Castell de Castells and Santuari de Pla de Petracos - archaeological excavation - cave paintings

Castell de Castells is a typical old mountain village an hour's drive from the coast on the Costa Blanca. It is a hub for cyclists, hikers and mountaineers who appreciate the nature in the area. There are 15 marked trails that range from easy walks to demanding routes with rock climbing. A few kilometers away is an archaeological site that is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. There, traces of 7,000-year-old settlements have been found. The article describes both the village and the archaeological excavation.

The village of Castell de Castells has only 443 inhabitants (as of 2025/2026) and is threatened by emigration, not least because most of them are old and few young families want to settle here. Traditionally, the population has lived from dry farming, that is, growing almonds and olives on terraced hillsides. Now tourism is the main industry. Despite being small, the village has several bars and restaurants that attract many visitors. Both hikers and cyclists take a break here. The village has a pharmacy, a town hall with an ethnological museum and a public swimming pool. The old town is so small that you don't need a map to find your way around. Just walk around the narrow, steep, peaceful streets.

The streets of Castell de Castells are steep, narrow and peaceful

Time passes slowly in Castell de Castells

The main room of the Iglesia de Santa Ana was built in the 18th century, but the tower was only added in the mid-20th century. It is made in a very sober style both outside and inside with few decorations. The church is named after the patron saint Ana who, according to apocryphal writings, was the mother of the Virgin Mary. Santa Ana is the guardian angel of grandmothers, mothers, pregnant women, childless couples, miners and horsemen. Her memorial day in the Catholic Church is July 26, and in this church it is celebrated on July 25 and 26 every year.

Santa Ana is often depicted with her daughter, the Virgin Mary, teaching her to read the Holy Scriptures. This is the only decoration on the church's exterior.

The village hall, which contains public offices, the mayor's office and meeting rooms for the municipal council. In addition, we find the ethnological museum in parts of the building. This is a place where the local population can solve their administrative needs.

The main entrance to the town hall and ethnological museum. In the ethnological museum you can learn how life has changed over the centuries in this mountain landscape.

After visiting Castell de Castells, you should visit the Santuari de Pla de Petracos, an archaeological site located 6.3 km away, a 10-minute drive or an hour and a half walk. Follow the CV-720 from the village to the northeast for about 5 km, where you turn left onto Cami a la Vall d'Ebo. Follow it for about 1.5 km until you see a sign on the right. The parking lot is on the left, 50 meters further on. It is small and only has room for 5-6 cars.

The parking lot at Santuari de Pla de Petracos seen from the hill on the other side

When you see the large overhang and the beautiful patterns in the rock, you are fascinated. It is easy to understand that our predecessors did the same. Archaeologists believe that this has been a sacred place where people prayed to the gods for good crops and performed rites of passage for young people who were about to become adults. The paintings are believed to be up to 7,000 years old. At that time, the first farmers came from the Middle East and started the Neolithic period in Spain. Today, it may be difficult to see the drawings in the patterned rock, but for those who visit the site, the rock is beautiful enough in itself. It may be wise to bring binoculars to study the walls under the overhang closely. You can go inside the cave where there are also cave paintings, but because of the darkness, these are difficult to see. It is allowed to go inside the cave, and you can see most of the paintings from the outside, but a fence has been erected to prevent visitors from going up to the paintings and touching them. Within the fences, a series of informational posters have been set up describing the history and the special macro-schema style that the farmers created. They painted stylized line drawings with a bright red pigment that has survived to this day. Often the figures show people stretching their arms in prayer. The Santuari de Pla de Petracos is considered one of the most important archaeological finds in Spain. Due to its historical importance, the site has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

To reach the site of the murals, one must walk a marked path that leads to a staircase up to a plateau where there is a fenced area with information posters.

The entrance to the cave, which quickly becomes dark and cramped if you move into it

Kvinne i åpningen av hulen ser ut over landskapet med terrassert jordbruk

Beautiful patterns in the rock wall

I enden av gjerdet er det laget en innhegning der man blir vist hvor det skal være en malt figur av et dyr med horn. Metallstangen i bildet peker på denne. Det kan kreves både erfaring og fantasi for å se tegningene selv der hvor de blir utpekt.

Side view of rock overhang in Beautiful patterns in the rock wall of Santuari de Pla de Petracos

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Excursion of the week: Castell de Castells and Santuari de Pla de Petracos - archaeological excavation - cave paintings

How to find it: Enter Castell de Castells on Google Maps. Be aware that there is poor internet coverage in the area. You should therefore download the map in advance so that you can orient yourself without an internet connection. To find Santuari de Pla de Petracos, continue along the CV-720 past Castell de Castells for about 5 km. There, turn left and follow this for about 1.5 km until you reach a sign on the right side of the road. The parking lot is on the left side about 50 meters further on.

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