Peñiscola is officially one of Spain’s most beautiful towns. The setting is so dramatic, it’s often used as a location in films, including an episode of Game of Thrones.

Peñiscola is a fortress town built on a peninsula in the Castellon region of northern Valencia. It’s on the Costa Azahar — the orange blossom coast.

The name Peñiscola is derived from the Latin word peninsular: the town sits on a rock jutting 64 metres above sea level connected to the mainland by just a small slither of sand. The ‘City in the Sea’ is famous for the Castle of Pope Luna, a medieval fortress built by the Knights Templar between the years 1294 and 1307. It’s possible to climb the weather-beaten castellations and take in vast, unbroken swathes of lapis-coloured sea and sky.

The city is a mixture of old and new, set to the backdrop of the National Park of Serra d’Irta. To the north is Playa Norte, a 5 km stretch of golden sand with Blue Flag status and all the associated amenities. To the south lies the similar but smaller Playa Sur and then further out, there are pebbled but secluded bays formed between the rock promontories within the National Park.

The centre supports over 200 restaurants, the Museu de la Mar maritime museum and hosts both the Hondarribia-Peñiscola International Guitar Festival and the Peñiscola Comedy Film Festival.