Cañete castle

Above the town’s hill

The castle overlooks Cañete from a hill a hundred metres above the houses. A long, narrow hilltop fortress, divided in three by internal walls: the oldest part in the centre, with keep remains, and the courtyard to the south. The towers have Islamic fabric and 15th-century alterations. From both ends descend the walls enclosing the town. It is the province’s only large Islamic-period enclosure still standing.

The fortress through the centuries

The citadel and walls were built between the 9th and 11th centuries, perhaps when Abderramán III sought to control the district. Christians arrived in the late 12th century, and in 1187 Cañete passed to Castile. It received Moya’s town charter in 1218, became a dependent village of Moya in 1222, and in 1285 Sancho IV granted it town status.

It had prominent lords, including Pedro de Molina, a Manrique de Lara and Álvaro de Luna, constable of Castile, and in 1490 the Catholic Monarchs made it a marquisate. During the First Carlist War, between 1834 and 1837, Cabrera held it until the queen’s troops retook it.

The whole walled enclosure has been a Bien de Interés Cultural (Spain’s highest heritage listing) since 1996.

Plan your visit

Visit as an archaeological site and viewpoint over the town.

Before you travel

View the ruins without climbing the walls. Ask the town hall about access.

Combine with

Then descend to the centre and explore from gate to gate: Puerta de las Eras, Plaza Mayor and El Postigo.