Peñíscola in Spain – historic coastal town with a mighty castle

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: August 2026 | Peñíscola is one of Spain's most spectacular coastal towns, with a medieval castle and whitewashed old town perched on a cliff above the Mediterranean. Historic alleyways, long sandy beaches, beautiful views and a healthy dose of Spanish holiday spirit await you here.

Peniscola in Spain

We arrived in Peñíscola by camper van and stayed for a few days to discover the city and its surroundings. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t at its most Spanish – we had significantly more rain than sun – but we still managed to experience the old town, the castle and the special setting by the sea. Here we share our experiences and tips on what to see and do in Peñíscola.

Peñíscola is located on the Mediterranean Sea on the Costa del Azahar, in the province of Castellón in the region of Valencia. The town is located approximately 140 km north of Valencia and 120 km south of Tarragona, making it a natural stop on a trip along the east coast of Spain.

Stroll through Peñíscola's old town

The historic part of Peñíscola is perched high on a cliff jutting out into the Mediterranean. Inside the old walls, narrow alleys wind between whitewashed houses, small shops and restaurants. The higher you go, the better the views of the sea, the port and the long beaches.

At the top is the Castillo de Peñíscola, but the walk through the old town itself is a big part of the experience. There are also small squares, viewpoints and historic buildings to discover along the way.

Castillo de Peñíscola – Castle of the Knights Templar

At the top of the old city is Peniscola Castle, the city's main attraction. The castle was built by the Knights Templar between 1294 and 1307 on the remains of an older Muslim fortification.

In the 15th century, the castle became the residence of Benedict XIII, better known as Papa Luna, one of the antipopes during the Great Schism in the Catholic Church. The castle has also had a place in film history and was used in the filming of El Cid from 1961. From the walls you also get fantastic views of Peñíscola and the Mediterranean Sea.

Peñíscola in film and television

Peñíscola's dramatic setting has made the city popular as a filming location. In addition to the film El Cid Parts of the old town were used in the TV series Game of Thrones. During the series' sixth season, Peñíscola was given the role of portraying parts of the city of Meereen.

The beach in Peñíscola

We went to Peñíscola because we were told it would be so nice here, and it certainly can be. It's a little, a little hard to imagine when the rain is relentlessly beating down from the side, but we can see that there is a long, nice sandy beach here. We can also imagine that all these outdoor cafes, cafes and ice cream parlors are packed during high season.

The big beach is called North Beach and stretches several kilometers north from the old town. Here there is a wide promenade with restaurants and cafes, and during the summer the beach is one of Peñíscola's big attractions. On the other side of the historic center is the much smaller Playa Sur.

Peñíscola with a campervan – Camping La Volta

We stayed at a campsite. La Volta, a simple but nice campervan campsite that is a bit like a motorhome site. Here you will find the services you need, including electricity, at a reasonable price. It rained a lot when we were here, but we were still satisfied.

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

Starting from Peniscola, you can get to many other exciting and beautiful places in Spain. Here are some tips:

• Things to do in Valencia
• Things to do in Benidorm
• Things to do in Tarragona 
• Things to do in Barcelona