Travel Guide to Peniscola, Spain

Last month, we took a trip to Valencia and on the way stopped by Peniscola. I had visited Peniscola in the spring of 2016 with my friends and had such a great time, so I was really excited to stop by once again. Peñiscola is a small town on the coastline in the province of castellon in eastern Spain, which is known for its beaches and its 13th century castle called the Castle of Peñiscola, or Castillo de Peñiscola as the Spanish call it. It is also sometimes referred to as the Castillo de Papa Luna.

The town is beautiful in Spring & Summer or in the Winter. Palm trees and sunny skies can be seen almost all year round. In the Summer, the beautiful beaches are perfect for sun bathing and the streets of the old town are bubbling with people in the restaurants & bars, as well as local businesses selling different souvenirs. Game of Thrones crew also loved this location and filmed part of Season 6 here. This is the second GoT location I've visited in Spain, the other being Girona.

In the Winter, it's a lot more quiet as there are less tourists due to the weather. You'll still have a few shops open where you can buy a souvenir to remember your trip or some restaurants for lunch, but most things are closed during this time. The main attraction in the winter months would be the castle and a stroll along the beach. We had the entire castle almost to ourselves and enjoyed exploring it. The panoramic view from the top of the castle is definitely something worth the trip. 

It's a town which is interesting to see all year round and I'd definitely recommend stopping by if you are driving to Valencia or as a day trip when visiting Barcelona. 

Getting to Peniscola

Peniscola is about 240km from Barcelona and you can get there by car or by train. I would recommend renting a car for the drive as this is the easiest and fastest way. 

By Car

You can drive from Barcelona to Peniscola by taking the AP7 which will include tolls and will take around 2 hrs 40 mins. From Barcelona take the B-10 then take exit 19 to merge unto B-20/C-32. Follow C-32 until it merges unto AP-7. Take exit 43 towards N-340 and then take the exit CV-141 towards Peniscola.

You can also pick to take the free route from Barcelona to Peniscola by driving on N-340. From Barcelona take the B-10 and continue on A-2. Take exit 599 for B-24. At the roundabout, take the exit for N-340. Stay on N-340 until you take the exit CV-141 towards Peniscola. This route will take approximately 1 hr longer than the AP7 route described above.

By Train

You can take the train from the Barcelona Sants station to Benicarlo-Peniscola station. There are various time options and the costs starts from € 12 for the train one way. The train journey lasts between 2hrs 40mins - 3hrs 40mins. The Benicarlo station is about 10km from Peniscola so you'll need to take a bus or taxi. 

By Bus

There are a few buses which go from Barcelona to Peniscola. The trip lasts approximately 3hrs 30mins and costs €25-30 one way.

Castle Entrance

The tickets for the entrance to the castle are not expensive and can be bought at the location or online. You can find all the details on the official website. Unfortunately, pets are not allowed, so take care of your furry friends when visiting the castle.

General - € 5

Reduced - € 3.5

Children - Free

I would love to know if you've ever visited this region or town and what was your experience?