Castell de Castells combines the prehistoric rock art of the Pla de Petracos sanctuary with trails through the mountainous landscape. This offers two distinct focuses for planning a trip: cultural heritage and scenic destinations. You can tailor your stay to whether you want to focus on rock art, ethnographic insights, or a trail with a view.

Rock Art and Culture

The Pla de Petracos sanctuary is one of Europe’s most significant examples of macro-schematic art. Pla de Petracos is recognized as an Asset of Cultural Interest and as a World Heritage Site. The complex comprises eight rock shelters in total. This status makes Pla de Petracos a special point of interest for travelers interested in prehistoric art.

An exhibition in Castell de Castells features reproductions of the rock paintings from the sanctuary’s shelters. The Museu Etnològic d'Art Macroesquemàtic de Petracos offers a different cultural focus: its ethnographic collection includes objects related to traditional ways of life and rural society in the mountain areas of Alicante province. The rock paintings and the museum’s themes thus offer different perspectives on culture and life in the region.

The hiking trail from the museum to the sanctuary coincides with sections of route PR-CV 168. If you include this trail in your plans, note that the shared route applies only to certain sections.

Trails and Landscape

Route PR-CV 149 El Castellet leads to Portet de Castells. At this pass, the outermost ridges of the Sierra de Serrella and Sierra d’Aixortà meet; from there, you can look out over the Guadalest Valley. The focus here is therefore on the mountain landscape and views into the valley, while the trail from the museum to the sanctuary connects cultural destinations.

The El Castellet recreation area has its own directions: from Castell de Castells, head towards Tárbena. After 800 meters, at kilometer 11.58 on the CV-752, a track branches off to the right; the area is 150 meters from the road. Road conditions and signage may change. Check the current directions before setting out.

Getting There and Dining

From Alicante and Benidorm, the municipal access route follows roads towards Callosa d’En Sarrià. From there, take the road to Tárbena, then turn left shortly after the town towards Castell de Castells. Callosa d’En Sarrià is about 19 kilometers from Castell de Castells. This sequence of roads provides guidance for the journey; take current road conditions into account when planning.

The Ca Joan Bar-Restaurant is located at Plaza de la Iglesia 5. The menu includes popular breakfasts, set menus, and dinners featuring traditional cuisine, signature tapas, and homemade desserts. As the menu may change, check the current selection before your visit.

When planning your day, you can choose between cultural destinations and scenic trails: Pla de Petracos and the museum offer different cultural highlights, while route PR-CV 149 leads to the pass and views over the Guadalest Valley. This lets you decide what to focus on during your stay without combining the different destinations into a single route.

Discover more destinations: La Mandarina, Beniarrés, Ondara, Bigastro, La Vall D'alcalà, Elda, Benitachell, La Carroja

For the main travel overview: Alicante.