Cueva-Museo del Pirata Dragut

Carved into the headland of Cullera, the Cueva-Museo del Pirata Dragut (Pirate Dragut Cave-Museum) is a natural cave wrapped in legend: tradition says the Turkish corsair Dragut hid here the treasure he plundered on his raids across the Mediterranean. Today it is the only museum on the Iberian Peninsula devoted to piracy, a place where maritime history and legend merge beneath the rock.

History and legend

For centuries the Valencian Mediterranean lived under the threat of Barbary and Turkish corsairs, and figures like Dragut became fixed in the popular memory of the coastal towns. The cave gathers that lore and turns it into an exhibit: it recreates the world of the pirates who raided these shores.

What to see

The route through the interior brings together pieces that evoke life on the high seas:

• Nautical instruments used in the navigation of the period.
• Cannons and old maps illustrating the routes and the battles.
• A reproduction of a 16th-century brigantine, the centrepiece of the museum.

Tips for your visit

• It sits near the Cullera lighthouse, beside a viewpoint over the coast.
• Pair it with a day at the beach: Cullera beach is close by.