Granadella is a small, scallop shell of a beach, sculpted by the power of the sea. Over millennia, the waves have broken through the line of cliffs which dominate the coastline south of Cabo de la Nao and formed this perfect little cove.
It’s really popular in high season – people come in their thousands during summer for the turquoise crystal-clear waters, for snorkelling around the bay and kayaking.
But out of season, it’s a lot quieter – and cooler too! A good time to head up the cliffs that surround the little bay and hike to the ruins of el Castell de Granadella.
It’s a spectacular walk with wonderful sea views all the way. You get a birds-eye vista of la Cala de Granadella itself, but also wonderful panoramas up the coast to La Isla del Descubridor and then southwards along the cliff line to Moraira.
Let’s get started!
You arrive in Granadella on a twisting single-track road from Jávea/Xàbia that takes you down the hillside to the little pebble beach.
Follow the well-marked trail (PR-CV 354 if you want to download it) which starts just a few metres from the car park in Cala de Granadella. Make sure you get there early in high season to secure a parking slot.
The first part takes you up a steep and twisting access road which serves the villas clinging to the hillside. Finally, you run out of road – literally – and take a narrow footpath which follows the contours through the shrubs and wild herbs, with the high cliffs looming above you.
There are wooden railings to help you through the trickier bits (see photo below), but there are plenty of sections with no barrier. It’s a long way down if you take a tumble! Keep a sharp eye out for the yellow and white splashes on the rocks to make sure you stick to the right path.
The trail is steep and a bit of a scramble at times. There’s even a handy chain bolted to the rock in one place to help you keep your balance. Further on, a couple of helpful rungs have been hammered into the limestone to give you a leg-up.
Pause at the mirador about half way for great views over la Cala de Granadella.
Along the path are ochre mines – small pits or shafts in the rock where people dug out ochre ore for use in paint or dye making. The industry lasted into the early 20th century.
To get to the castle takes about an hour, allowing for plenty of stops to take in the scenery.
The Barbary Corsairs
Actually, it’s less of a fully-fledged castle and more of a fort. It was built in 1739 to protect Granadella from the Barbary corsairs from North Africa. These were semi-legal pirates who raided up and down the Costa Blanca on a regular basis from the 16th century onwards, in search of slaves and booty.
Granadella castle was one of a chain of fortifications right along the Costa Blanca, most of them built within sight of one another so they could warn of approaching enemies via smoke signals. You can see the next one to the south – la Torre del Cap d’Or near Moraira – from the mirador above the castle.
Granadella castle was a chunky affair, built in a horseshoe shape with massive stone walls and boasting two bronze cannons on top.
Fascinating fact!
According to the info board, the castle was destroyed by the British Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars at the start of the 19th century. The Royal Navy did much the same thing to Torre de Les Caletes further down the coast near Benidorm. The Brits were fighting on the Spanish side at the time, against the French occupation of Spain, so I guess that made it kind of OK.
Circular walk(s)
The walk then continues from the castle upwards to the Mirador del Levant, which will take you another 45 minutes or so. And if you’re up for an even longer walk, path PR-CV 354 takes you round in a complete circle back to Cala de Granadella. Link here. Wikiloc full version here
Doing the full walk on PR-CV 354 via the Mirador de Granadella takes about 4.5 hours according to the guide. But there are two shorter versions – la variante de la Teuleria and la variante de Gurugú – which will bring you back to Granadella much more quickly.
Full-disclosure – I cheated a bit and just did the section from Granadella beach to the castle and back along the same path. That way you get sea views the whole time. It took me almost an hour on the way there – it’s steeper and there were plenty of stops for photos. But the way back was only about 40 minutes.
Here’s my wikiloc trail:
Trail tips
There’s not much shade on the trail, so maybe it’s not a walk for high summer unless you start early. You need to get to Granadella early anyway to get a parking space – they run out quickly in high season. Take good footwear too. I’d say the rocky path isn’t very suitable for little children.
Try kayaking from Granadella!
Granadella is a good base for kayaking. Twenty minutes or so paddle up the coast is La Cova del Llop Marí (Sealion Cave), accessible only by sea.
We stopped off at Cala en Caló (also only accessible by sea) on the return leg for a swim in an underwater cave and for a spot of snorkelling around the rocks. I went with these guys – link here.
More walks near Granadella
- Great views on the lighthouse walks at Cabo San Antonio and Cabo de la Nao (and more!)
- Great clifftop views from El Morro de Toix near Calpe
- Climbing El Peñon d’Ifach, Calpe
© Guy Pelham