The partypoker Tour Castellón runs October 5 to 11 at the Orenes Gran Casino de Castellón, and the €500 Main Event carries a €100,000 guarantee. That is a week in a city most poker tourists have never visited, which means most poker tourists are about to discover one of Spain’s most underrated corners.
Richard Hayes will be on the ground from the first day through the Main Event final table, bringing live reporting from the felt to poker.pro throughout the week. If you only play cards, you’ll miss out. Here is what to do between sessions.
Walk El Pinar Beach
The casino sits in El Grao, Castellón’s maritime district, with El Pinar Beach within easy walking distance. It stretches for approximately 1.8 kilometers along the coast, holds a Blue Flag for 2026, and has sun loungers, sports facilities and several nearby places to eat, although some seasonal services may have reduced October hours.
The kind of flat Mediterranean calm it delivers is exactly what you want after a tough morning at the tables, and the Planetarium sits right at the beach, in case a midday science detour appeals. October is generally pleasant, with average daytime highs around the mid-20s Celsius and sea temperatures that can remain comfortable for swimming. The beach is close enough to walk there and back between a morning session and afternoon registration.
Eat Rice and Seafood at the Grao Waterfront
The Grao is built around its port and Plaza del Mar, and the eating here is what you came to Spain for. Arroz a banda, the local rice cooked in fish stock and served with alioli, is the dish to order. Fideuà, the noodle cousin of paella, runs a close second. Esgarraet, a cold salad of roasted red peppers, salted cod and olive oil, is the thing to eat while you wait for your rice.
The area around Plaza del Mar has a strong concentration of seafood and rice restaurants. Tasca del Puerto is included in the Michelin Guide and remains the name most people mention first. Make your lunch reservation before you plan the rest of the day. For a lighter option, settle into one of the waterfront terraces for vermouth, olives and a slower taste of local life.
Explore Plaza Mayor, El Fadrí and Las Tascas
Castellón’s historic center is a short taxi ride inland from the casino. Plaza Mayor is its heart: a wide, colonnaded square with the Town Hall on one side and the Co-Cathedral of Santa María on the other.
The tower beside the cathedral is El Fadrí, a detached bell tower 58 meters tall, with about 200 spiral steps leading to panoramic views across the city. Admission is free. Hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The tower reopened in July 2026 after maintenance work, so check before making the trip across town.
From Plaza Mayor, Las Tascas is the evening move. The tapas district clusters around Calle Barracas near Plaza Santa Clara, and the format is simple: small plates, cold beer or wine, moving from bar to bar until the night sorts itself out. Las Tascas remains a traditional local meeting place rather than a tourist destination, and the evening is built around exactly that.
Hike Desert de les Palmes
Around 20 to 30 minutes from Castellón by car, the Natural Park of Desert de les Palmes is a mountain range that the Mediterranean coast doesn’t advertise loudly enough. The name is misleading: it is rugged, green, and surprisingly quiet, with Mediterranean scrub, pine-covered sections, and views toward the coast, and trails suited to poker players who spend the rest of their life sitting down.
The official short route climbs to the ruins of Montornés Castle in about an hour over two kilometers, with good views and the satisfaction of having done something physical. The longer option is a five-kilometer circular route to Bartolo peak at 729 meters, rated two hours. Both leave from the park information center. October can be an excellent month for the walk, although players should check the weather and carry water before setting out.
Nou d’Octubre and Live Music
The tournament week coincides with October 9, Nou d’Octubre, the Day of the Valencian Community. It is a public holiday across the region, so expect special programming, along with possible changes to transport, shops, and attraction hours. Beyond the regional holiday, the week has three confirmed live shows for anyone who wants an evening away from the felt.
On October 9, La Flama Fest is at Sala La Bohemia from 7:30 p.m. On October 10, Andrea Vanzo plays the Auditorio y Palacio de Congresos on the Intimacy Vol. 2 Tour. On October 11, The Vee Bees are at Because from 8 p.m. Three nights, three different rooms, and if your tournament ends early, the October 11 show offers one final night out before leaving Castellón.
Day Trip: Peñíscola
If you have most of a day free and want to leave the city, Peñíscola is the strongest option. Itis about an hour north by car, but if you’re relying on public transport, check the October timetable before you go. The main draw is the castle: a Templar fortress built between 1294 and 1307, jutting into the Mediterranean on a rocky peninsula.
After the Knights Templar, it became the residence of Pedro de Luna, better known as Papa Luna or Benedict XIII, during the final years of his disputed papacy. More recently, Peñíscola doubled as Meereen during the sixth season of Game of Thrones, which is either a reason to visit or a detail to drop at the table, depending on who is sitting at it.
The old town below the castle is compact, white-walled and genuinely medieval in feel. Long beaches flank the peninsula and remain worth visiting in October, although swimming conditions depend on the weather. Peñíscola is the kind of place that looks like a postcard until you stand in it.
Day Trip: Morella
Morella is approximately 90 minutes from Castellón by car, and it is unlike anywhere else within reach of the casino. A medieval walled city perched on a rocky outcrop at 1,000 meters, with a castle above it and a Gothic basilica partway up, it looks like a place designed to be unconquerable, which was more or less the point. The walls are intact. The streets are steep. The climb to the castle delivers sweeping views across Morella and the rugged Els Ports landscape.
Morella is also known for cured meats, cheese, lamb and flaó, its traditional curd-cheese pastry. The town’s celebrated black-truffle season comes later in the year, with dedicated events running from January through March. If you have never heard of Morella, you are not alone: it consistently makes best-kept-secrets lists for the Valencian Community and still gets overlooked.
A limited bus service runs from Castellón’s intermodal station, but check the timetable carefully because the journey takes around two hours each way, making this a full-day trip.
The partypoker Tour Castellón Schedule
The €150 Mini Main Event carries a €50,000 guarantee and runs October 5 to 8, with four opening flights. The €500 Main Event offers a €100,000 guarantee and runs October 8 to 11, culminating in the final table at 3 p.m. on October 11. The €250 Mystery Bounty runs October 10 to 11, while the €1,000 High Roller takes place on the festival’s final day.
We at poker.pro also have two branded events on the schedule: the €60 poker.pro Party Madness Red River NLH Bounty on October 9 and the €60 poker.pro Party Madness Crazy Pineapple Bounty on October 10, both beginning at 9 p.m. As the official English media partner of the partypoker Tour,
The poker.pro live reporting team will provide live updates from the Mini Main Event and Main Event, along with side-event results and photography throughout the festival. Additional event content will be available through partypoker, PokerPro World and VibeLive.
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| October 5 | 16:00 | €150 Mini Main Event Day 1a |
| 21:00 | €30 Satellite to €150 Mini Main Event (3 Seats GTD) | |
| October 6 | 14:00 | €150 Mini Main Event Day 1b |
| 17:00 | €30 Satellite to €150 Mini Main Event (3 Seats GTD) | |
| 19:00 | €150 Mini Main Event Day 1c (Turbo) | |
| October 7 | 12:00 | €150 Mini Main Event Day 1d (Hyper Turbo) |
| 15:00 | €60 Satellite to €500 Main Event (3 Seats GTD) | |
| 17:00 | €200 NLH KO | |
| 18:00 | €150 Mini Main Event Day 2 | |
| 21:00 | €60 Party Madness PLO/NLH Bounty | |
| October 8 | 16:00 | €500 Main Event Day 1a |
| 17:00 | €150 Mini Main Event Day 3 – Final Day | |
| 18:00 | €150 PLO 7-Max | |
| 19:00 | €60 Satellite to €500 Main Event (4 Seats GTD) | |
| 21:00 | €60 Party Madness Win the Button NLH Bounty | |
| October 9 | 14:00 | €500 Main Event Day 1b |
| 17:00 | €100 NLH | |
| 20:00 | €500 Main Event Day 1c (Turbo) | |
| 21:00 | €60 poker.pro Party Madness Red River NLH Bounty | |
| October 10 | 12:00 | €500 Main Event Day 1d (Hyper Turbo) |
| 15:00 | €250 Mystery Bounty Day 1a | |
| 18:00 | €500 Main Event Day 2 | |
| 20:00 | €250 Mystery Bounty Day 1b (Turbo) | |
| 21:00 | €60 poker.pro Party Madness Crazy Pineapple Bounty | |
| October 11 | 12:00 | €250 Mystery Bounty Day 1c (Hyper Turbo) |
| 14:00 | €115 Satellite to €1,000 High Roller (2 Seats GTD) | |
| 15:00 | €500 Main Event Day 3 – Final Day | |
| 16:00 | €1,000 NLH High Roller 7-Max | |
| 17:00 | €250 Mystery Bounty Day 2 (Final Day) | |
| 18:00 | €100 Last Chance NLH Double Board |
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