In 2012 I found myself living in Valencia. One of my favorite places to go for a long weekend was the enticing medieval town of Peñíscola, Spain. Sure it has great beaches, so why go here when you could go anywhere else? The reason is… the views! 

The small town of Peñíscola (pronounced “pay-nyis-co-luh) is centered around the 15th century Castillo de Papa Luna, a memorable castle-fortress overlooking the blue Mediterranean. It hovers over the buildings below, and makes the perfect backdrop. If you get tired of drinking sangria and eating tapas by the beach, you can visit and explore inside this castle fortress as well. Playa Peniscola

Not only does it have great views of the town, but it has a pretty fascinating history involving pirates, the Knights Templar, and even being a Game of Thrones film location!

While in town, make sure to check out the Casa de las Conchas (meaning “house of shells”), and the very scenic Casco Antiguo (old town). Playa Peniscola is the perfect place for strolling, relaxing on the beach, and eating delicious Spanish food. I know I’ll be back again someday!

Casa de Conchas

Where to Stay: There are loads of options, but I stayed at a hotel right along the beach and booked it using bookings.com. Depending on when you go, you can snag some pretty great ocean-front deals!

How to get there: From Valencia, the easiest way is to rent a car, and drive for about 1.5 hours. You can also take the train from Valencia Nord station (what I usually did) to the Benicarló stop, and then take an Uber or cab into town from there.

Other nearby day trips: If you’ll be in the area, another great place for day trips is the springs and canyons of Montanejos, and the swimming spot of Fuente de los Baños.

I also highly recommend the beaches of Cullera and Calpe. These are honestly two of my favorite beaches in the world, and I’ve been a place or two! For more things to do in and around Valencia, check out some options on Viator.

Click HERE for my post on the top ten things to do in Valencia!

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As always, all views and opinions are my own. However, should you choose to purchase any of the tours or hotels linked above, please know that I will receive a small commission. Playa Peniscola.