Discover what you can’t miss on your visit to the City in the Sea
This list of the best places to see in Peñíscola will help you plan your visit to one of the most beautiful towns on the Mediterranean, making the most of your time.
Set on a peninsula on the northern coast of the province of Castellón, this town, dominated by an impressive Templar Castle, has become an idyllic destination for those looking to combine sun-and-sea tourism with more cultural visits. As well as a magnificent natural setting, it also boasts delicious cuisine, where rice dishes, seafood and fresh fish take centre stage.
Peñíscola has plenty of interesting places to visit and, without a doubt, it’s well worth a full visit.
If you’d like to discover this extraordinary spot with local guides and history experts, you can book the top-rated daytime or night tours here.
1. Fishing port
If you approach the Walled City through the San Pedro gate or the Papa Luna gate, built in the 15th century, you can head to the fishing port to see each boat’s catch of the day—when it’s trawling, from Monday to Friday from 4:00 PM onwards.
Located below the castle walls and sheltered from heavy swell by a huge breakwater, this port is, along with tourism, one of the area’s main economic drivers. It has an important fleet of boats of all sizes, as well as an area for leisure craft.
2. El Bufador
Walking through the streets of Peñíscola you’ll come across the Bufador, a huge cavity in the limestone rock on which the town sits, beneath the houses, where the sea blows.
A few metres further on you’ll find the Museum of the Sea, a small free museum where you can see an exhibition about life at sea.
3. The House of Shells
If you keep walking around Peñíscola along its seafront wall, you’ll reach one of the most photogenic houses in town: the House of Shells.
This house has a façade covered in seashells, and tells the story of Aunt Justa’s personal triumph over adversity—its owner and a pioneer of tourism in the City in the Sea.
? You’ll find it on the beautiful Farones Street, number 11.
4. Peñíscola Lighthouse
If you keep climbing up towards the Castle, you’ll find the fantastic Peñíscola lighthouse, next to the Castle, built at the end of the 19th century and considered one of the ten most beautiful in Spain.
The inside of the adjoining building is currently used for the Castle ticket offices, but you’ll find a viewpoint there with beautiful views of the sea and Peñíscola Castle.
5. Peñíscola Castle
Entering the Papa Luna Castle, built at the highest point of the rock that dominates the town, is one of the best things to do in Peñíscola and an absolute must on your visit to Peñíscola.
Built by the Templars on the remains of an old Arab alcazaba between 1294 and 1307, it was remodelled in 1411 to become the pontifical seat of Benedict XIII, the famous Papa Luna. This fortress is one of the town’s most iconic places and lets you take a real trip back to the Middle Ages.
During your visit inside, you can admire the barrel vaults that cover most of the rooms of Templar origin, the Parade Ground, the Gothic Hall, the church and the papal quarters, as well as enjoy stunning views of the old town, the beaches and the Mediterranean.
The best way to learn about the Castle’s history and curiosities and avoid the ticket-office queues is to book this ticket, which includes the full guided tour in Peñíscola with skip-the-ticket-office access.
6. Church of Our Lady of the Ermitana
As you leave the Castle you’ll find the Church of Our Lady of the Ermitana, the town’s patron saint and a centre of popular devotion—an unusual Baroque religious building constructed in the early 18th century.
7. Picturesque alleyways
From the House of Shells you can take a route through the Old Town starting on San Roque Street, packed with souvenir shops and another of the most photogenic places to visit in Peñíscola.
Along the way you’ll pass steep cobbled alleyways lined with old fishermen’s houses with white-painted façades, balconies and under-balconies with curious tiles, overflowing with flowers of every colour.
8. Artillery Park
If you return to Santos Mártires Street and keep heading down towards the sea, you’ll reach the Artillery Park, a former military area with ramps, casemates and tunnels that lets you appreciate the scale of Peñíscola’s spectacular fort. Thanks to its beauty, this area has been used as a setting for countless film shoots—recently in Game of Thrones, for example.
You can access this park with the same Castle ticket.
9. Sierra de Irta
The Sierra de Irta Natural Park and Marine Reserve, located south of the town, is the largest unspoilt stretch of Mediterranean coastline from the French border all the way to Cabo de Gata in Almería, and is undoubtedly another of the most beautiful places to see in Peñíscola.
In this protected natural park you can do several hiking and cycling routes that will take you to hidden coves and beaches between cliffs, and historic buildings such as the Badum and Ebrí watchtowers and the castles of Xivert and Pulpis.
Before starting any route, whether by bike or on foot, we recommend stopping by the Natural Park Interpretation Centre to find out the difficulty level and all its points of interest.
10. Beaches
We can’t leave the City in the Sea without taking in its fantastic beaches. The town has beaches and coves for all tastes, with the magnificent North Beach standing out, with a wide sandy stretch and almost six kilometres in length. Beaches to enjoy, of course, in the summer season, but also throughout the rest of the year. A true Mediterranean delight.
