Santa Barbara Castle

Reach the walls and the crater opens right beside them. The castle sits on the rim of a volcanic caldera, and from the top the whole bowl is in view, with Teguise and the dry interior of the island spread out below.

The roof is the point of the visit. The staircase up to it lies further into the building; the one near the entrance is barred, and nothing points you past it, so ask the attendant. Up there the wind is strong and the air can turn cold.

The castle itself holds little: mostly empty rooms, a few bare display cases and almost no information. Come for the height and the crater, and pair it with a walk through old Teguise below.

• The gate on the access road is sometimes shut even within the posted hours; you then park beside it and walk up, about 30 minutes uphill.
• Inside there is little to see. The stairs to the roof are further in than the barred staircase by the entrance — ask the attendant.
• The summit is windy and can be cold. Bring a jacket, whatever the weather in town.
• There is no drinking water near the castle, so bring your own. Free toilets stand close by.
• The road up is narrow in places, with passing places, and people walk along it.

The approach is by car, up a road that climbs from Teguise to the summit. It narrows in places, with passing places, and people walk along it, so take it slowly. Parking at the top is free, but the spaces are few.

When the gate across the road is closed, park beside it and walk the rest of the way: about 30 minutes, moderately uphill. Once you are at the castle, the crater is in full view.

Without a car, the nearest bus stop is Centro Salud Teguise in the town, about 610 m away in a straight line, and the way from there to the castle climbs.

Best: a clear, calm day, early in the visiting hours.

Avoid: hazy days and days of strong wind.

The view is the reason to come, haze flattens it, and the open summit takes the full force of the wind.