Castillo de Santa Bárbara (Santa Barbara Castle)
- Mount Becantil, Castell de Santa Bárbara, views, Lord of the Rings exhibition

Santa Bárbara Castle (Castillo de SB in Spanish, Castell de SB in Valencian) is an ancient fortification that is situated on the top of the 166m high Mount Becantil, overlooking the city of Alicante. The fortress was founded by the Arabs in the 9th century, and was discovered by the Castillian forces in 1248, lead by Alfonso of Castile. The name Becantil comes from the fact that the Arab geographer Al-Idrisi alled the mountain Banu-lQatil. The Aragonese reconstructed the fortress in 1296. The castle is called Santa Bárbara, because it was recaptured from the Arabs on her feast day. At wars in 1683 and 1873 it was bombarded. The castle was later used as a prison, then closed for a time and finally opened to public in 1963. The entrance is free. You can reach the castle either by walking or driving up, or like we did, the easiest way, to take the entrance from Joveilanos road next to the sea, walk through a long tunnel and then take the elevator (not free) to the lower parts of the castle. We decided to walk down along a winding road and take the metro back to the city center from the West part of Alicante where we ended up.

During our visit there was a temporary exhibition about Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" inside small parts of the castle (see last part of the gallery below).

Castillo de Santa Barbara 01 - entrance from the road Castillo de Santa Barbara 02 - tunnel towards the elevator to the top Castillo de Santa Barbara 03 Castillo de Santa Barbara 04 - a historic foritfication above the city that stands on Mount Benacantil (166 m). Castillo de Santa Barbara 05 - a historic foritfication above the city that stands on Mount Benacantil (166 m). Santa Catalina Tower to the left. Castillo de Santa Barbara 06 Castillo de Santa Barbara 07 Castillo de Santa Barbara 08 Castillo de Santa Barbara 09 - views towards the city Castillo de Santa Barbara 10 - views towards the mountains Castillo de Santa Barbara 11 - founded in the 9th century by the Arabs Castillo de Santa Barbara 12 Castillo de Santa Barbara 13 Castillo de Santa Barbara 14 Castillo de Santa Barbara 15 - the castle was  founded in the 9th century by the Arabs Castillo de Santa Barbara 16 Castillo de Santa Barbara 17 - ancient objects Castillo de Santa Barbara 18 Castillo de Santa Barbara 19 Castillo de Santa Barbara 20 - views towards the Northern outskirts Castillo de Santa Barbara 21 Castillo de Santa Barbara 22 - view towards Playa de San Juan Castillo de Santa Barbara 23 - view towards Playa de San Juan Castillo de Santa Barbara 24 - view towards El Campello Castillo de Santa Barbara 25 Castillo de Santa Barbara 26 - view towards the mountains Castillo de Santa Barbara 27 Castillo de Santa Barbara 29 Castillo de Santa Barbara 30 Castillo de Santa Barbara 31 Castillo de Santa Barbara 32 Castillo de Santa Barbara 33 - view towards Playa de San Juan Castillo de Santa Barbara 34 Castillo de Santa Barbara 35 Castillo de Santa Barbara 36 Castillo de Santa Barbara 37 Castillo de Santa Barbara 38 - ancient family Castillo de Santa Barbara 39 Castillo de Santa Barbara 40 Castillo de Santa Barbara 42 Castillo de Santa Barbara 43 Castillo de Santa Barbara 44 - ancient vases and other objects Castillo de Santa Barbara 45 Castillo de Santa Barbara 46 - the castle founded in the 9th century by the Arabs Castillo de Santa Barbara 47 Castillo de Santa Barbara 48 Castillo de Santa Barbara 49 - towards the bullfighting arena Castillo de Santa Barbara 50 - founded in the 9th century by the Arabs. Castillo de Santa Barbara 51 Castillo de Santa Barbara 52 - view towards Alicante's city centre Castillo de Santa Barbara 53 - view towards Alicante's city centre Castillo de Santa Barbara 54 - view towards Alicante's city centre and our hotel (Tryp Gran Sol, left) Castillo de Santa Barbara 55 - view towards Alicante's port Castillo de Santa Barbara 56 Castillo de Santa Barbara 57 Castillo de Santa Barbara 58 - view towards Playa de San Juan Castillo de Santa Barbara 59 - view towards Alicante's port and Melia Hotel Castillo de Santa Barbara 60 - view towards Alicante's city centre Castillo de Santa Barbara 61 - view towards Postiguet Beach Castillo de Santa Barbara 62 - view towards Alicante's city centre Castillo de Santa Barbara 63 Castillo de Santa Barbara 64 - a strange insect Castillo de Santa Barbara 65 - a strange insect Castillo de Santa Barbara 66 Castillo de Santa Barbara 67 Castillo de Santa Barbara 69 - ruins of the chapel Castillo de Santa Barbara 70 - ruins of the chapel Castillo de Santa Barbara 71 - ruins of the chapel Castillo de Santa Barbara 72 - ruins of the chapel Castillo de Santa Barbara 73 - troops' barracks Castillo de Santa Barbara 74 Castillo de Santa Barbara 75 Castillo de Santa Barbara 76 Castillo de Santa Barbara 77 Castillo de Santa Barbara 78 Castillo de Santa Barbara 79 - wild vegetation Castillo de Santa Barbara 80 - North part of Alicante Castillo de Santa Barbara 81 - modern tram passing by Castillo de Santa Barbara 82 - Troops' barracks Castillo de Santa Barbara 84 Castillo de Santa Barbara 85 Castillo de Santa Barbara 86 - we walked down this winding road from Mount Benacantil Castillo de Santa Barbara 87 - we walked down this winding road from Mount Benacantil Castillo de Santa Barbara 88 - we walked down this winding road from Mount Benacantil Castillo de Santa Barbara 89 Castillo de Santa Barbara 90 Castillo de Santa Barbara 91 Castillo de Santa Barbara 92 Castillo de Santa Barbara 93 - we walked down this winding road from Mount Benacantil Lord of the Rings exhibition 01 - a temporary exhibtion inside Santa Barbara Castle Castillo de Santa Barbara 83 - Entrance to Lord of the Rings exhibition Lord of the Rings exhibition 02 - a temporary exhibtion inside Santa Barbara Castle Lord of the Rings exhibition 03 Lord of the Rings exhibition 04 Lord of the Rings exhibition 05 Lord of the Rings exhibition 06 Lord of the Rings exhibition 07 Lord of the Rings exhibition 08 Lord of the Rings exhibition 09 Lord of the Rings exhibition 10 Lord of the Rings exhibition 11 Lord of the Rings exhibition 12 Lord of the Rings exhibition 13 Lord of the Rings exhibition 14 Lord of the Rings exhibition 15 Lord of the Rings exhibition 17 Lord of the Rings exhibition 18 Lord of the Rings exhibition 19 Lord of the Rings exhibition 20 Lord of the Rings exhibition 21 Lord of the Rings exhibition 22 Lord of the Rings exhibition 23 Lord of the Rings exhibition 24 Lord of the Rings exhibition 25 Lord of the Rings exhibition 26 Lord of the Rings exhibition 28 Lord of the Rings exhibition 27 - grammies by rock bands featuring lyrics inspired by the book