Cuenca Off The Beaten Path

1 more image

Who said that there is no beach in Cuenca? After a short and nice walk along the Júcar river, you will arrive to the Playa, where there are also swimming pools.
First picture: the beach seen from the castle, on the left.
Second picture: the swimming pool beside the Jucar.

2 more images

Saint Julian (1128-1208), the second Bishop of Cuenca, was born at Burgos and studied at Palencia. He was a brilliant student and was appointed professor of Philosophy and Theology at the University of Palencia at the age of 25. In 1196 he was appointed Bishop of Cuenca under the reign of Alfonso VIII. He arrived at night to avoid the crowd that was waiting for him. His apostolic and missioner labor drove him all over the province. He was known for his worries about the people in need no matter their religion. He died on January 28th 1208. This day is a feast day in Cuenca. Also the fair and feast of Saint Julian are celebrated during 10 days of August.
Saint Julian used to retire to pray in a cave in the Cerro de la Majestad, where there is a spring. He used to call it “the place of my tranquil day”. There, he also used to confection wicker baskets that shared out among the poor. Now there is a small chapel in his honor, where the mass is celebrated every Sunday. There is a recreational area with some stone tables and seats where you can enjoy a picnic. The viewpoint offers a fantastic view of the Júcar gorge.
There are two ways to reach this place. Leave the city following the Júcar gorge. Some 430 m from the Church of Our Lady of Light, on the left hand side of the road, a path starts that leads to San Julián (third picture). The chapel is quite high above the river level, but the path ascends slowly and the walk offers nice views of the city. There is also an access from the road: 2.25 km from San Anton bridge, on the left hand side, there is a small parking space. From there, big stair steps carved on the rock take you up.

1 more image

The name means Devil’s window. It is a natural viewpoint on the Júcar gorge, with the shape of a natural arcade, that affords a superb view of the river. From Cuenca, take road CM-2105, pass Villalba de la Sierra and a few km afterwards you will see the viewpoint.

The cemetery of San Isidro is the last rest place for the members of the brotherhood of San Isidro. It offers superb views of the Júcar gorge.
From the Plaza Mayor, take San Pedro street, continue to Trabuco street. After the castle walls the street forks: take the left one, Camino de San Isidro, and follow it 540 m.

4 more images

As we drove from the Enchanted City towards the city, we passed by the municipality of Villalba de la Sierra stopping at this area: The Devil's Window. Here's a fantastic location to view far wide. Don't miss to include this itenirary once you are in Cuenca.

1 more image

The main square and the streets were nearly empty (in the week).
Nevertheless it is possible to eat in Alarcon. There is the restaurant of the parador (but once the waiters are busy they don't care about new arrivals).
Informal but good is the restaurant Asador on the square at the entrance of the Parador. They are kind but don't expect them to speak other languages than Castillan.

1 more image

The hill where the village is situated seems to have been inhabited since prehistoric times. It was conquered by the Romans, converted into a fortress by the Arabs and conquered back by Alfonso VIII. The enclosing ramparts are one of the best known and most complete defence systems existing in Spain today. The castle was built by Alfonso VIII on the site of an earlier Arab castle.

1 more image

This Parador situated in the castle of Alarcon has only 16 rooms. The most sensational are situated in the main tower of the castle.
One room per floor; a total of 6 floors. Certain rooms have no windows. The one we occupied on the 5th floor had some openings in the walls that are more than 1 meter thick.
From the hotel we had magnificent sights on the gorges of the river Jucar and on other medieval fortifications of the town of Alarcon. The place is very quiet and very comfortable according to the classification 4 stars of this Parador.
Easy parking next to the garden of the Parador.