hill in the centre of town above the harbour. The Governor's Palace at the top houses an archaeological museum, and the old sailors' quarter of Baix la Mar lies by the sea at its foot.

Dénia Castle occupies a hill right in the centre of town, overlooking the harbour and the old streets. Its layout dates from the Islamic period in the 11th–12th centuries, when it was the citadel and residence of the governor of Daniya, and archaeological finds show earlier occupation here in the time of Roman Dianium. After James I took the town in 1244 the fortress was rebuilt several times, and in the 16th and 17th centuries it gained Renaissance bastions against pirate raids. Around 1600 the Duke of Lerma, Marquis of Dénia, built the Renaissance Governor's Palace at the top. French troops occupied the castle from January 1812 to December 1813, and the army abandoned the fortress in 1859. The castle has two walled enclosures: the upper citadel and the lower albacar. The main gate is the Portal de la Vila with its pointed horseshoe arches, while the Torre del Mig stands out for its double horseshoe arches framed by an alfiz. Other surviving features include the Torre del Consell, where the town council met in the 15th century, the Torre Roja and a 15th-century cistern. Dénia's Archaeological Museum occupies the Governor's Palace in the upper part of the castle, with four rooms devoted to the Iberian, Roman, Muslim and Christian periods. The Governor's Esplanade at the top offers views over the town, the harbour and the surrounding area, and in summer hosts two weeks of concerts in the Music Castell series. The castle can only be reached on foot, and one visitor describes two ways up: a steep one on old cobbles and a gentler tarmac path. At the top there is a café and, according to reviews, toilets; one visitor praises the seating in the shade of the pines, a good place to recover after the climb. Reviewers point out that some information boards are only in Valencian, and one says the upper museum has English labels. Beneath the hill runs a tunnel dug in 1937–1938 as an air-raid shelter, which now links Plaça del Consell with the Ronda de las Murallas. At the foot of the castle, right by the sea, lies Baix la Mar, the old quarter of sailors and seafarers with colourful low houses and a maze of lanes. After the castle it is worth walking down to Plaza de San Antonio, which is lined with bars and terraces.