Spain Guide
Andalucía
Gibralfaro
Opening time: Tues– Sun: April– Sept 9.30am–8pm; Oct– March 8.30am–5.45pm
Price: €2, €3.30 combined ticket with Alcazaba
Connected to the Alcazaba by a long double wall (the coracha), the Gibralfaro castle was last used in 1936 during the Civil War. Like the Alcazaba, hit as been wonderfully restored and now houses an interesting museum devoted to its history – a scale model lets you see how the city would have looked in Moorish times. A walk around the battlements affords terrific views over the city, while the nearby parador (reached by following the road leading out of the castle's car park for 100m and turning right into the parador's grounds) has a pleasant terrace café and restaurant with more fine views.
The castle is reached by climbing a twisting path that skirts the southern walls, passing bougainvillea-draped ramparts and sentry-box-shaped Moorish wells. You can also approach from the town side, as the urban buses and tourist coaches do, but this is a rather unattractive walk and not one to be done alone after sundown. If you want to avoid the climb altogether, you can take bus #35 east from the Paseo del Parque, which stops just outside the entrance.