Castell d'Ambra

The Castell d'Ambra sits on top of a rocky hill 264 metres above sea level, looking out over the whole plain where Pego stands today. It is a late Islamic construction, built in the early 13th century in response to the advancing Christian feudal conquest, with a layout that follows the rugged terrain of Ambra mountain completely.

History

Rather than a conventional military fortress, the castle worked as a small fortified settlement: it held around twenty stepped houses that used the bare rock itself as a foundation. Its working life was short, barely sixty years, from around 1220 to 1280. It played no active role during the Christian conquest itself, but it did matter afterwards, during the Mudejar revolts led by Al-Azraq against the new Christian rulers. From 1276 it lost military importance, and it was finally abandoned once the population moved down to the new town of Pego on the plain from 1280 onward.

What to see

What remains are stretches of wall and traces of the stepped houses cut into the rock, along with a double defensive line following the different levels of the hill. Beyond its archaeological value, the main draw is the natural viewpoint it offers over the Marjal wetland and the farmland around Pego, with the bell tower of the Asunción church and the tiled dome of the Ecce Homo chapel as landmarks in the centre of town.

The climb follows a shadeless mountain path, so it is best kept for early morning during the hotter months. It suits visitors already used to walking on uneven ground better than a family outing with young children.