Castillo de Vélez-Blanco

About Castillo de Vélez-Blanco

Pedro Fajardo y Chacón, first Marquis of los Vélez, built the castle in 1506–1515 over a Moorish fortress, an early example of Renaissance architecture in Spain behind a military outline. In 1904 its marble courtyard was sold and later went to the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and carved friezes of the Triumph of Caesar and the Labours of Hercules turned up in Paris in 1996. It became a national monument in 1931.

A fixed walkway replaces the drawbridge. The Torre del Homenaje, almost 25 metres tall, was built as an independent stronghold that could be sealed off in a siege. Inside are bare palace halls, galleries and gargoyles, with views over the white village. During the courtyard works some areas may be closed.

Entry is free without booking, though numbers are capped. It opens on Friday afternoons and weekends: October–March Friday 16:00–18:00 and weekends 10:00–14:00 and 16:00–18:00; April–September Friday 17:00–20:00 and weekends 10:00–14:00 and 17:00–20:00. Phone 669 363 526 to check which areas are open. The uphill walk and steps rule out wheelchairs. Allow an hour.

Spring and early autumn are best; the village is over 1,000 metres up and winters are cold. Arrive at opening time at weekends, and leave time for the Cueva de los Letreros, a rock shelter with the painted Indalo figure, about 1 km away.

Castillo de Vélez-Blanco in pictures

What you’ll find

• Free entryFree visitFree
• Monument visitSelf-guided visit (10:00–18:00)Ticket
• ViewpointSightseeingFree

Nearby places to visit

The Cueva de los Letreros (1 km), a rock shelter with the painted Indalo figure that became Almería's emblem, is a short walk from the village. Vélez-Rubio, just to the south, has the Miguel Guirao County Museum (5 km), with archaeology and local history of the Los Vélez district. North of the castle, the Sierra María–Los Vélez Natural Park has pine-covered walks around the Sierra de María. The Fajardo family also owned the Castillo del Marqués de los Vélez (48 km) in Cuevas del Almanzora, a castle and palace of the same period closer to the coast.