Guadalest is a fortified village perched on a crag in the Sierra de Aitana, one of the most visited inland spots on the Costa Blanca. Its old quarter sits above a sheer drop and is reached on foot through a tunnel cut into the living rock — the only way in.
Above the houses stand the remains of the Castle of San José and a distinctive bell tower on its own pinnacle; below, the Guadalest reservoir spreads out in an improbable turquoise, ringed by mountains. The combination of castle, white village and coloured water is what fills the viewpoints with cameras.
The village itself is small and given over to little museums and craft shops, so an hour or two covers it. Most people pair it with the drive up through the valley and a stop at the nearby Algar waterfalls.