According to data from the reservation portal eBooking.com, with more than 380,000 accommodation references,

Peñíscola

is the favorite town of the Spanish this year to spend Easter.

3.6% of the reservations made on the platform from April 11 to 17, 2022 have been for the coastal town of Castellón.

In preferences, it is only surpassed by the large cities of Seville (with 9.79% of reservations) and Madrid, chosen by 4.2%.

The top five destinations are completed by Barcelona (3.5%) and Granada (3%).

The result is not surprising, since the charms of this place, which is part of the network of "The most beautiful villages in Spain", are numerous, starting with its beaches and continuing with its castle;

but there are many more.

We list five of the main claims that make Peñíscola a desired destination that, moreover, is very familiar.

1. The weather

Located on the north coast of the province of Castellón, Peñíscola has a

privileged Mediterranean climate

: mild temperatures in winter and warm and temperate the rest of the year.

With few exceptions, visitors are almost guaranteed good weather at Easter, with average temperatures between 18 and 20 degrees.

2. The ancient city

The walled old town of Peñíscola, declared a historic-artistic complex, is located on a rocky peninsula, originally connected to the land only by an isthmus of sand (today urbanized), which crowns the imposing

Castle of Peñíscola

, also called Castillo del Papa Luna, for being the papal seat of Benedict XIII of Avignon.

The most emblematic place in the town, 64 m above sea level and with a perimeter of 230 m, was built by the Templars on the remains of an old Arab citadel between 1294 and 1307. It is in perfect condition and its dependencies they can be visited (price: 5 euros; more information here).

From the castle come the

walls

, built in three different periods and with different architectural and military structures.

Of the three areas, the Renaissance wall that forms the front of the fortification (from the 16th century) stands out.

Intramuros presents a whole

labyrinth of streets with a medieval layout

on a slope with charming low houses painted white, buildings such as the Casa de las Conchas (with the facade completely full of shells), viewpoints to the Mediterranean, incredible corners such as El Bufador (great gap between the rocks by which he

breathes

the sea when it is rough and from which the foam rises towards the sky) or the church of the Virgen de Santa María, from the 15th century, which preserves a processional cross of Benedict XIII, a chalice of Pope Luna and a reliquary of Clement VIII .

3. The beaches and coves

North Beach, Peniscola.

The offer of coves and beaches in Peñíscola is large and varied, either to take a dip (although the water is still cold), long walks or to practice some water sport.

The most spectacular is

Playa Norte,

with its five kilometers of fine sand that begin at the foot of the Papa Luna Castle and end in the neighboring town of Benicarló.

It is the busiest and has all kinds of services, entertainment venues, hotels, shops..., since the busy Papa Luna avenue runs parallel to it.

On the other side of the peninsula where the Castle is located is

Playa Sur

, next to the fishing port;

850 m long, it is characterized by its calm waters sheltered by the breakwater and its golden sands.

The Benicarló-Peñíscola Nautical Station is located there, where you can practice sailing, windsurfing and other water sports.

Next is the small sandbank of

Las Viudas

, to

breathe tranquility before the warm waters of the Mediterranean.

Along the south coast, there is a succession of picturesque coves with turquoise waters, such as

Moro

,

Puerto Azul

or

Puerto Negro.

It is also recommended to discover those that are within the Sierra de Irta Natural Park, 11 km south of the town, some of which are difficult to access, but of great beauty.

4. The cinephile legacy

Since the beginning of the 20th century, Peñíscola has been a privileged setting for national and foreign television and film productions.

Since the film

Ana Cadova

was shot in 1913 , the town's relationship with the seventh art continues to this day.

Feature films have been shot in the most representative enclaves of the city, such as

All were guilty

(1962),

El Cid

(1963),

Paris Timbuktu

(1999),

Mataharis

(2007),

Blink

(2013)... or successful series such as

El barco

(2012),

Game of Thrones

(2015) or

The Ministry of Time

(2017).

There are tourist agencies that organize guided tours to visit the most emblematic locations of some of the productions, lasting an hour and a half (price: from 10 euros; reservations and more information here).

5. Gastronomy

The cuisine of Peñíscola is, above all, of a seafaring and fishing tradition.

Among its essential dishes are monkfish all i pebre (a stew), fish suquet, cargols punxencs (sea snails) with DO Peñíscola and, of course, the different rice dishes in their seafood varieties, such as arroz a banda , paella and fideua.

The products of the garden are also of great importance, such as the artichokes (to which five local restaurants dedicate a few days until March 27), wild asparagus, aubergines, broad beans...

Both in the old and in the most modern part of the city, the options to taste these dishes are numerous.

Casa Jaime

(Ave. del Papa Luna, 5; telephone: 964 48 00 30), a restaurant with sea views, stands out for its rice dishes, including its famous Calabuig rice.

In the heart of the historic quarter,

El Ánfora

(Matilde Thinot, 5; telephone: 645 99 66 48) is located in an 18th-century tavern to offer its traditional cuisine.

Among its seafood specialties are shark croquettes, galleys, coquinas and sea nettles.

the cabin

(Ave. del Mar, 29; telephone: 964 480 017), located in the hotel of the same name, offers these days a tasting menu with artichokes that includes the plate of artichokes with baby squid (price: 28 euros/menu).

Where to sleep

Muva Beach Club Hotel & Restaurant

(Porteta, 5; tel.: 964 84 51 62).

Modern and minimalist hotel located at the foot of the Papa Luna castle and flanked by its historic walls.

Of its 12 rooms, ten have views of the sea and two of the shopping street and the castle, all of them with a balcony.

Price

: 122 euros;

reservations here.

Gran Hotel Peñíscola

(Ave. del Papa Luna, 132; tel.: 964 46 90 00).

Establishment on the beachfront of Peñíscola's North Beach with a large spa, an outdoor pool and free Wi-Fi.

Price

: from 94 euros;

reservations here.

NOTE TO THE READER

*By reserving these accommodations through our website, readers will not get discounts or additional advantages, but they will contribute to METRÓPOLI obtaining a commission for each reservation as an affiliate of the Booking.com program.

The inclusion of links does not influence the editorial independence of this medium: the editors select and analyze the products freely, according to their criteria and specialized knowledge.

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