The stunning fortified town of Peñíscola

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The bus screeched to a halt, hurtling me out of my dreamy state. I looked out the window and saw a wide arc of glistening white sand and the gorgeous blue Mediterranean sea. I wondered where we were and my question was soon answered as I noticed a board near the traffic lights. It read: Peñíscola. I rubbed my sleepy eyes. “Penis-Cola?”, I queried out loud. My friends burst out laughing and corrected me: “It’s ‘Peh-niscola’!”. Oh right…yes, we’re in Spain!

Peñíscola is a stunning medieval town built on a rocky peninsula, complete with a lighthouse, ancient fortress, pebblestone alleys and panoramic views of the Costa Azahar, just north of Valencia. I later discovered that the name Peñíscola stems from the Latin word for ‘peninsula’. The peninsula was inhabited in ancient times by the Iberians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines and later the Arabs, who ruled the area from the 8th to the 13th centuries AD. In the 13th-14th centuries, the Templar knights built the castle on the rocky headland.

Today, the town is a popular seaside resort for both locals and tourists, with the palm-fringed beaches and the fortified town being the biggest attractions. On a recent blogger trip to the region of Valencia, we spent a memorable afternoon strolling around Peñíscola. I absolutely loved the gorgeous whitewashed buildings with splashes of colour to frame windows or walls, and the beautiful vistas of the beaches and the sea.

A balcony in Peñíscola

The cliffwalls of Peñíscola

There was a great variety of cafés and restaurants to sit at, quaint shops to explore and decks where we could enjoy the panoramic views. We entered the castle and climbed up to the top where we were treated to amazing views of the town’s step-like rooftops and the coast.

A colourful lounge right next to a blowhole

A typical street in Peñíscola

A gorgeous building with Moorish arches

Peñíscola's beautiful pebblestone streets. Whose foot is that? Clue: she travels solo.

The Peñíscola lighthouse

The belltower of the Hermitage of the Virgin

The Plaza de Armas

The step-like rooftops of Peñíscola

The Hermitage of the Virgin of the Hermit

Peñíscola is a perfect day-trip from Valencia but is also a destination on its own. Visitors can spend several days wandering the town’s lovely alleys and absorbing the medieval atmosphere, and combine this with a lazy beach holiday full of sunshine, golden sands, paella and sangria!

Search for hotels in Peniscola.

Read other Velvet Escape posts on the region of Valencia:

• Valencia in Five Restaurants
• The Treasures of Morella
• Behind the Scenes of the Valencia F1 Grand Prix
• An Architectural Marvel in Valencia

Note: my trips to Valencia was sponsored by the Land of Valencia.