The Zalia Castle is easily accessed by the road up from La Viñuela Dam address Ventas de Zafarraya-Granada.
Although hardly can be seen today due to their state of total ruin, Zalia Castle had an irregural plant of approximately 120m x 150 m. You can still see some towers and remains of the wall between the gorse and scrubland existing around.
Zalia Castle had a double walled, both being very irregular. Account outside with thick masonry walls, punctuated by towers of square section and some circular; they have disappeared several stretches of wall, while other very displaced. The fortress provided inside of a water tank and a large entrance gate flanked by two large masonry towers regrown with mud on top. Its main entrance was facing north.
It is believed that it was a fortress rebuilt by the Arabs on the other primitive built by the Phoenicians. In September 1485 it was conquered by the Catholic Monarchs. After the war of the Alpujarras the Zalia Castle became prison-bishopric.
References:The Gravensteen is a castle in Ghent originating from the Middle Ages. The name means 'castle of the counts' in Dutch. Arnulf I (918–965), Count of Flanders, was the first to fortify this place, building a medieval bastion on this high sand dune, naturally protected by the river Leie and its marshy banks. This bastion consisted of a central wooden building and several surrounding buildings, also in wood.
In the early 11th century, the wooden building was replaced by a stone residence, consisting of three large halls that made up three storeys, connected by a stone stairwell. The monumental stone staircase, the light openings, the fireplaces built into the walls and the latrines were signs of considerable luxury and comfort in those days. There was probably also a tower.