Spreading out from the sun-splashed Plaça Mayor at Castellón de la Plana’s (just Castello for short) heart, narrow lanes hide towering Sevillano townhouses, their balconies jutting out overhead in blooms of summertime bougainvillea. Throughout the city streets, small cafes echo with the sounds of mellifluous Spanish chatter and the smells of paella twist underneath the occasional Moorish archway.

This laid-back city on the edge of the less-trodden Costa del Azahar was first established by James I of Aragon in an attempt to fortify the southern stretches of Iberia against North African invaders. His zealous Christian program still holds claim here too, proudly rising with the Valencian Gothic buttresses of the Concatedral de Santa Maria, beset by blooming orange trees that come courtesy of the warm regional breezes. Closer to the shoreline and El Grao de Castellon takes over in a medley of lively waterfront bars and casinos, a picture of energy and action more so during the Magdalene Festival of early spring. Nearby, the famous party stretches of Benicassim beckon and the dusty ridges of the Serralada de les Palmes are where Castello tour guides reveal winding hiking trails and breathtaking panoramas of the area and the coast. Further out at sea, the rugged Columbretes Islands sit splashed by the Med, an inviting biosphere that’s home to one of Spain’s finest displays of bird life.