Castillo de Gibralfaro

The Castillo de Gibralfaro crowns Monte Gibralfaro above Málaga, in Spain's Andalusia region, and is reached by Camino de Gibralfaro, a steep road above the Centro Histórico. The fortress was built in the early 14th century by Yusuf I of Granada on the site of an earlier Phoenician settlement, and it served to protect the Alcazaba below and to hold the garrison. Visitors walk along the full circuit of the ramparts, which survive largely intact, and can step into the old barracks, the powder magazine and the Mirador, where a small interpretation centre explains the military history of the castle and the siege of 1487 by the Catholic Monarchs. The main draw is the view. From the battlements, the whole city spreads out below: the Alcazaba and Roman Theatre at the foot of the hill, the cathedral, the bullring, the port with its cruise ships and the long curve of the coast toward Torremolinos. The best photo angles are the north-west corner of the walls for the Alcazaba and cathedral, and the eastern section for the bullring and harbour. A visit takes 1 to 1.5 hours including time on the walls. The approach is the demanding part: the walk up from Plaza de la Merced or from the Alcazaba takes 20 to 30 minutes on a steep, partly shaded path, while EMT bus line 35 runs from Paseo del Parque. Crowds are heaviest from late morning to mid-afternoon in high season, and the ramparts have little shade, so summer middays are hot. Late afternoon brings softer light for photographs and fewer visitors. Tickets cost €7 for adults and €3 reduced, or €10 as a combined ticket with the Alcazaba. The complex closes at 20:00 from April to October and 18:00 from November to March.