Guadalest

Guadalest is one of the most unique and beautiful towns in the province of Alicante . It is located in the region of the Lower Marina, whose capital is Villajoyosa, but it lacks a coastline. Quite the contrary, it is located on a hill and surrounded by the most important heights in the area such as the Sierra de Aitana or of the Xortà.

Declared Historical-Artistic Set in 1974, Guadalest is also part of the network of The most beautiful villages in Spain. Dominated by its impressive castle, strolling through its narrow streets of white houses and visiting its museums will provide you with a unique experience. If you want to know better The Castell de Guadalest, as this town is really called, we encourage you to continue reading.

What to see in Guadalest

Apart from enjoying the impressive views offered by its viewpointsIn Guadalest you have an interesting monumental heritage and the possibility of doing other activities. We are going to show you what to see in the Alicante town.

The castle of Guadalest

Also called castle of san jose, is an old Muslim fortress from the XNUMXth century. Perched in the highest part of the town, it had great strategic importance during the Middle Ages. However, two earthquakes and conflicts such as the War of Independence caused its current state, almost in ruins. However, you can still visit his remains.

The church of Our Lady of the Assumption

Built in the XNUMXth century following the canons of the baroque, It also suffered damage that forced it to be restored in 1962 by removing its dome and its transept. Inside they highlight a precious altarpiece created by cabinetmaker Jose Maria Moya and the painter David Pastor. As the name of the church indicates, it represents the Annunciation and the life of Jesus Christ.

Orduña's house

It is the main noble building in Guadalest. It was built after the 1644 earthquake and is named after the Orduña family, who ruled the town for three hundred years. It is currently the headquarters of a municipal Museum It exhibits XNUMXth century furniture, XNUMXth century paintings, ceramic collections, maps, vintage photographs and many other things.

The prison

Curiously, on the ground floor of the Guadalest Town Hall you can also visit an old XNUMXth century prison that leads us to tell you about the local museums because there is one dedicated precisely to medieval torture instruments.

The museums of Guadalest

Along with the enormous beauty of this Alicante town, you will be surprised by the amount of curious museums offered to the visitor. We have already mentioned the Historical Medieval, with its disturbing objects of torture and also that of Casa Orduña. But there are others even more surprising.

This is the case microgiant museum, in which you can see amazing thumbnails. For example, Goya's 'The Executions of May XNUMX' in a grain of rice, a bullring built on the head of a pin or the Statue of Liberty inside the eye of a needle. All are creations of the artist Manuel Ussa, considered one of the best microminiaturists in the world.

No less curious is the Bethlehem museum and Dollhouses in which you can see many old toys and an ecological nativity scene. And the same can be said of museum of salt and pepper shakers, which contains more than twenty thousand pieces, some of which are from 1800 years ago.

On the other hand, equally beautiful is the Ethnographic museum, which recreates the life of the inhabitants of the Guadalest valley in the past. Typical costumes, furniture and utensils for daily use make up the objects that are exhibited in this place.

Finally, the museum Collection of Historical Vehicles It shows you 140 motorcycles and vintage cars in a beautiful room. You will also find here many other pieces of the past such as sewing machines, telephones, radios and even coffee makers.

What to do in the Alicante town

In addition to visiting its monuments and museums, the Alicante town is a perfect place for the Hiking. Several routes start from its streets. For example, the one that goes up to Xortà summit passing through the Cerro de los Parados. Or also the one that leads to Castell de Castells.

Both routes share an itinerary until Loma del Blocón, but then one goes on to the Yew fountain, while the other reaches the aforementioned Castell de Castells, where you can see the Arcs area and the cave paintings of Pla de Petracos.

What to eat in Guadalest

After these intense hiking trails, your appetite will have worked up. In the town of the Valencian Community you have restaurants that offer you their typical dishes.

Some of them are the rice with turnips and beans, stuffed peppers, rabbit ali oli and Baked Vegetables. More forceful is the blat pot, which has wheat, pork, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, thistles and beans, all cooked in a traditional pot.

In turn, the mincho is a kind of pizza that has vegetables, fish and pickles, while the corn balls they resemble meatballs, although they do not have meat but cooked potatoes, bread and eggs.

How to get to town

Although there is a bus line that reaches the Alicante town, the best way to get there is by car. If you travel from Benidorm or from Alcoy and Cocentaina, the road you must take is the CV-70. On the other hand, if you travel from Altea, the best route is the CV-755.

What is the best time to visit Guadalest

The Guadalest area has a climate of the type Mediterranean type,, with mild winters and hot summers. However, since the town is at an altitude of almost six hundred meters and surrounded by mountains, the weather is a little different. Thus, its winters are colder and the summers more pleasant in terms of heat.

Therefore, the best time for you to visit Guadalest is summer. In addition, in mid-August their festivities in honor of the Virgin of the Assumption, with which the town is even more animated.

In conclusion, Guadalest has a lot to offer you. It is a beautiful town perched on a cliff and dominated by its castle and has very curious museums and spectacular landscapes. If to all this you add an exquisite gastronomy, you have all the elements to make your visit wonderful.