Castillo de la Torre Grossa

The Castillo de la Torre Grossa sits atop a hill 570 metres high above Jijona, with the town spread out along its slope. Of Almohad origin, it was built between the late 12th and early 13th centuries as part of the defensive system that watched over the frontier between the crowns of Aragón and Castile, a role shared with nearby fortresses such as Tibi and Biar.

A tower built to watch as far as Santa Pola

The Torre Grossa itself, 16 metres tall, is the main surviving element of the fortification. Its position and orientation allowed it to watch the whole plain descending toward Alicante city and, on clear days, to pick out the cape of Santa Pola, which explains why this spot was chosen to control movement inland from the coast.

Its rammed-earth (tapial) building technique resembles that of other Almohad fortresses in the district, such as Tibi and Bañeres de Mariola, a similarity that helped date the castle’s origin to the 12th century.

The castle spent decades in an advanced state of ruin until a restoration project begun in November 2019 by architects Santiago Varela Botella and Santiago Varela Rizo recovered both the tower and part of the attached alcazaba. The result was selected for the 2020-2021 Alicante Recent Architecture Exhibition, a recognition from the regional architects’ association.

The climb up to the castle offers one of the best panoramic views in the L’Alacantí district, and it pairs well with a visit to the Museo del Turrón and the Iglesia de la Asunción, both down in the town at the foot of the hill.