Santa Bàrbara Castle sits on a rocky outcrop called Mount Benacantil, 166 metres above Alicante's beach, and dominates the city skyline from nearly every direction. The fortress dates from Moorish times, though most of what survives today is the work of Spanish kings from the sixteenth century onwards, when Alicante was an important Mediterranean port.
The castle is reached by a free lift bored directly through the mountain — the entrance is on the beach — or by a road that winds up the back of the hill. At the top, the views are exceptional: the harbour, the long strip of the Postiguet beach, and on clear days the mountains of the interior stretching away to the northwest. The castle interior houses a permanent exhibition on the city's history. Allow at least an hour, more if you plan to explore all the terraces and battlements.