Free Guided Visits to Xivert Castle & Santa Lucia Hermitage
Free guided morning tours of the hilltop Templar castle of Xivert and the Santa Lucia hermitage, led by the director of the local Gaspatxera archaeological museum, covering their history, restoration and archaeological finds. Early start times beat the summer heat.
The walk-up to Xivert rewards an early alarm. These free morning tours are led by Rafa Ronchera, who runs the local Gaspatxera archaeological museum, so you get the real story behind the stones rather than a plaque-by-plaque trudge. He talks you through the castle's Moorish and Templar past, the restoration work, and the finds that have changed what's known about both sites. Castle days are Wednesday and Friday at 8.45am from the car park; the Santa Lucia hermitage runs Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 8.30am from its entrance.
Those start times aren't an accident. Climbing a stony Castellón hilltop is far kinder before the sun is properly up, and the views back over the coast at that hour are worth the bleary eyes. It runs through to 16 September. Bring sturdy shoes and water.