Ten Templar castles to discover mediaeval Spain
4 March, 2026Spain preserves one of the largest legacies of the Order of the Temple in Europe, with dozens of documented fortresses. From Ponferrada to Miravet, these castles, now open to visitors, allow us to explore strategic sites that shaped the defence of the territory and the pilgrimage routes in the Middle Ages.
The Order of the Temple managed around 162 castles on the Peninsula, according to historical inventories, making Spain the European country with the highest number of fortresses linked to the Order. These sites combined military and religious functions, protecting territories and routes such as the Camino de Santiago.
Among the most representative are the Castle of Ponferrada (León), with over 8,000 m² of walls next to the Camino de Santiago, the Castle of Miravet (Tarragona), on the River Ebro and the Castle of Peñíscola (Castellón), built on a rocky outcrop facing the Mediterranean.
Also noteworthy are Monzón (Huesca), where James I was educated, La Zuda (Tortosa), San Servando and Montalbán (Toledo), Gardeny (Lleida), Caravaca de la Cruz (Murcia) and Jerez de los Caballeros (Badajoz).
Spread across Aragón, Castile and León, Catalonia, the Valencian Community, Extremadura and Murcia, these castles form a cultural route that brings together architecture, landscape and mediaeval history at different points around Spain.