Sunset on Peñíscola South Beach

In the late afternoon, I set out to find a place to have dinner while enjoying the views of the fortress in the setting sun. I soon found one of these cafes across from South Beach, near Constitution Square.

First, I took a walk on the beach, and found that it offers wonderful views.

First of all, this is of course the old city behind the fortress walls, at the top of which is the Templar Castle, which became the refuge of Bishop Benedict XIII, infamously known as the Antipope or Pope Luna. From the beach, you can estimate the size and height of the castle, but from under its walls, the structure does not look so large.

To the right, you can observe the piers of the fish harbor.

The harbor is separated from the sea by a pier that protects it from waves and wind.

The jetty is more than 600 meters long and also covers the Southern Beach.

The width of the sand strip on the beach reaches up to 80 meters, and thanks to the pier there are no large waves and the water warms up better.

Sitting at a table on the open veranda, I ordered, and while I waited, the harsh colors of the sunny day were replaced by soft sunset tones.

As the sun sank below the horizon, the sky turned a deep purple, and the city's streetlights came on.

A few tourists wandered by the water, also coming to watch the sunset.

Soon, only a golden streak on the horizon reminded of the warm day, and it became noticeably cooler.

I made my way into the city past the port authority building, where there is a monument to fishermen who did not return home after a severe storm on February 2, 1911. On that day, the elements swept the coast from Alicante to Salou and caused the wreck of hundreds of fishing boats. The port of Peniscola was then missing 8 ships, 27 fishermen were lost in the abyss. On this tragic day, residents of the city traditionally pay tribute to the victims, and a monument was opened to mark the centenary of the tragedy.

On the edge of the beach there is an equatorial sundial, just like I have seen in some other cities.