Sax: two different towers and the streets around the castle rock

Sax castle seems to form a single silhouette with its rock, but the towers belong to different periods. Looking at them separately changes the visit: instead of simply photographing a fortress, you can begin to see how it developed.

How the two towers differ

The northern tower is built of rammed earth and dates from the Almohad period. The keep to the southwest is later, built in masonry with dressed-stone reinforcement. A covered cistern stands between them. Notice those materials and the position of the structures, not just the height of the battlements.

There have also been modern restorations. The council’s historical account explains that work in the nineteen-sixties rebuilt parts of the Islamic tower and changed its appearance. What you see today combines old remains and reconstruction: not every part of the silhouette preserves its medieval form intact.

Find the entrance before heading up

The council’s visitor page places the meeting point at the tourist hut behind the castle, reached from the C-71. It distinguishes guided and unguided visits and specifies card payment. It also warns of closures for forecast electrical storms and heatwaves; check that page before travelling.

If you have a booking, save the hut’s location as well as the castle’s name. This practical precaution helps avoid confusing a walk through the old town with the starting point for your activity.

Back down in the neighbourhood

Peligro and Ciervo streets reveal a layout adapted to the rock, while Calle Mayor has buildings on a different scale, including Casa de Alberto Sols. Comparing them shows how the town spread from the hillside without requiring a walk of a prescribed length.

On Calle de San Blas, leading to the chapel, some houses have been restored as festival clubhouses known as cuartelillos. That use helps explain why festival life remains part of the neighbourhood outside the parades. View the façades from the street: these are association premises, not museums with unrestricted public entry.