Castell de Verdera

The Castell de Verdera (or Castell de Sant Salvador de Verdera), with an altitude of 682 meters, crowns the Serra de Rodes and is the highest point on the Cap de Creus peninsula. This site, of great scenic beauty and strategic importance, stands majestically just above the Romanesque monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes.

The surroundings of the peak feature a very rugged topography, especially on its southern slope, where the vertiginous cliff known as Salt de la Reina opens up. This natural terrace, the subject of legends about Moorish queens and noble maidens, provided formidable natural defenses. The local geology is characterized by slate (llicorella/pissarra), a material used almost in its raw form for the construction of the medieval fortress. The surrounding vegetation is typically Mediterranean, dominated by scrub and bushes.

The ascent to the castle is rewarded with a spectacular 360-degree panoramic view. From this privileged viewpoint, one can see to the south and west the Alt Empordà plain, the Bay and Gulf of Roses, the Montgrí massif, and the Medes Islands. To the east, the rugged terrain of Cap de Creus, El Port de la Selva, and the Mediterranean Sea extend. Looking north and northwest, the Serra de l'Albera, the Roussillon plain, the Gulf of Lion, the Camargue, and a significant part of the Eastern Pyrenees are visible, including Canigó, Bassegoda, Comanegra, Mare de Déu del Mont, and Puigsacalm. On clear "tramuntana" (northern wind) days, the view extends to the Montseny massif, Matagalls, and even the coast of Provence and the island of Mallorca.