In earlier times, the castle formed the natural defence of the town. The original keep, and bell tower have been preserved and an area was converted to an Aragonese Palace in the 18th century.

A plaque in the Parador shows that in 1410, Martin the Humane, who was king of Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia and Mallorca, died without an heir. Following his death the noblemen met to discuss the rights of the various Pretenders to the Throne.

Members of Parliament were also involved and it took two years to come to a decision after consulting various Ambassadors, in particular those from Castile, France, Sicily and the Vatican. In 1412 agreement was reached and 'La Concordia' was signed with Fernando I becoming King of Aragon.  Hence the name of the Parador.

Fernando I proved to be a wise choice, his descendants became some of the most famous names in Iberian history.

In 1728 Prince Philip converted part of the castle into his palace and this area was then converted into the Parador in 1968.

The position of the castle dominates the landscape of the Maestrazgo region and has centuries old houses clustered at the foot of the hill.

The Parador features a baroque facade and has gothic walls. The interior is decorated in soft red and green shades and liberal use is made of rich Spanish wood in the furniture and ceilings.

In the original rooms the ceilings are 12 foot high and the walls three feet thick. Some rooms have views over the old roofs to the river and the terraced fields below.

The dining room has a high beamed ceiling and a large fireplace which was needed in earlier times to keep the room warm in winter.

Parador de Alcaniz has twenty eight twin bedrooms, seven double rooms and two bedrooms with salon, all with private bathroom.

Each room has a telephone, television, TV canal plus, safe and mini bar. The Parador is air conditioned and has heating, an elevator, restaurant and bar.

The restaurants of the Parador group hotels offer a variety of dishes including a selection of local and regional specialities. The local wines of Somontano and Carinena are a perfect accompaniment for these dishes.

The Parador restaurants also offer a diabetic, vegetarian and gluten free option.

In the town of Alcaniz, the places to visit are the Excolegiata, the Gothic paintings in the Torre del Homenaje, the Medieval "Pasadizos" (corridors), the City Hall, and the Gothic "Lonja" (marketplace).

The International Aragon Festival is held in July and August.

The nearest airport and railway station are approximately 105 kilometers from the Parador.

Pets are not allowed in the Spanish Paradores.

A twelveth century castle in Alcaniz Aragon now a luxury Parador hotel.

• 28 Twin bedrooms
• 7 Double bedrooms
• 2 Suites
• Bar
• Restaurant
• Telephone
• Heating
• Air conditioning
• Television
• Canal plus
• Safe
• Mini bar
• Lift
• Car park
• Currency exchange
• Garden
• Conference room
• Facilities for disabled persons
• Airport: 105 kms
• Train: 105 kms
• Map with location
• Parador Alcaniz comments