Castell de la Gallinera

Castell de la Gallinera, also known as Castillo de Benirrama, commands a rocky mound at the eastern entrance to La Vall de Gallinera, a secluded valley in Alicante's Marina Alta region. This Medieval fortress has watched over the landscape since the 11th century, originally built to defend the valley entrance from seaward threats during the Islamic period. The castle features an impressive elongated design spanning over 150 meters with a maximum width of 33 meters, anchored by a rectangular keep and multiple cisterns that served the garrison. Though damage from a 1644 earthquake and abandonment following the 1609 expulsion of the Moriscos diminished its condition, the castle stands as a surviving reminder of medieval military engineering and defensive strategy in this mountainous coastal region.