Castelo de Monterreal

Baiona, Spain, Spain

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Castelo de Monterreal, also known as Monterreal Castle, is a medieval fortress in Baiona, Pontevedra province, Galicia, Spain, constructed primarily from the 12th to 16th centuries on the Monte Real hill overlooking the Atlantic coast.

Originally a strategic defense point against invasions, it endured attacks by Portuguese forces, pirates like Francis Drake in 1585, and Pedro Madruga in 1474, while serving as a residence for figures including Portuguese kings and gaining prominence when the caravel La Pinta arrived in 1493 with news of Columbus's American discovery.

Renamed by the Catholic Monarchs and rebuilt in Renaissance style by the Count of Gondomar, its 3km circuit walls enclose towers like the Reloj clock tower and Príncipe, now housing the luxurious Parador de Baiona hotel amid gardens with panoramic sea views.