Guadalest

The basics

Even though Guadalest is a small town, visitors will find more to see and do there than they might expect. Walking around Guadalest won’t fill much time, but once you see the 11th-century San Jose Castle, admire the views from its viewpoints, and stop in at some of its six museums, several hours will have gone by.

It’s for this reason that Guadalest is usually combined with Aldar Springs on tours to create a full-day trip from the coast. Visitors can also fill out the rest of their day with walks down by the Guadalest Reservoir or by stopping at the Guadalest Valley Historical Vehicles Museum on the road toward Altea.

Things to know before you go

• There are several parking lots on the edge of town, where you can leave your car and then explore Guadalest on foot.

• Guadalest has a small selection of places to stay away from the historical center if you wish to experience its charms overnight.

• Because of the landscape, many parts of Guadalest, such as the town’s castle, are not accessible for visitors with wheelchairs or strollers.

How to get there

The town of Guadalest is located north of the resort town of Benidorm and is roughly 30 minutes away by car. While the #16 bus runs from Benidorm to El Castell de Guadalest, it only runs once per day each way and only gives you a couple of hours to explore the town. For this reason, many tourists choose to go with a guided tour, which is less complicated.

When to get there

Expect Guadalest to get very busy during Spain’s summer months as the crowds at Benidorm look to escape its beaches and do some sightseeing. If you’re unable to visit outside of July to September, go first thing in the morning before the tour groups arrive or after they leave in the afternoon for a quieter experience. In the first half of July, Guadalest hosts a festival for tourists, complete with an oversized paella.

Museums in Guadalest to visit

For its small size, Guadalest has a surprising number of museums for visitors to explore. Casa Orduña is a museum set inside one of the town’s ancestral homes showcasing local life, while the Medieval Torture Instruments Museum is quite self-explanatory. A little more surprising are the multiple different museums on miniatures in Guadalest, including the Microgiants Museum, the Microminiatures Museum, and the Antoni Marc Dollhouses Museum.