Castle of Biar

The Castle of Biar crowns a steep hill above the small town of Biar in the province of Alicante, and is one of the best-preserved medieval fortresses in the Valencia region. The structure has Moorish origins and changed hands repeatedly during the Reconquista, until 1245 when it definitively came under the Crown of Aragon — a transfer that helped define the boundary between the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon for centuries. The Spanish state declared it a national monument as early as 1931. Visitors climb through the narrow streets of Biar's old town to reach the keep, where a wide panorama opens across the hills toward the Costa Blanca. Local guides offer tours bookable via the town's tourism website.