The 11th-century Moorish citadel that dominates the lower slopes of the Gibralfaro hill. Built on Roman foundations and defended by a double wall, the Alcazaba is a sequence of horseshoe-arched gateways, courtyards, and small palaces threaded through orange trees and lilypad pools. It is in noticeably better condition than most of Spain's other Moorish fortresses outside Granada and Sevilla.
The climb up is steep, but a lift opposite the Ayuntamiento (city hall) carries less mobile visitors most of the way. At the foot of the walls is a well-preserved Roman theatre -- discovered by accident in 1951 -- and a small interpretation centre. A combined ticket covers both the Alcazaba and the Castillo de Gibralfaro above it; the walk connecting the two takes about fifteen minutes uphill.