The Castle is one of the most prominent features of Alicante and looks out over the city and surrounding area from the summit of mount Benacantil, which rises to 166m above the sea

The castle itself dates from the sixteenth century. The building is used for concerts and also contains a musuem, although the main benefit that we found was the breathtaking views from the top

This photo shows the views to the south looking down the coast towards Gran Alicante and the airport

Ascent can either be made by car/walking, approaching the castle from the rear. Alternatively there is a lift which goes up from the front of the castle, taking you to the top.

You can then either walk around the castle and pick up the lift again from a lower level or walk back down the back road.

The lift is accessed from the Postiguet beach, in front of the castle, you cross the road over the pedestrian bridge and walk into a long tunnel. Entrance to the castle is free but you pay a few Euros to use the lift

This photo shows the view down to Postiguet beach, where the lift starts from, which as you can see is just past the marina

On our first trip to Alicante we found the town busy and to make parking easier we used the railway station car park. It is more expensive but is easy to find, as it is on the southern edge and well signed