History left its mark on Castalla and it still echoes among its mountains and valleys. This town in inland Alicante, half an hour by car from Alicante airport, was the setting for two bloody Napoleonic battles in 1812 and 1813, during the Peninsular War. Today, thanks to the Civify app, you can walk those historic settings and enjoy a rare experience in which history comes alive.
Get ready for a journey back in time, perfect to combine with walking routes, local food and an unforgettable stay at Casa Rural Castalla – Primavera d’Hivern. Coming along?
Historical background: the Peninsular War in eastern Spain
The year was 1812 and Napoleon’s empire controlled a good part of the peninsula. After the fall of Valencia, the French marshal Louis-Gabriel Suchet was tightening his grip on the eastern territories. Only Alicante was holding out in Allied hands, defended by Spanish and British troops.
Against that backdrop, Castalla became a key strategic point. Its position between mountain ranges and its watchful castle turned it into a battlefield between the French troops and the Allied forces.
The first Battle of Castalla (21 July 1812): a Spanish defeat
O’Donnell’s failed attack
Confident in his numerical superiority, General José O’Donnell tried to surprise the French troops of General Harispe, quartered in Castalla. The plan: to surround and destroy the enemy with a simultaneous attack on several fronts.
The lack of coordination and the swift French response with their cavalry, however, wrecked the offensive. The battle was fought in the hoya de Castalla, the broad plain at the foot of the town.
The Spanish disaster
The French imperial cavalry swept away the Spanish artillery and spread panic. The defeat was total: more than 3,000 casualties and the loss of guns and colours. O’Donnell was removed from command and French control over the region was consolidated.
The second Battle of Castalla (13 April 1813): the Allied revenge
A year later Castalla would take centre stage again, but this time history would change sides.
The defence of Castalla
The British general Sir John Murray chose Castalla as the ideal place to stand up to Suchet. He fortified the heights beside the medieval castle and deployed an army of 18,000 men, made up of Spanish, British, Sicilian and Portuguese troops.
The position was perfect: from the ridges, the Allied artillery and infantry commanded the approach through the Puerto de Biar, the natural route for the French advance.
Suchet’s assault and the Allied resistance
Suchet attacked with 14,000 soldiers. The fighting was ferocious, above all on the Sierra de la Guerra, where Whittingham’s Spanish troops bravely withstood the French push.
Among the most striking episodes is a personal duel in the middle of the battle, in which a British officer beat his French opponent, lifting Allied morale.
The first major victory over Suchet
After hours of fighting, the French offensive was driven back. Suchet suffered his first major defeat in open field, with more than 1,300 casualties. The Allied victory at Castalla marked a turning point in the war in eastern Spain.
Walk the battlefields with Civify
Today, thanks to the Civify app, you can follow in the footsteps of soldiers and generals along the very paths where these battles were fought.
✅ Audio-guided history route: the app explains every movement, every cavalry charge and every strategy as you walk the real settings.
✅ Castalla Castle: the epicentre of the 1813 battle and the ideal spot for spectacular views over the battlefield.
✅ The hoya de Castalla: picture the charge of the French dragoons on the same plain where you are walking today.
✅ Trenches and Allied positions: find out where the British and the Spanish took up their posts to hold back Suchet.
💡 A perfect experience for lovers of history and of the outdoors, combining learning and adventure.
Round off the experience: a weekend at Casa Rural Castalla – Primavera d’Hivern
To take the history in properly, we suggest staying a weekend in Castalla. And what better way than at Casa Rural Castalla – Primavera d’Hivern, right on Carrer Major, the heart of the old quarter.
🏠 Living history: the house keeps its traditional architecture, with stone walls and wooden beams that take you back to the time when these battles were fought.
🛏️ Comfort and character: it combines rustic flavour with every modern comfort. Ideal for resting after your history walk.
🌄 Views of the castle: wake up with the castle on the horizon, the same one that witnessed the feats of 1813.
What is more, from the house you can set off on foot towards the Civify routes or enjoy the local food, with dishes such as gazpacho manchego or the toñas of the Foia.
A complete plan: history, walking and food
✅ History route with Civify: relive the Napoleonic battles as you walk through Castalla and its surroundings.
✅ Walking in the Foia: explore the landscapes that once saw whole armies march past, today turned into countryside trails.
✅ A visit to the castle: step inside the medieval fortress and look out over the valley as the Allied troops did.
✅ Flavours with history: try the traditional cooking in the town’s restaurants and bars.
👉 The perfect plan for a weekend break, ideal for couples, families and groups of friends who love history and culture.
Castalla: a place where history comes alive
Walking through Castalla today is much more than visiting a pretty town in the province of Alicante. It is reliving an epic page of history, treading the same paths where the Spanish, the French and the British played out the fate of eastern Spain.
Thanks to Civify, all that past unfolds in front of you in a simple, gripping way. And if you combine it with a stay at Casa Rural Castalla, you will have the perfect weekend: history, countryside and rest in a place with a soul.
Ready to live history in Castalla?
📲 Download Civify, follow the Napoleonic battles route and let yourself be drawn into the stories of courage and strategy that shaped this corner of Alicante.
🏡 Stay at Casa Rural Castalla and enjoy a house with history and every comfort for an unforgettable break.
🦾 Walk the trails, explore the castle and taste the local food while you imagine the roar of battle echoing in the mountains.
👉 Castalla is waiting for you with its landscapes, its legacy and its stories still to be told. Make this experience your own and enjoy a different weekend, right in the middle of history.
Ready to experience inland Alicante?
Book your stay at Casa Rural Castalla and take your time discovering places like Plascaves, Castalla Castle and the Sierra del Maigmó. Your inland Alicante getaway starts here.
