Gate of St. Peter, Peñíscola

From Tortosa, I headed further southwest along the Mediterranean coast. The next point on my route was the resort town of Peñíscola, located in another province of Valencia.

The city is famous for the fact that the fortress was built on an island that was separated from the shore by a strait. But over time, a sandy bridge was formed between the shore and the island.

A bus from Benicarlo took me directly to the fortress walls and I headed to the old town through the Puerta de Sant Pere Gate. The portal was designed by Filibert Bertalla in 1414, during the time of Benedict XIII, known as Pope (or Antipope) Luna, as evidenced by the disgraced cardinal's coat of arms above the arch. Thanks to this bas-relief, the gate is sometimes referred to as the Puerta del Papa Luna. The gate was built into the fortress wall, providing access to the city from the quays of the commercial port, which operated until the 18th century. Later, the port became a military harbor, and the gates were bricked up until the end of the 19th century.

After passing through the portal and climbing the steps to Calle Saiz de Carlos, I head towards my hotel, located two blocks from the gate. The city inside the fortress walls is a maze of narrow streets and stairs, along which there are snow-white houses of relatively new construction. The hotel's doors were closed, and there was a sign on them with the phone number where you should call to check in. I rang the bell, and five minutes later the landlady came and I went up to my room. As it turned out, I was the only guest. After that, I went for a walk around the historic center.