Benissili – Castle, Gorges and Historic Paths
Accommodation in Benissili
Benissili lies in the eastern part of the Vall de Gallinera at an altitude of around 400 metres and is the highest village in the valley. The village is located on an almost circular promontory; on the northern side, three gorges converge into one gorge.
File:Camps al costat del poble de Benissili, la Vall de Gallinera.jpg
Photo: Joanbanjo via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Culture and History
Alcalà Castle, usually known as Benissili Castle, lies at the entrance to the valley from inland at an altitude of 784.7 metres. During al-Azraq’s first revolt, Benissili Castle was his residence from 1247 to 1258. It follows the usual layout of a Muslim castle, with an albacara, a large courtyard, and a celoquia, the citadel. It is also characterised by its considerable size, complex structure and natural defensive features.
The Church of San Pascual Bailón in Benissili has a single-nave layout with four bays and side chapels. It features a barrel vault, transverse arches and Corinthian pilasters. The four bays divide the single nave; the side chapels supplement the main space, while the vault, transverse arches and pilasters define its architectural elements.
The historic Camino Real led to Benissili from the north, ran along Calle Major and continued towards the road to Planes.
Benissili has several preserved threshing floors: two are located by the cemetery; another was situated by the spring and wash house, where there is now a square.
Paths and Landscape
The route to Benissili Castle and the Iberian settlement of El Xarpolar is 3.8 kilometres long, reaches an altitude of 890 metres and has a moderate difficulty level. It begins next to the former school in the upper part of Benissili, leads between centuries-old olive trees to the local road and then continues along a paved section to the fortress. Before reaching the archaeological sites, it passes through a stand of large holm oaks and alongside cherry-tree terraces.
A side path leads uphill from the spring to the higher slopes, where the Iberian settlement of El Xarpolar is located at an altitude of 902 metres. On the Route of the 8 Villages, the site with the spring is identified as a former threshing floor. For personal day planning, the route length, elevation, difficulty level and sequence of trail sections on the castle route can be weighed against one another.
More village pages: Margarida, Javea, Algorfa, La Florida, Daya Nueva, Pilar De La Horadada, Bolulla, Montesol
For holiday apartments in Benissili, travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions can be considered as separate details. Depending on your own travel plans, these points may be given different weight; they stand alongside the village’s historic buildings, old paths and landscape features.
Regional Character
In the Vall de Gallinera, early cherries are associated with a special microclimate shaped by mild temperatures, the proximity of the coast and the orientation of the mountains.
To the overarching travel overview: Alicante.
