subject: Guadalest is not just a Town in Costa Blanca [print this page] Guadalest is not just a Town in Costa Blanca
Guadalest is one of those fantastic destinations for everyone on their COSTA BLANCA HOLIDAYS. It's one of the most visited villages in the country. Not surprising when the views from the top are so spectacular that many of those tourists return year after year just to visit the 'Eagle's Nest'. Guadalest is only about 25 kilometres from Benidorm in the mountain area of Sierra de Aitana. Follow the CV-70 past the small picturesque village of Polop.
The town is made up of three distinct areas. There is the new Guadalest, a modern village built solely because of tourism. The new town is the best place to park the car or alternatively take one of the many tours that go to the town. As the locals moved out of the second area all the properties have been turned into gift shops, cafes and restaurants or museums, making the walled Moorish town of Guadalest a tourist area. Finally there is the castle sitting on the very top of the mountain. The castle itself was built by the Moors when they first arrived during the 7th century on the highest part of a rocky outcrop and is virtually impregnable. An earthquake in 1644 demolished a lot of the original village although it had been rebuilt during the War of Spanish Succession during the 18th century. In 1848 some gunpowder kegs stored there exploded. After which the castle was left abandoned, all of which has left the castle in its current state.
The first sight most tourists see is that of the white washed bell tower, one of the most photographed towers in Costa Blanca and seen on most picture postcards advertising the region. If you are able to stop and take a look at the village from the road side, the tower is the most prominent building below it and slightly to the left is the entrance way to the old walled town. Further over to the left is the new town of Guadalest, on the opposite side of the main road that brings tourists from all over Spain. Park the car in the new town and walk to the old, as parking especially in high season is difficult.
The tourist town of Guadalest is mainly pedestrianised with a few cafes and museums. One of them is the Belen dolls house, a museum which has many doll houses in a variety of sizes, some built into the rock face while others are standing freely. It's a fascinating insight of the historic story of doll houses worldwide. The Magic Garden is free to enter and one of the popular stops for most tourists. Inside the garden along with different species of fauna are fantastic statues from a giant mosquito to a farmer with different farmyard animals. Statues are not only found in the Magic Garden but all around the town of Guadalest, from serious pieces of historical art to comical ones.
Carry on towards the castle after a long flight of steps and there is a tunnel carved out of the rock face. This is the "Portal de San Jose", the only entrance into the walled town of Guadalest beyond which is the castle with spectacular views over the valley and the Embalse de Guadalest. This is a dam holding the reservoir which was built between 1953 and 1963. So take the family to this beautiful town when on COSTA BLANCA HOLIDAYS.
