GUADALEST

is a small town inland town on the Costa Blanca and is part of the “most beautiful towns of Spain” association. It is a small, yet a very touristic town, and most well known for its picturesque castle that overlooks the valley of Guadalest.

Guadalest already exists since Moorish times and in medieval centuries was owned by different Spanish noble families. One of the biggest disasters that happened to Guadalest were two major earthquakes in 1644 destroying its castle and a large part of the town that has been rebuilt since.

In recent years another important milestone for this town has been the construction of the dam, that started in 1953 and ended in 1971. This dam is the reason that on the foot of the hill where the town is set, away from the many tourists, there is the artificial lake with a beautiful scenic walking route to be enjoyed. 

After arriving at one of the many parking spaces, that need to be paid for, there are only a few streets full with souvenir shops, bars and museums that lead to the ancient tunnel accessing the old towns only street with more restaurants and museums. There is a special museum route that takes you to the cemetery on top of the hill offering splendid views of the lake and the nature that surrounds this town.

As there is no public transport connecting this inland town with any of the coastal towns, the best way is to drive up by car using the CV-70 from La Nucia/Polop.