Castle. “El Castell” Cultural Park

The medieval castle, with a rectangular floor plan and square towers at its corners, belonged to the type known as “domus maior,” common in the south of the former Kingdom of Valencia. Surrounded by a defensive moat, it served as the residence of the lord of the town and was the main center for controlling and organizing anti-piracy defenses for the entire district of La Vila Joiosa, which encompassed the present-day Marina Baixa region.

During the War of the Spanish Succession, in 1708, the castle was completely destroyed. Its stones were later reused by the local residents to build the San Cristóbal suburb. Even so, the area retained the name “El Castell,” which has survived to this day.

In 2009, following the demolition of the old public school located on this site, archaeological excavations were conducted that confirmed the fortress had completely disappeared. The most notable discovery was a 19th-century underground tunnel: an aqueduct approximately 1.5 meters high that carried drinking water from the La Ermita neighborhood, a section of whose vaulted ceiling is still visible today.

Today, the cultural park offers visitors a glimpse into the city’s history of defense and festivities through interpretive panels dedicated to the castle, the city’s defense against pirates between the 16th and 18th centuries, and the Moors and Christians festival—which has been declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest and is linked to the pirate attack of 1538. It also features a tactile model of the historic district that helps visitors understand the location and original appearance of the old castle.