Peniscola Factfile -
Location: Province of Castellon, Baix Maestrat district, Comunidad de Valencia, Spain.
Population: Approx. 5,000
Peniscola: To the north of the Costa Blanca lies a stretch of relatively unspoilt coastline known as the Costa del Azahar (Orange Blossom Coast), generally less developed than its neighbouring Costa Blanca, the Costa del Azahar includes some beautiful and lesser known towns and resorts. One such resort is Peñiscola, a beautiful coastal town, built around a medieval castle which stands on a rocky promontory, jutting out into the Mediterranean Sea.
Peñiscola is an ancient town and was probably founded by the Moors during the Arab conquest of the Iberian Peninsular, it is often called ‘The Gibraltar of Valencia’ as it is a fortified town with a lighthouse constructed on a rocky headland, which rises to a height of 220 feet. The charismatic castle of Peñiscola is notable for a number of reasons, not least because it was the location for some of the filming of the epic ‘El Cid’, starring the recently deceased Charlton Heston. The castle was also the former residence of the notorious Pope Luna (Benedict XIII) who was Pope during the late 14th century. The castle was begun in around 1294 upon the site of an earlier Moorish fortress, it was finished by 1307 (a remarkable feat) due to the resolve of the Knights Templar who undertook the task.
The ‘old town’ of Peñiscola comprises a maze of narrow winding streets, lined with old white-walled houses, this area is surrounded by huge ramparts and entry is by way of two gateways - the San Pedro Gate and the Fosch Gate.
Modern Peñiscola is a popular holiday resort, one of the best known on the Costa del Azahar, it has a superb marina, backed by a fine selection of restaurants, its main beach to the north is five kilometres long and 44 metres wide, comprising both sandy and rocky areas, small beaches to the south are bounded by rocky coves and cliffs, a renowned area for scuba diving and snorkelling.
Apart from the castle and the old town, other places worth visiting in Peñiscola include the Sea Museum, the Hermitage of
Mare de Déu and the Parochial Church of La Virgen del Socorro (15th century).
Peñiscola is the location for some significant cultural events including the International Festival of Cinema Comedy (Festival Internacional de Cinema de Comedia de Peñíscola) held in May / June, the Short Story Award (Ciudad de Peñiscola) judged by a jury formed from members of the Spanish Royal Language Academy, and the International Festival of Ancient and Baroque Music (held in August).
Peñiscola is situated in the north of the province of Castellón in the Baix Maestrat district, it is located on the CV141 which can be accessed from the A7 motorway and from the N340, it lies about 73 kilometres from Castellón de la Plana and 113 kilometres from Valencia.
Location: Province of Castellon, Baix Maestrat district, Comunidad de Valencia, Spain.
Population: Approx. 5,000
Peniscola: To the north of the Costa Blanca lies a stretch of relatively unspoilt coastline known as the Costa del Azahar (Orange Blossom Coast), generally less developed than its neighbouring Costa Blanca, the Costa del Azahar includes some beautiful and lesser known towns and resorts. One such resort is Peñiscola, a beautiful coastal town, built around a medieval castle which stands on a rocky promontory, jutting out into the Mediterranean Sea.
Peñiscola is an ancient town and was probably founded by the Moors during the Arab conquest of the Iberian Peninsular, it is often called ‘The Gibraltar of Valencia’ as it is a fortified town with a lighthouse constructed on a rocky headland, which rises to a height of 220 feet. The charismatic castle of Peñiscola is notable for a number of reasons, not least because it was the location for some of the filming of the epic ‘El Cid’, starring the recently deceased Charlton Heston. The castle was also the former residence of the notorious Pope Luna (Benedict XIII) who was Pope during the late 14th century. The castle was begun in around 1294 upon the site of an earlier Moorish fortress, it was finished by 1307 (a remarkable feat) due to the resolve of the Knights Templar who undertook the task.
The ‘old town’ of Peñiscola comprises a maze of narrow winding streets, lined with old white-walled houses, this area is surrounded by huge ramparts and entry is by way of two gateways - the San Pedro Gate and the Fosch Gate.
Modern Peñiscola is a popular holiday resort, one of the best known on the Costa del Azahar, it has a superb marina, backed by a fine selection of restaurants, its main beach to the north is five kilometres long and 44 metres wide, comprising both sandy and rocky areas, small beaches to the south are bounded by rocky coves and cliffs, a renowned area for scuba diving and snorkelling.
Apart from the castle and the old town, other places worth visiting in Peñiscola include the Sea Museum, the Hermitage of
Mare de Déu and the Parochial Church of La Virgen del Socorro (15th century).
Peñiscola is the location for some significant cultural events including the International Festival of Cinema Comedy (Festival Internacional de Cinema de Comedia de Peñíscola) held in May / June, the Short Story Award (Ciudad de Peñiscola) judged by a jury formed from members of the Spanish Royal Language Academy, and the International Festival of Ancient and Baroque Music (held in August).
Peñiscola is situated in the north of the province of Castellón in the Baix Maestrat district, it is located on the CV141 which can be accessed from the A7 motorway and from the N340, it lies about 73 kilometres from Castellón de la Plana and 113 kilometres from Valencia.
© Spain and Spanish 2008 - Peniscola
Peniscola
Costa del Azahar Resorts - Peniscola
Peniscola Spain - Information - Map - Weather - History - Holidays
Peniscola Map:
Peniscola is located north of Castellon de la Plana and Valencia on the Costa del Azahar.
The map to the right has 'zoom' and 'pan' features which enable you to use the buttons on the top left to zoom in and get a detailed street map of Peniscola, or pan around to view any number of the surrounding towns, resorts and villages including Benicario, Vinaros, Torreblanca, Benicassim, Alcanar, Alcala de Xivert and Orpesa.
Peniscola is situated on the CV-141 around 73 km north of Castellon de la Plana.
Peniscola Weather: Peniscola enjoys a superb all year round climate with plenty of sunshine and very low rainfall. Peniscola enjoys a generally dry climate with long hot summers and mild winters. Peniscola has a decnt range of hotels and holiday rental accommodation.
Peniscola is located north of Castellon de la Plana and Valencia on the Costa del Azahar.
The map to the right has 'zoom' and 'pan' features which enable you to use the buttons on the top left to zoom in and get a detailed street map of Peniscola, or pan around to view any number of the surrounding towns, resorts and villages including Benicario, Vinaros, Torreblanca, Benicassim, Alcanar, Alcala de Xivert and Orpesa.
Peniscola is situated on the CV-141 around 73 km north of Castellon de la Plana.
Peniscola Weather: Peniscola enjoys a superb all year round climate with plenty of sunshine and very low rainfall. Peniscola enjoys a generally dry climate with long hot summers and mild winters. Peniscola has a decnt range of hotels and holiday rental accommodation.
