Castillo de Castellar de la Frontera – A Unique Place to Stay in Spain

There is a castle, Castillo de Castellar, in the town of Castellar de la Frontera in the southern Spanish province of Andalusia, that has been converted to a hotel. I guess, this is not a unique attraction these days, as many castles, palaces, and estates have been turned into places providing accommodations. However, it is still a medieval (XIII-century) castle that you can stay in!

Castillo de Castellar de la Frontera
The castle in view from the road.

History of Castillo de Castellar de la Frontera

Sometimes called “Fortified Town” (Villa Fortaleza), Castillo de Castellar was built in the 13th century. It quickly became of great importance during the wars between Christians and Moors for the control of the Strait of Gibraltar. It was a part of the defense system of the Kingdom of Granada.

The castle, like most of them, was built on a steep hill between the Guadarranque and Hozgarganta rivers. It provides magnificent views of the Guadarranque reservoir, and when the weather allows – the Rock of Gibraltar and North Africa.

It is a small castle, but it is well-preserved. Some of its walls, embankments, and the tower can be explored.

From the castle’s small courtyard, you can access the nearby inner town called Old Town of Castellar (El Pueblo Viejo de Castellar) with its white houses and narrow, winding cobblestone streets. You find the restaurant there and also a few art shops. The town is quite charming and picturesque and it’s definitely worth walking through and exploring.

El Pueblo Viejo de Castellar
Old Town (El Pueblo Viejo de Castellar ) near the castle.

Hotel

The hotel located inside the castle is often referred to as TUGASA Castillo de Castellar in travel booking apps and websites because is a part of the TUGASA hotel group with all hotels located in Cadiz province in Andalusia.

Castillo de Castellar is a 3-star hotel with a restaurant and a small bar. The inside of the hotel common areas and rooms, unfortunately, are finished in a modern style, and very few of the original castle elements are visible and do not have an old castle atmosphere. On the other hand, you can expect everything that a regular 3-star facility provides.

If you arrive with a big group, the great news is that the hotel has a few common areas that will accommodate a bigger crowd.

The rooms are spacious, modern, and well-maintained.

Tugasa Castillo de Castellar Hotel
Hallway inside the hotel.

Hotel Amenities

The hotel amenities include: free parking, free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, laundry facilities, a restaurant, and a bar.

For an additional relatively small amount (9 euro (2023 price)) you can purchase breakfasts in the hotel. This is a typical buffet-style breakfast that you can often get in European hotels. It is a lot more variety and food that you normally get with an American continental breakfast.

There is somebody at the front desk around the clock.

The air conditioning is provided by the room’s internal units. They work relatively well. However, if you have a suite with a loft, don’t expect the loft to be cool on hot summer days. The unit in the loft cannot deal with the total hot air accumulated from the whole suite.

The Wi-Fi is not available in the remote rooms at some corners/edges of the building.

There is parking near the castle, along one of the access roads. However, it is often full. The official hotel parking is a third of a mile (half kilometer) down another access road.

Additionally, do not expect to arrive with your vehicle right at the front door of the hotel. The immediate driveway to the castle is for authorized traffic only. So, you will need to roll or carry your luggage over the cobblestone, uphill street through the castle gate to get to the hotel entrance – about 100 – 150 meters (300 – 450 ft). While generally no big deal, for people with disabilities or health issues could be a problem. (I did not see any bellboys at the hotel, but maybe somebody would assist if there was a need.)

The hotel restaurant, located not in the castle, but in the nearby Inner Town, is called El Aljibe. The restaurant is highly rated by its customers. The dishes are mainly Spanish, and therefore, if you are a finicky eater with a taste for common Western cuisine, you might not find anything to your liking on the menu. However, if trying local authentic dishes is to be a part of your travel experience, you will be happy there. Prices are pretty average for Spain.

Castillo de Castellar - hotel bar
Small bar inside the hotel.

Nearby Amenities

  • Bistro Don Papa – a tiny place, located right in front of the castle. It was never open when we were there for 3 days in August (2023).
  • Venta Carmen – a bar located about 0.5 miles (600 m) down the road toward the parking.
  • La Jarandilla – a restaurant, a little over 2 miles (3.6 km) from the castle.
Don Papa Bistro in Castellar
Don Papa Bistro. Never opened during our three-day stay there in August.

Amenities in Castellar de la Frontera

There are a few more restaurants in Castellar, as well as grocery stores.

Before heading out, check the hours when they are open, because most of them close during the siesta, and then reopen in late afternoon. By the way, Google information is often incorrect!

Castellar is a small, sleepy town. Therefore, don’t expect much!

Castillo de Castellar de la Frontera
Hotel courtyard inside the castle.

Attractions in the Area

Unfortunately, Castellar de la Frontera is not located near any of the famous Spanish landmarks or attractions. However, this doesn’t mean that there is nothing to see there. Below are three places, located relatively close, and worth, in my humble opinion, visiting.

  • Gibraltar – 33 km (20 miles) – 1 hr. drive – probably the most known, out of the three, the British Overseas Territory. Its prominent feature is the Rock of Gibraltar. Top attractions include: Apes of Gibraltar – famous Barbary macaques in Upper Rock Nature Preserve, ride in the Gibraltar cable car to the Upper Rock area, St. Michael’s Cave, Gibraltar Skywalk & Windsor suspension bridge, The Great Siege Tunnels.
  • Ronda – 91 km (57 miles) – 2  hr. drive – one of Spain’s oldest towns. The attractions are: the famous Puente Nuevo (New Bridge), a walk in the El Tajo Gorge, and historic Arab Baths.
  • Setenil de las Bodegas – 107 km (67 miles) – 2 hr. drive – the town with houses built into the enormous, overhanging rock cliffs.
Ronda, Spain
Ronda and its main attraction – New Bridge.
Setenil de las Bodgeas, Spain
Setenil de las Bodegas with its enormous overhead cliffs.
Rock of Gibraltar
Rock of Gibraltar.

Final Thoughts

If you are in southern Spain, in Andalusia, and want to stay in a real castle, go to Castillo de Castellar de la Frontera. The place is remote, the views are magnificent.

However, there are a few negatives to consider, too.

One, the place is remote, and going to Castellar de la Frontera takes about 20 minutes over a winding road. Even Castellar, being a small town with a population of about 3,000, does not provide much.

Two, even though the Castillo de Castellar is a remote castle at the top of the mountain, every weekend there are big parties for the locals. So, then the place is not quite a secluded location you might have expected. And parties in Spain usually don’t end till 4 in the morning. The music played is loud and not Spanish, but rather American pop hits from the 80’s and 90’s. If you are a light sleeper, good luck catching any sleep before the party is over.

Three, there are no great attractions in the immediate area of Castellar de la Frontera.

This might be the reason why the nighty rates at the castle are so modest.

So, if you need a break in your exploration of Andalusia, and want to stay overnight in a castle, after all, you might want to stop there for a night or two, to relax. Especially, if you do it during a week, and therefore avoid the loud parties.

Guadarranque reservoir, Spain
Great view of the Guadarranque reservoir from the hotel window.

References

Castillo de Castellar

Rich S.
Rich S.http://www.greatlakesexplorer.com
Rich S. is a lifetime photographer and traveler based in Metro Detroit area. He has been traveling the Great Lakes area for over 30 years. Follow his blog about his trips, interesting activities and destinations in the Great Lakes region.

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