The World’s 100 Best Castles & Fortresses · 2026
The Best Castles & Fortresses in Spain
7 of the 100 castles in The World’s 100 Best Castles & Fortresses 2026 are in Spain. The highest placed is Almodóvar del Río Castle in Almodóvar del Río, at number 19 in the world. Ponferrada Castle in Ponferrada (number 29) and Belmonte Castle in Belmonte (number 32) follow.
Castile and León
Ponferrada Castle was built by the Knights Templar where the Boeza meets the Sil. Coca Castle in Segovia is made of red Mudéjar brick behind a deep moat. Belmonte in Cuenca has a star-shaped plan and palace halls with coffered ceilings.
Aragon
Loarre Castle is a Romanesque fortress on a limestone promontory above the Huesca plain. Peracense in Teruel is built of red sandstone into the rock on three levels.
Andalusia
Almodóvar del Río Castle stands above the Guadalquivir and was rebuilt in the early 20th century. The Fortaleza de la Mota in Alcalá la Real has streets, houses, cisterns and a church inside its walls.
