Peñíscola Views the Pope Luna Tower

After getting acquainted with the interior of the castle, we will go up to the right tower of the main gate, called the Tower of the Pope Luna, as it housed the apartments of the disgraced canonic (Palacio Papal).

The tower offers a panoramic view of almost the entire peninsula, the Fishing Harbor and the Southern Beach.

Opposite the main gate of the castle is the gun platform of the Corner battery (Bateria del Terraplen o Rincon), on which a lighthouse was built in 1889. The height of the lighthouse tower is about 15 meters, we can see it deep below and you can estimate the height of the castle tower.

The interior of the fortress is built up with houses painted in white, which reflects the sun's rays as much as possible and saves the interior from the sweltering summer heat.

Flat patio roofs appeared in the homes of prominent citizens in the Roman era. Later it became a typical element of the Spanish-Moorish architectural style, which also spread to the colonies.

Now the courtyards on the roofs are used only for drying clothes, but in some places you can still see shady corners for relaxing.

Looking down, we can see the Baluarte de Acceso fortification protecting the castle gates.

Looking north, we will see a long strip of beaches stretching for 8 kilometers to the town of Benicarlo. On the horizon, you can see the mountains of Benifasa (Muntanyes de Benifassà), where the natural park of the same name (Tinença de Benifassà) is located.

To the east is the Serra de Montsià mountain range, followed by the Catalan town of Tortosa, where I arrived today.

Now let's move on to the top of the western part of the castle, which is a large area surrounded by battlements, called the "balconada".

To the west of us, you can see the wharves and warehouses of the Fishing Port. Fishing has historically been the main source of income for local residents, although now it has been largely replaced by the tourism industry.

Beyond the port begins the arc of the South Beach (Playa Sur de Peñíscola), a strip of sand here reaches a width of 80 meters. The port pier protects the beach from waves and wind, so the most expensive hotels in the city are located here, and the mountain slope behind them is built up with small boarding houses and villas.

The bell tower of the Church of St. Mary (Iglesia de Santa Maria), built in 1862, stands out against the backdrop of the port and the beach. Casa Juanita, where I'm staying, is right next to the church walls.

From the north, the castle is adjacent to the church of the Church of Our Lady of Hermitana (Església de la Mare de Déu de l'ermitana). The attentive reader will certainly notice that its bell tower is very similar to the bell tower of the Church of St. Mary. You are not mistaken, the bell tower of the Church of St. Mary is a copy of the bell tower of Our Lady of Hermitana.

The facade of the church faces the Plaza Armas, which descends to the Artillery Park (Parc d'Artilleria).

Finally, I took a panoramic photo, which included the Northern and Southern beaches and a sandy bridge between them connecting the fortress with the shore.