Sax: A Night under the Castle

Those who drive by car from Alicante towards Madrid see Sax long before they arrive there: a solitary rock rising from the plain like a raised finger, and on top of it, as if it had always been there, a castle. We had often seen this view from the highway, passing by, and this time we stopped. 

We liked it immediately — so much so that the planned short stop turned into a whole night. Zuky and Mandy thought it was the better idea anyway, because a city that you only sniff around for an afternoon is barely more than a notion for a dog. 

Walks through the city

Sax itself lies at the foot of its rock, a quiet small town in Alto Vinalopó, with wide avenues in the newer part and narrow, steep alleys where the old town begins to climb the slope. We walked all afternoon without a fixed destination, always a bit further, always one more alley — the kind of walk where you end up seeing more of a place than you planned. 

The rock appears again and again between the roofs, sometimes very close, sometimes only as a silhouette at the end of a street, and you notice how the whole town is oriented towards it without it feeling intrusive. 

The ascent to the castle

In the late afternoon we climbed up, a steep but well-made path winding in switchbacks around the rock. The Castillo de Sax has stood up there since the time of the Almohads, built in the twelfth century to oversee exactly this plain and the old trade route between Castile and the Levante. In 1240 it fell to the Crown of Castile, afterwards changing owners several times between noble houses, was damaged in the War of Succession, and stood as a ruin for a long time before efforts in recent decades began to carefully secure and make it accessible.

Once at the top, the view opens up in all directions: the vineyards and almond fields of the Vinalopó valley, the mountain ranges of the Sierra, and far below the town, small and orderly like a model of itself. Zuky and Mandy were less interested in the view than in the many new smells between the old walls, but they also seemed to sense that this is a special place.

The night under the rock

When the sun went down, the castle was illuminated, and from our parking spot we could see it all evening, glowing golden above the dark town. It is a different feeling to spend the night in a place you have hiked during the day — you don’t just sleep anywhere, you sleep where you just walked, and wake up the next morning with the same rock in front of your eyes, only in a different light.

In the morning we walked a little more before the heat set in, through streets that had seemed strange at night and were now already familiar. Sometimes a place just needs a night to really arrive.

Rainer Schmitz

Practical information for motorhomes and dogs

• The path to the castle is steep but well developed; manageable for dogs on a leash, sturdy footwear recommended.

• The castle grounds are usually freely accessible and seem dog-friendly; check fixed opening hours in advance.

• From several points in the old town you have a free view of the illuminated castle — a nice evening walk even without repeating the ascent.

• Motorhome parking spots are found on the outskirts with a view of the rock; do not forget water and shade for the dogs, as there is little natural shade around the rock.

• Sax is conveniently located on the connection between Alicante and Madrid — ideal as a stopover that can, as in our case, easily be extended to an overnight stay.