Camping Caravaning Cuenca
Why we like it: A campsite in a pine wood by the Júcar, 7 km from Cuenca, with 30 wooden cabins open all year and a camping area from March to autumn.
Duration1 night
From Madrid1 h 50 by car · AVE
From Valencia2 h by car · AVE
Budget€110–220 pp
Best timeApril – June · September – November
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for setting out on Saturday morning and returning on Sunday afternoon. Saturday is the old town day, with the museums open morning and afternoon; Sunday, the Serranía, which needs a car. Book the hotel and the two meals first.
Saturday
- 110:00Arrival and cathedral
Park by the castle or in the lower part and go into the cathedral, which opens at 10:00: €5.50 with an audio guide, an hour.
- 211:30Casas Colgadas and the Museum of Abstract Art
Spanish abstract art in the houses on the edge of the gorge. Free; on Saturday it is open from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00.
- 314:00Lunch at Raff San Pedro
Ajoarriero, trout or venison in 16th-century stables. Book.
- 417:00Fundación Antonio Pérez and the gorge
The art collection on Ronda de Julián Romero, from 17:00 to 20:00, then a walk along the Huécar gorge.
- 520:00San Pablo bridge at night
Cross the footbridge with the lit-up Casas Colgadas in front of you. If you are sleeping at the Parador, it is the way to bed.
Sunday
- 110:00Ciudad Encantada
Half an hour by car. A 3 km circuit among the rocks, an hour and a half, €5 at the ticket office. Opens at 10:00.
- 213:30Lunch and the drive home
Back in Cuenca, Mesón El Caserío, by the castle, or the menu at Restaurante Casas Colgadas if it is an occasion. You leave in mid-afternoon and get home before dinner.
Cuenca is almost the same distance from Madrid as from Valencia: about two hours by car on the A-3 and A-40, and less by AVE. The old town can be seen in a day, but the city gains a lot at night, when the Casas Colgadas are lit up above the gorge and the groups have gone. That is why it works as a one-night getaway: Saturday for the cathedral, the museums and the San Pablo bridge; Sunday for the Ciudad Encantada, in the Serranía.
How do you get there from Madrid and from Valencia?
By car, from Madrid it is about 165 km via the A-3 and A-40; from Valencia, about 200 km via the A-3. In both cases, around two hours. By train, Cuenca is on the Madrid – Valencia high-speed line: the station, Cuenca-Fernando Zóbel, is on the outskirts, and city bus line 10 takes you to the bus station, from where lines 1 and 2 go up to the old town. If you go without a car, the Ciudad Encantada needs a taxi.
Where to sleep?
| Accommodation | Area | For whom |
|---|---|---|
| Parador de Cuenca | Hoz del Huécar, facing the Casas Colgadas | Car and views, with a seasonal pool |
| Posada de San José | Ronda de Julián Romero, above the gorge | Couples, on foot, a 1621 house with a restaurant |
| Hotel Leonor de Aquitania | Calle San Pedro | On foot and with a dog, on request |
| Camping Caravaning Cuenca | Pinar del Júcar, 7 km away | Families, cabins all year |
And if I have one more day?
Stay in the Serranía: the Júcar campsite has cabins open all year on the road that climbs towards the source of the Cuervo river. Or spend the morning on the museums you missed: the Paleontological Museum, with the dinosaurs of Castilla-La Mancha, free on Wednesdays.
With children
The Ciudad Encantada is the star plan: under-7s don't pay and the route is a game of shapes in the rock, though not with a pushchair. The San Pablo bridge impresses them. For sleeping, the campsite cabins or the Parador, with a pool in summer.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Cuenca, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Cuenca
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
A car for the Serranía, on foot in the old town
Cuenca's old town is explored on foot and a car only gets in the way on its narrow streets. Where you do need one is to get out to the Serranía: the Ciudad Encantada has no public transport.
70–130 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepParador de Cuenca, with free…
- Getting aroundDo not put the Plaza…
- Where to eatMesón El Caserío, next to…
- ServicesTourist office in the Plaza…
Where to sleep
- Parador de Cuenca, with free parking and a garage
- Camping Caravaning Cuenca, cabins in a pine wood 7 km away
- Posada de San José or Leonor de Aquitania, in the old town, with the car in a public car park
Getting around
- Do not put the Plaza Mayor into your satnav: aim for a car park in the lower part or the castle one
- The Ciudad Encantada, along the Serranía road
Where to eat
- Mesón El Caserío, next to the castle car park
- Raff San Pedro and Casas Colgadas, in the old town
Services
- Tourist office in the Plaza Mayor
- Electric charger at the Parador
By AVE from Madrid or Valencia
Cuenca is on the high-speed line between Madrid and Valencia. The station is on the outskirts, but the city bus takes you up to the old town, and once there everything is done on foot. The Serranía, on the other hand, calls for a car or taxi.
65–120 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepPosada de San José, above…
- Getting aroundLine 10: AVE station…
- Where to eatRaff San Pedro, on Calle…
- ServicesTourist office in the Plaza…
Where to sleep
- Posada de San José, above the Huécar gorge
- Hotel Leonor de Aquitania, on Calle San Pedro
Getting around
- Line 10: AVE station – bus station
- Lines 1 and 2: up to the castle, at the top of the old town
- The old town, entirely on foot
Where to eat
- Raff San Pedro, on Calle San Pedro itself
- Restaurante Casas Colgadas, for a special meal
Services
- Tourist office in the Plaza Mayor
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights1
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're drivingwithout a car
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel Leonor de Aquitania
Why we like it: A three-star hotel in an 18th-century palace house on Calle San Pedro, above the Huécar gorge, a few steps from the cathedral, pets welcome.
© Paradores de TurismoHotelParador de Cuenca
Why we like it: A Parador in the former 16th-century convent of San Pablo, in the Huécar gorge opposite the Hanging Houses, with a cloister, seasonal pool and parking.
From €154
View details
Posada de San José
Why we like it: A palatial house from 1621 on the Ronda de Julián Romero, hanging above the Huécar gorge, with balcony rooms over the ravine and a restaurant.
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Old town | Everything on foot, with views of the gorges | |
| Huécar gorge and San Pablo | The Parador, opposite the Casas Colgadas | |
| Serranía road | Campsite and cabins, for the Ciudad Encantada |
Where to eat
Where to eat in Cuenca
Mesón El Caserío
What to order: Morteruelo or zarajos to try the Cuenca classics, and a grilled meat or the vegetable platter
Open every day except Tuesday, from midday to midnight.
Raff San Pedro
What to order: The traditional ajoarriero (€16) to start and the cured trout with ham meunière (€25) or the hind with mushrooms (€28); or the Acervo menu, €65
Open Thursday to Monday, at midday and in the evening. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Restaurante Casas Colgadas
What to order: The Volver menu, of 10 courses, is the way in; the Cocinamos Cuenca, of 15, is the full experience.
Open at midday Wednesday to Sunday and in the evening Wednesday to Saturday. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
On Sunday, many Cuenca museums close at midday and in the afternoon: leave the old town for Saturday and the Serranía for Sunday.
We'd skip it
With snow or ice, the Ciudad Encantada can be uncomfortable: wear boots or swap it for the Paleontological Museum.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Madrid to Cuenca?
Around an hour and fifty minutes by car, and less by AVE.
And from Valencia to Cuenca?
About two hours by car on the A-3; there is also the AVE.
Do I need a car?
For the old town, no. For the Ciudad Encantada, yes, or a taxi.
Where to sleep with views of the Casas Colgadas?
At the Parador, facing them, or at the Posada de San José, above the same gorge.
How much does the getaway cost?
Between €110 and €220 per person with one night in a hotel, two meals and the tickets.