Category: Visiting Castalla

Traditions, Events in Castalla

Les Festes de Vaca de Castalla 2027: your guide to the San Roque bull festival

Les Festes de Vaca de Castalla 2027 will fill the town, as they do every August, in honour of its patron saint, San Roque. The name means the cow festivals, and that is what they are: encierros (bull runs through the streets), sueltas de vaquillas y toro (young cows and a bull let loose in the streets), open-air dances and several days of streets full of people until the early hours. Along with the Moros y Cristianos (Moors and Christians), it is one of the two big dates in Castalla’s festival calendar, and since 2026 it has also carried the title of Fiesta de Interés Turístico Local de la Comunitat Valenciana, a regional designation for events of local tourist interest.

If you are travelling in for Les Festes de Vaca de Castalla 2027 — or thinking about it, with children in tow, and you are not quite sure what you would be walking into — this is what to expect: how the programme works, what there is to do if you would rather keep well away from a suelta, and the one real deadline worth watching, the grandstand seats.

San Roque, the saint behind the festival

Les Festes de Vaca are held in honour of San Roque, patron saint of Castalla, whose feast day falls on 16 August. They are organised by Castalla Town Council and the Comisión de Vaca, the festival’s own committee, with the participation of the La Paloma ganadería, the cattle ranch that supplies the animals. Which of them takes the lead as main organiser changes from one year to the next, but all three are always behind it.

Since 2026 the festival has also been declared a Fiesta de Interés Turístico Local de la Comunitat Valenciana.

As for how deeply it runs in the town, the Mayor of Castalla and councillor for festivals, Jesús López, pointed out in 2025 that it is a celebration “in which even more people take part than in the Moros y Cristianos”.

The bull events, set out plainly

The programme repeats itself, with variations, edition after edition:

  • A pasacalles (street parade) and the opening chupinazo (the rocket that fires the festival into life), with the town band, marching from Avenida República Argentina to the Town Hall.
  • Night-time encierros in the small hours, with young cows and a bull released along the course; there are afternoon releases too.
  • A morning encierro, followed by a release.
  • The closing event, with the last release of the festival.

The route of the encierros is not fixed: it changed in each of the last two documented editions, and the Town Council announces it as news every time, so check it in the programme for the year you come. To watch safely, the advice never changes: follow the instructions of the Town Council and the organisers. If you would rather watch sitting down and without surprises, the answer is a grandstand seat, and we come to that below.

The official tourism listing for the Comunitat Valenciana describes the festival as a succession of routes through the town’s historic streets, with releases by night and by day and any number of gatherings among the local peñas, the clubs the town organises itself into for the fiesta. Castalla also has its own permanent bull facilities inside the town: a fixed toril (bull pen) in the historic centre and a corral in Plaza Nuestra Señora de la Soledad.

If you are coming with children, or would rather not watch the animals

Les Festes de Vaca are not only bull runs. Running alongside them there is a whole programme for anyone who does not want to go anywhere near a release:

  • A children’s encierro with carretones, wheeled wooden bull frames pushed along by hand, at midday, from 12.00 to 13.00: the risk-free version of the bull run, made for the youngest.
  • Verbenas, open-air night dances, once the bull events are over.
  • The tardeo, an afternoon-into-evening street session with the bull peñas taking part; the meeting point has moved from one year to the next — Placeta El Carreter in 2025, the Town Hall square in 2026, in search of more room — so check it in each year’s programme.
  • Solemn mass and procession, in honour of the Virgin of the Assumption and San Roque; the day and time vary too — Friday in 2025, Sunday in 2026 — so look them up in the programme for the year you come.

In practice it is a festival running at two speeds: the bull side, very much out on the street, and the side of dances, tardeo and procession, which you can live from beginning to end without going near a single release.

What we cannot tell you yet about Les Festes de Vaca de Castalla 2027

Castalla Town Council publishes the official programme for each edition at the end of July — 28 July in 2025, 29 July in 2026 — so as things stand the 2027 one does not exist yet. The only certainty is the pattern: the festival always turns on 16 August, the feast of San Roque, with bull runs, releases, dances and the procession spread over several days. Times, the route of the encierro, the exact spot for the tardeo and the line-up of peñas are confirmed each year with the new programme. One more caveat before you take anything as settled: even the length of the festival is stated differently depending on the source, somewhere between four and five days, so until the 2027 programme is out it is worth treating any exact date with caution.

Cadafals and grandstands: the one deadline you cannot miss

If you want to watch the bull events sitting down and in peace, what you want are the paid cadafals and tribunas, the wooden viewing platforms and grandstands put up along the course, which have been built to a steadily more professional standard in recent years. Here there really is a deadline: sales are squeezed into a short window, announced along with the programme — late July or the first days of August — and it changes from one year to the next, both in how long it lasts and in where it is handled.

We cannot give you dates or a point of sale for 2027, because they change with every edition. What we can tell you is that if a grandstand seat matters to you, you need to be watching from the moment the programme is published. The place to confirm dates, grandstands and the programme for the new edition is the Tourist Info office in Castalla (C/ Ancha, 03420 Castalla · +34 96 656 10 18 · turismo@castalla.org), along with the news section of castalla.org.

Stay right in the historic centre

To enjoy Les Festes de Vaca without one eye on the drive home, Casa Rural Castalla — Primavera d’hivern sits in the middle of the town’s historic centre. It is a whole house to yourselves, made for groups and families: a standard booking for up to ten guests, extendable to fifteen with extra beds, with a fully equipped kitchen, a relaxation area and La Tardor, a multi-purpose lounge for stretching out the evening before heading down to the dance. Gigabit Wi-Fi, air conditioning and free parking nearby round the stay off, and pets are welcome.

La Tardor lounge at Casa Rural Castalla, with its colourful armchairs, wood-burning stove and the house sign

Want to see inside the house before you book? Every corner of it is here: our photo gallery.

And if the Moros y Cristianos appeal more

Les Festes de Vaca share Castalla’s festival calendar with the town’s other great celebration, the Moros y Cristianos, the Moors and Christians parades. If you are torn between the two, or would like to plan for both, ask us and we will tell you what is on while you are here.

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Traditions, Events in Castalla

Moors and Christians of Castalla: a guide to the town’s biggest fiesta

At the end of August, Castalla lives its most important week of the year: the Moros y Cristianos (Moors and Christians), the biggest event in the town’s whole festive calendar. If you are coming from outside and putting your stay together, here are the essentials — when the fiesta falls, what the days are like and where to stay right in the old town. And if you belong to a capitanía (the company that holds the captaincy that year, together with its guests) and are already looking at the next edition, there is a section for you at the end.

In short: the Moors and Christians of Castalla take up five days at the end of August and the beginning of September. In the 2026 edition they ran from 31 August to 4 September, with the busiest days the 1st and the 4th. The dates for each year are set by the town council and confirmed in the municipal bando (the mayor’s official notice), usually published in the last week of August. Casa Rural Castalla is at Carrer Major 33, right in the historic centre of Castalla (inland Alicante): 241 m², 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms for up to 10 people (14-15 with extra beds), on the parade route itself.

Moors and Christians parade on Carrer Major in Castalla, with the church in the background.

When exactly are the Moors and Christians of Castalla?

The fiesta takes up five days straddling the end of August and the start of September, but the exact dates change every year and are not firm until the town council publishes the municipal bando, normally in the last week of August. In the 2026 edition they ran from 31 August to 4 September, with the busiest days the 1st and the 4th; those dates were checked against Turismo de Castalla, as opposed to another version doing the rounds (1–4 September) that fell a day short. We tell you this so you know where to look: do not take any date as good unless it comes from the bando or from Turismo de Castalla.

For the full hour-by-hour programme — parades, the Entrà (the grand entrance parade), the floral offering, each comparsa‘s own events (a comparsa is one of the festival companies that parade, each with its own costume and band) — the reference is the Turismo de Castalla website, which publishes the official detail. Further down you have the day-by-day programme and, above all, how to arrive by car with the town closed to traffic.

Two related dates also circulate, but with less certainty, and are worth treating with caution:

  • The Exaltación Festera and the Pregón (the gala evening and the opening address that launch the festive season), given as 29 August, have no official confirmation: they depend on the festive calendar, which can move.
  • The Danses de Castalla, which some sources place between 18 and 20 September, are not officially confirmed either — although the second-to-last weekend of September 2026 does indeed fall on the 19th and 20th.

If you are coming specifically for these two, check them first with the official source.

What the five days are like: the programme of the 2026 edition

The order of events repeats from one year to the next, so this programme gives you an idea of what each day is like, even though the times and dates change. A warning first, because we would rather you knew where every detail comes from: it corresponds to the 2026 edition and comes from laFRESCA, the local radio station, published on 31 August 2026. The town council does not put the programme on its website, so we cannot treat it as official. For the current year, confirm the time of the event you are interested in before setting off; and if you are staying with us, we will tell you in person.

  • Monday 31 August — 21:00 Entrance of the Official Music Bands. 01:00 Orquesta Montecarlo, in the municipal park.
  • Tuesday 1 September — 12:00 Angelus prayer, the mayor’s address and mascletà (a midday sequence of rhythmic firecrackers, more felt than heard). 12:00 L’Arranc of the Official Music Bands. 17:00 Entrada of Moors and Christians. 22:00 Procession of the Baixada, bringing the Virgin down. 23:30 Open-air disco.
  • Wednesday 2 — 08:00 Bell-ringing and Diana (the early-morning parade). 09:00 Missa de Comparses (Mass of the companies). 11:00 High Mass. 12:00 Parade with Alardo de Arcabucería (harquebus volleys fired along the route) and Ballada de Banderes (the flag-waving display). 17:00 Guerrilla (mock skirmish) and L’Ambaixada del Moro (the Moorish embassy). 21:00 Procession of the Passeig. 23:30 Open-air disco.
  • Thursday 3 — 08:00 Bell-ringing and Diana. 09:00 Missa de Comparses. 11:00 High Mass. 12:30 Children’s parade and Ballada de Banderes. 19:00 Ofrena de Flors (floral offering). 00:00 Orquesta Syberia.
  • Friday 4 — 08:00 Diana. 09:00 Missa de Comparses. 11:00 High Mass. 12:00 Parade with Alardo and Volta de Capitans (the captains’ round). 17:00 Guerrilla and L’Ambaixada del Cristià (the Christian embassy). 21:00 Procession of the Pujada, taking the Virgin back up, and Canto del Adiós (the farewell hymn).

One clarification about that edition, because we have seen another version doing the rounds: some placed a firework display on Saturday the 5th. The municipal bando set the end of the fiesta on 4 September, once the procession was over. It is a good example of why it pays to go to the official source.

Arriving by car: the town is closed to traffic

This is the first thing you need to know if you are driving, and it is what almost nobody tells you. The arrangement is essentially the same every year, although the specific times are set by each edition’s notice. What follows comes from the Castalla town council bando signed by the mayor on 26 August 2026, so check the notice for the year you are coming:

  • There is a circuit closed to traffic, with parking prohibited, from 12:00 on 31 August until the end of the procession on 4 September.
  • The access points into the closed area open every day from 04:00 to 11:00. Outside that window you cannot drive in.
  • The exception that matters to you: the C/ Major – Plaça de l’Església access, heading towards C/ Portal d’Onil, stays open twenty-four hours. That is precisely our street: we are at Carrer Major 33.

The five entry and exit points of the circuit are these:

  1. Av. República Argentina, junction with Av. de Onil.
  2. Av. de la Constitució, junction with C/ Azorín.
  3. C/ San Francisco, junction with C/ Senieta l’Auelet.
  4. C/ Biar, junction with C/ San Luis.
  5. C/ Major – Plaça de l’Església, towards C/ Portal d’Onil. Open 24 hours.

If you need the circuit opened for an emergency, the notice says to contact the Local Police on 965 561 076, or to go to the police post.

Two more points from the same document: on the day of the Entrada there is no street market (in 2026 that fell on Tuesday 1 September), and the patronal fiesta is held in honour of the Mare de Déu de la Soledat (Our Lady of Solitude).

Where to stay in Castalla during the Moors and Christians?

Casa Rural Castalla is right in the historic centre of the town: an exclusive-use property, the whole house for your group, with nobody else sharing it. It is 241 m² with 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, for up to 10 people (14-15 with extra beds), a fully equipped kitchen and La Tardor, the multi-purpose lounge that works as reception and meeting point. It is the perfect base for the Moors and Christians of Castalla without leaving the centre of the town.

Being in the historic centre on these days means being where everything happens — parades, music, festive atmosphere — on foot, without depending on the car or looking for a parking space in the week when the town is at its fullest.

What else to do on those days

If you have hours to spare between events, Castalla offers more than the fiesta. We have already written about Castalla Castle and about the ten stops of the old town — two pieces that widen what there is to do here. For food, the town has a local restaurant scene worth a stop. One caveat: confirm opening times and availability directly with each place, because during the fiesta they usually differ from a normal day.

If you are already thinking about the next edition: capitanías

There is a consultation under way among Castalla’s comparsas to move the Entrà to the weekend, although the final decision rests with the town council and is not settled yet. It is one more reason not to take any year’s calendar for granted until the bando comes out.

Casa Rural Castalla hosts capitanías and their circle on an exclusive-use basis during these dates, and also during Sant Jaume (25 July), the other strong window in Castalla’s festive calendar. We are considering a package combining both dates, with early scouting for the following year’s capitanías. If you are interested, get in touch well in advance.

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Frequently asked questions about the Moors and Christians of Castalla

❓ When are the Moors and Christians of Castalla?

Five days between the end of August and the beginning of September, with the exact dates set each year by the town council and confirmed in the municipal bando, which usually comes out in the last week of August. In 2026 they ran from 31 August to 4 September, with the busiest days the 1st and the 4th.

❓ Where do the parades take place?

In the historic centre of Castalla (Alicante), in the l’Alcoià district, about 30 minutes by car from the city of Alicante. The full hour-by-hour programme is published by Turismo de Castalla.

❓ Do I need to book accommodation in advance?

Yes: as it is the most important week of the year in Castalla, availability in the historic centre shrinks quickly as the dates approach. If you are coming as a group or you form part of a capitanía, the sooner you confirm, the easier it will be to find an exclusive-use property like ours.

❓ Do I need a car to get around during the fiesta?

Not if you stay in the historic centre: Casa Rural Castalla is at Carrer Major 33, right in the old quarter, so you can move on foot between parades and street life, without depending on the car or looking for parking in the week when the town is at its fullest.

❓ Can a whole capitanía stay at Casa Rural Castalla?

Yes. The house is let whole and exclusively to a single group: 241 m², 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, for up to 10 people (14-15 with extra beds). We host capitanías both at the Moors and Christians and at Sant Jaume (25 July).

Uncategorised, Visiting Castalla

Castalla Castle: History, Legend and the Vinalopó Castle Route

Audio version of this article (podcast in Spanish).

A journey into the heart of Alicante’s heritage

Standing high above the Foia de Castalla — the wide inland basin the town sits in — and visible for miles around, Castalla Castle is far more than a shape on the skyline: it is a living piece of history, witness to battles, legends and rebuilding. Listed as a Bien de Interés Cultural (Spain’s highest level of heritage protection), the site sums up a thousand years of history and is one of the best places to begin exploring the Vinalopó Castle Route (Rutas de los Castillos del Vinalopó), a cultural trail through inland Alicante that has no real equivalent anywhere on the Costa Blanca.

A strategic site since prehistoric times

From the Neolithic to the Almohad period, by way of Iberians and Romans, the hill the castle sits on has seen culture after culture pass through. The fortress as we know it began to take shape in the 11th century, under Muslim rule. Its peaceful surrender to Jaime I (James I of Aragon) and its Gothic remodelling during the Middle Ages then turned it into a lordly residence and a key military stronghold for centuries.

Three spaces, one fortress: architecture with a soul

The castle divides into three clearly defined spaces:

  • El Palau (the palace): a 14th–15th-century noble residence with round towers and an inner courtyard.
  • El Patio de Armas (the parade ground): an Islamic albacar, a walled outer enclosure that once held defensive and domestic buildings.
  • La Torre Grossa (the great tower): a monumental 16th-century keep, a symbol of resistance against raids from the Mediterranean.

Thanks to an exemplary restoration completed in 2006, it is today one of the best-preserved castles in the province of Alicante, with interpreted spaces and information panels throughout.

A stage for battles and legends

The castle did not only live through the Reconquista: it was also the setting for two battles during the Peninsular War (known in Spain as the Guerra de la Independencia), in 1812 and 1813. Its history is woven through with local legends, too — the hidden treasure, the Moors’ school in the cistern, and the long-vanished statue of Christ that once crowned the Torre Grossa.

Castalla Castle, starting point of the Vinalopo Castle Route in inland Alicante

The main gateway to the Vinalopó Castle Route

Castalla Castle is part of the celebrated Vinalopó Castle Route, which links fortresses all the way from Banyeres to Santa Pola. Its central position makes it the ideal place to start the trail. From here you can go on to sister fortresses in Biar, Villena or Sax, working your way through centuries of defensive architecture without ever driving far.

Visit it, and turn your break into something you will remember

Staying at Casa Rural Castalla: the ideal base

Would you like to turn a castle visit into a proper few days away? Casa Rural Castalla, right in the old town and only a few minutes’ walk from the castle, is the perfect place to rest afterwards. From here you can carry on along the Vinalopó Castle Route without any long drives, or swap the history for the hills on one of the walking routes around Castalla. Live the history from the inside, in a house with character, genuine hospitality and open countryside on the doorstep.

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Ready to experience inland Alicante?

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Uncategorised, Hiking

Cova de Mossén Francés: History, Nature and Legend in the Sierra del Maigmó

Audio version of this article (podcast in Spanish).

The Cova de Mossén Francés, on the flank of the Sierra del Maigmó — one of the limestone ranges of inland Alicante, about half an hour from the Costa Blanca — is one of those places where nature, history and legend twist together almost magically. Set at more than 1,100 metres above sea level, close to the beauty spot of Xorret de Catí, this natural cave is not only a first-rate piece of landscape but also a story that runs through centuries of local uses, beliefs and traditions.

If you want to leave the noise of the coast behind and get to the heart of inland Alicante, this is an outing that brings together walking, history and nature. And if you are looking for a welcoming, genuine base for it, Casa Rural Castalla is the obvious choice: from the house the cave is a short drive away and then a walk that wakes up every one of your senses.

A cave with a name of its own (and an explosive priest) 🕳️💥📖

The name catches your attention straight away. “Mossén” is an old Valencian honorific for a priest, roughly the equivalent of “Father”, and “Francés” could be either a surname or a nickname. Legend has it that this clergyman, a keen hunter with ferrets, ended up using dynamite to get one of his animals out from underground. The result was startling: not only did he recover his ferret, he opened up the mouth of an impressive limestone cave. That is how the Cova de Mossén Francés was born, in a story that mixes humour, sheer chance and a touch of ecclesiastical irreverence.

Panoramic view from the balcony of the Cova de Mossén Francés over the mountains and valleys of the Sierra del Maigmó.

Landscape and setting: a natural balcony 🏞️🌄🔦

The cave sits at around 1,160 metres, with spectacular views over the Catí valley, the Foia de Castalla — the wide upland basin that Castalla sits in — and the nearby Sierra del Cid. You reach it on the PR-CV 31, a circular waymarked path of about 8 kilometres that starts from the recreation area at Xorret de Catí. In Spain a PR is a short waymarked walking route, signed with white and yellow flashes. The cave is easy to reach for walkers of basic fitness and needs no technical kit: its horizontal gallery, some 30 metres long, can be explored on foot, although a torch is strongly recommended if you want to go in safely.

Past the entrance, part of which was cut artificially with old explosives, the cave opens into a space with a level floor and high ceilings — clear evidence of long human use over time.

History written into the rock of the Cova de Mossén Francés 🕯️📜🧱

Beyond the legend of the hunting priest, there are records of the Cova de Mossén Francés being used by shepherds, who adapted it to shelter alongside their flocks. The levelled floor and the remains of old fires tell of its role as a refuge from the cold and from storms.

There are even signs of occupation in the Andalusi period, when this was Muslim Spain, and the cave may have sheltered bandits and, later, the maquis — the anti-Franco guerrillas who took to the mountains after the Civil War — during the nineteenth century and the years after the Civil War. That mix of uses makes the Cova a genuine stone archive of the rural and social history of the district.

Mysterious interior of the Cova de Mossén Francés, with light and shadow picking out the rock formations.

Plants and wildlife: Mediterranean biodiversity 🌿🦉🌞

The country around the cave is a living example of well-preserved Mediterranean woodland. Aleppo pines, holm oaks, thyme, rosemary and rockrose share a patchwork of vegetation that shifts with the seasons. In spring the air fills with the scent of flowers; in autumn ochre tones spread across the landscape.

The wildlife includes Barbary sheep, wild boar, genet and fox, and birds such as the eagle owl, the peregrine falcon and Montagu’s harrier. A paradise for birdwatchers and wildlife photographers.

Walking with history 🥾🗺️🏔️

The PR-CV 31 does not only take you to the Cova de Mossén Francés: it also gives you viewpoints, places to stop and the chance to link up with other landmarks such as the Pou de Neu de Planisses, an old snow well where ice was packed and stored through the summer long before refrigeration. Xorret de Catí is also a regular feature on stages of the Vuelta a España, which adds something extra for cyclists and cycling fans. 🚵‍♂️🏁📍

From Casa Rural Castalla, getting to Xorret de Catí is quick and easy. We help you plan your route for the morning, pack a picnic and come back to the house to relax in the sitting room, play a board game or cook dinner with local produce. 🍽️🛋️🍷

Tips for your visit 🧢🧭🧴

  • Best time of year: spring and autumn, for the mild weather and the colours of the landscape.
  • What to take: walking boots, water, a torch and a warm layer, even in summer.
  • Take care: there is a sheer drop from the viewpoint outside the cave — keep well back from the edge, especially with children.
  • Respect the place: take your litter home, leave the plants alone and do not disturb the animals.

More than a day out: a complete experience ✨🧳🎒

Visiting the Cova de Mossén Francés is much more than walking a waymarked path: it puts you in touch with history, with the traditions of the Alicante mountains and with landscapes that have been silent witnesses to rural life for centuries.

Casa Rural Castalla, right in the historic heart of the town, is the ideal place to stay alongside an outing like this. Its warm atmosphere, its closeness to the walking routes and its commitment to sustainability make it the perfect base from which to explore the Maigmó. 🏡💫🌄

So why not go and find this treasure in the mountains? The Cova de Mossén Francés is waiting, with its explosive history, its picture-postcard views and a legend that still echoes among the rocks. 🧨📷🔍

Get in touch about your stay at Casa Rural Castalla and get ready for an adventure you will always remember. 💼🌿🌟

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.

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Cycling, Activities, Around Castalla, Hiking, Planisses, Visiting Castalla, Xorret de Catí

Casas de Planisses, Castalla: Rural Heritage at Xorret de Catí

Set in a beautiful stretch of countryside, the Casas de Planisses — the farmhouses of Planisses, an area of upland farmland in the Castalla hills — are a little-known piece of architectural heritage with real historical and cultural value. They stand in the area of Xorret de Catí, within the municipality of Castalla (Alicante), in the inland hills behind the Costa Blanca, and they show a perfect fit between people and the land around them. Built with traditional materials such as stone, adobe and lime mortar, these houses stand out as much for their beauty as for how well they work, and they have become a symbol of the region’s vernacular architecture.

History and origins of the Casas de Planisses in Castalla

The Casas de Planisses date back to the end of the eighteenth century, although they only settled into a recognisable architectural type during the nineteenth. Rural life then depended largely on farming and livestock, so siting these houses on flat or gently rolling ground was essential to make work in the fields easier.

They were designed with a thoroughly practical outlook, but without losing sight of how they sat in the landscape. In that way the Casas de Planisses of Castalla became witnesses to a self-sufficient way of life, in which adapting to your surroundings was the key to getting by.

Casas de Planisses at Xorret de Catí

Architectural features: a conversation with the landscape

One of the most striking things about these houses is how comfortably they sit in the countryside around them. Choosing local materials did not only make them last; it also kept the temperature inside under control. Their main features include:

  • Thick walls of stone and adobe: built to stand up to whatever the Mediterranean climate throws at them.
  • A central courtyard: the family meeting point and a working space for everyday chores.
  • Pitched roofs: covered with curved clay tiles that shed rainwater.
  • An efficient layout: rooms arranged to make the most of natural light and ventilation.

At Xorret de Catí, a mountain beauty spot and recreation area in the Castalla hills, these houses stand in a remarkable natural setting, and the landscape has played a key part both in keeping them standing and in the way they are now valued as heritage.

Rural architecture of the Casas de Planisses in Castalla

Why conservation matters

For all their historical importance, many of the Casas de Planisses are at risk of disappearing through neglect and lack of restoration. In recent years initiatives have appeared that aim to preserve this architectural legacy and keep alive the memory of a way of life that is part of the region’s identity.

Restoration projects set out not only to recover the physical fabric of these houses but also to rescue their history and the traditions that go with them. Raising awareness of why these buildings matter is crucial if they are to survive.

Stone walls of the Casas de Planisses at Xorret de Catí

A destination for lovers of history and nature

If you enjoy history, architecture and country breaks, visiting the Casas de Planisses at Xorret de Catí is an experience you will not repeat anywhere else. This corner of the hills lets you admire buildings that are centuries old and, on the same day, walk the paths and enjoy the wildlife of the area.

Visiting them gives you a first-hand sense of how earlier generations lived, a moment to think about the relationship between people and their surroundings, and a good reason to value what is left of rural architectural heritage.

The Planisses landscape in the countryside around Castalla

Plan your weekend in Castalla

If you are after a different sort of break, come and spend a weekend in Castalla, staying at Casa Rural Castalla. We organise guided walks at no extra cost to see the Casas de Planisses, along with other landmarks of the area, always subject to the guide being available. It makes for a stay you will remember, in which history, architecture and landscape come together.

Message us about your stay and get ready to see Castalla in a different way.

In short

The Casas de Planisses are tangible evidence of the history and culture of this region. Their architecture, in tune with the land, and their historical importance make them an essential part of the Xorret de Catí landscape. Protecting them and telling people about them is fundamental if future generations are to go on admiring and learning from these gems of rural architecture.

If you have a soft spot for history and traditional architecture, do go and explore Xorret de Catí and see the charm of the Casas de Planisses in Castalla for yourself. Ask us about your break and spend a weekend full of history, nature and the real thing.

Casas de Planisses at Xorret de Catí
Rural architecture of Planisses in Castalla
Casas de Planisses at Xorret de Catí
The Planisses landscape at Xorret de Catí
Detail of the Casas de Planisses in Castalla
Stone walls of Planisses in inland Alicante
The natural setting of the Casas de Planisses at Xorret de Catí
Vernacular architecture of Planisses in Castalla
Casas de Planisses among the mountains of Castalla
Rural landscape of Planisses at Xorret de Catí
The Casas de Planisses at first light
Casas de Planisses in the Xorret de Catí countryside

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.

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