Exteriors

The Santuario de la Encarnación is located in the primitive zone of the old town of Tobarra, as an old document says: "where the town had its beginning", next to the remains of the castle. This area is also a place of great natural and scenic beauty, not only for the abundant vegetation of trees and shrubs of all kinds but also for the spectacular views towards the town and the orchard. It is a green zone of singular beauty, one of the lungs of current Tobarra. Gardens, walkways, and pine forests surround the white sanctuary, offering a lovely Levantine picture topped by the blue and white tiled dome of the Christ's Shrine.

The remains of the Muslim-era castle, 11th-13th centuries, are composed of a series of towers, stretches of wall, and a cistern (Medio Celemí). As we enter from the Sanctuary, two towers frame the door. The one on the right was reused from the 17th century as the Town Clock tower, being in use until the 1920s, when it was replaced by the current Clock of the Santa Bárbara hill. The Old Clock was known by the popular name of La Caracola (The Conch). In the central area of the parade ground are the remains of the old hermitage of San Sebastián, which gave its name to the hill between the 15th and 17th centuries. Saint Sebastian was one of the protector saints against epidemics to whom Tobarra commended itself. The others were Saint Roch and Saint Christopher. On the northwest side, facing the town, are the most famous remains of the entire enclosure, the Ojos del Diablo (Devil's Eyes). It is one of the castle towers which, battered by time, erosion, and plundering, has ended up acquiring a peculiar "u" or horn shape. It is one of the symbols of Tobarra.