Salobreña, Spain

Our next port of call was Motril, Spain, and unlike some of our other stops, we really hadn't done any research ahead of time to decide what we wanted to see.

So, John asked ChatGPT for suggestions on what to do, and Salobreña was one of the recommendations. So far, ChatGPT hadn't steered us wrong, so we decided to give it a try. We grabbed a taxi and set off to see what we could find.

Salobreña is a pretty little town on Spain's southern coast, in the province of Granada. Sitting along the Costa Tropical, it is known for its whitewashed houses that climb up a rocky hill, with a Moorish castle perched at the very top. With the Mediterranean Sea on one side and mountains in the distance, it certainly has a picturesque setting.

Our taxi driver dropped us right at the top of the hill, which we were very grateful for! From there, it was just a short walk to the Castillo de Salobreña, the Moorish castle that dominates the town.

The castle dates back to the medieval period, with its most important years during the Nasrid dynasty, which ruled the Kingdom of Granada from the 13th to the 15th centuries. It served not only as a defensive fortress but also as a royal residence and a prison for members of the royal family who had fallen out of favour. One of its most famous prisoners was Yusuf III, who spent almost eleven years here.

Like the Castillo de Santa Bárbara that we visited the day before, there weren't any rooms to wander through, but we still enjoyed exploring the grounds. There were old stone walls, towers and different levels to walk around, and the views from the top were gorgeous. We could see across the town to the sea, with the surrounding countryside in the distance.

One of the more interesting things we discovered was right in the centre of the castle. There, among the ruins, were the remains of a Nasrid bathhouse, which would have been part of the royal residence. These baths were built for the people living in the palace and would have been used for washing and bathing, as well as being an important part of daily life. Archaeological excavations in 2014 and 2015 uncovered and helped preserve these remains, giving visitors a glimpse of what life inside the castle would once have been like.

It was pretty cool to stand there and imagine what this place must have looked like centuries ago!

After the Catholic Monarchs took Salobreña in 1489, the castle was modified to accommodate newer military technology, including artillery. You can still see evidence of these later defensive additions as you explore the grounds.

After spending some time at the castle, we made our way down into the town.

We wandered through the narrow, pretty streets, past whitewashed homes and buildings. The town had a very Mediterranean feel to it, and in some ways, it reminded me of some of the Greek islands we have visited. The white buildings, winding streets and views of the blue sea all added to that feeling.

We hadn't really known what to expect when we set out that morning, but we had a lovely time exploring the castle and wandering through the town without any particular agenda.

I'd say ChatGPT did a good job for us once again! It was a very pleasant day in Salobreña.