During the Reconquista, the flatlands between Guadix and the mountains fell under the command of Marqués Rodrigo de Mendoza, whose tempestuous life included a spell in Italy unsuccessfully wooing Lucrezia Borgia. About 20km southeast of Guadix, his forbidding Castillo de la Calahorra looms on a hilltop, guarding the pass over the Sierra Nevada.
Built between 1509 and 1512, the domed corner towers and blank walls enclose an elegant Renaissance courtyard with a staircase of Carrara marble. Guided tours (in Spanish) take about 30 minutes, and if you arrive while one is going on, you’ll have to wait for the door to be opened.
For guided tours outside of regular hours, contact the caretaker Antonio Trivaldo on the castle phone number to arrange a time. To drive up to the castle, turn onto the dirt road opposite La Hospedería del Zenete in La Calahorra and take the winding route uphill or park in the town plaza and walk up the stone footpath.
