Guadalest Tourist Information and Guide

GUADALEST TOURIST INFORMATION

Guadalest is a small village on the Costa Blanca and it has become a very well known and much visited tourist destination. In part this is because of it's close proximity to Benidorm which allows for tours to be offered to Guadalest as it is only 30 minutes drive from the coast. Guadalest is a very pretty and historic small town and you will see the spectacular images of Guadalest on many Costa Blanca postcards.

In this tourist guide to the tourist attraction of Guadalest on the Costa Blanca we help visitors who are planning a trip with useful and practical advice on many tourism related subjects such as car hire, accommodation, hotels, hostels, Guadalest map, sightseeing, weather, where to go, where to stay, travel information and what to see and do in Guadalest.

Latest weather for Guadalest below:

To make the best of your visit and holiday to the Costa Blanca we cover everything you need to know about Guadalest. We also have Guadalest photos, picture galleries, views, videos and webcams of Guadalest.

GETTING TO GUADALEST

From Benidorm you drive towards La Nucia heading towards the mountains. The twisting road has some spectacular views as you pass through the village of Polop toward Guadalest at 600 metres above sea level. Guadalest in situated and located in the Sierra de Aitana mountain range and is approximately 25 kilometres inland from Benidorm.

STAYING IN GUADALEST

Althought there are no hotels in Guadalest it is possible to stay in accommodation in the Guadalest area. A rural house called El Molinet is a rural house divided into 5 apartments.

WHAT IS GUADALEST?

Guadalest is one of the most popular tourist attractions on the Costa Blanca. Guadalest is a village sitting on top of a mountain. The village appears perched on a tiny pinnacle rising into the sky which makes it look absolutely amazing. This gives beautiful views of the green valley with many other mountains in the background. Guadalest is famous for two buildings.

First is Guadalest castle (Castell de Guadalest) which can only be accessed by walking through a 15 foot long tunnel carved out of the rock. This is known as the Portal de San Jose. No wonder the castle was so secure!

When you get through the tunnel you see the old village houses and it feels like you have entered an ancient time. You can visit the restored house of the Orduna family to get an idea of what it used to be like living in ancient times in Guadalest. The streets of Guadalest are cobbled, there are little squares, a school and an old jailhouse.

Make sure you look to the right of Guadlest and you will see beautiful views of the valley which contains a dam and reservoir - the Embalse de Guadalest, built between 1953 and 1963.

The other famous building that you will often see photographed or on postcards is the white bell tower of Penon de la Alcala which rises up seemingly precariously perched on the mountainside.

The village of Guadalest only has about 200 inhabitants and needless to say most of these work in tourist related jobs. You will find many shops selling souvenirs, crafts and local produce such as honey, wine, handbags etc.

Guadalest also has a number of small museums many of them converted from little caves in the mountainside.

A trip to Guadalest need only take half a day and you can then be back on the Costa Blanca's beaches or by your pool but do make the effort because it is a worthwhile sightseeing trip and adds another dimension to your Costa Blanca holiday.

THE HISTORY OF GUADALEST

The castle at Guadalest was built by the Moors over 1,300 years ago. In 1609 King Felipe the third ordered all the Moors to be expelled leading to an uprising after which the Moors were defeated and left Spain.

Also of note was in 1848 when powder kegs blew up (the reason is not known) the castle was abandoned.

EATING OUT IN GUADALEST

We recommend you take your time when visiting Guadalest and take a break for a long leisurely lunch. There are a couple of restaurants just before you reach Guadalest which have lovely views but they are fairly expensive. In the actual town of Guadalest there are many restaurants. We recommend the Restaurant El Tossal which is up to the right of the main car park and slightly off the beaten track but much less touristy and a genuine place where the locals of Guadalest eat out.

The Menu del Dia of approximately ten Euros is great value with HUGE portions!

We also must mention this recommendation from Mr & Mrs Hay: "Can you please mention the El Riu - a fabulous Spanish restaurant on the road up to the fabulous Guadalest fortress. It is a lovely stop off either to or from a visit to Spain's most famous tourist attraction. A family run treasure of a place - lovely choice of menu, especially good value the Menu del Dia. We ate there numerous times in 2009 and found the food and the service to be excellent."

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Guadalest Tourist Information - Page Summary - This page contains unique content about the old town of Guadalest, a popular tourist destination on the Costa Blanca coast of Spain.

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Other useful Guadalest pages:

Guadalest Webcams | Guadalest Weather Forecast | Guadalest Map | Guadalest Photos & Pictures

Related Costa Blanca Pages:

Costa Blanca Webcams | Costa Blanca Tourist Information