Magical Alarcon

About 100km south of Cuenca lies a little medieval village of Alacon. We knew nothing about the place except for the few lines in the Lonely Planet saying you could stay in a castle there. Well, that was all we needed, and we headed down with few expectations. I must say, Alarcon is one of the most delightful suprises and I am very glad we made the journey. Apart from the castle and the village, there are other fortified building ruins nearby which would have once helped protect the village. The views were spectacular. Alarcon lies on the inside of a horsehoe bend of a river that has created a deep gorge. The river meanders all around, and is deep in part due to it being dammed. There is farming land as well as some bushland, though you can tell that a drought in these parts would be pretty unforgiving. The village was as un-touristy as you could get and staying in the castle was an incredibly special experience. I would recommend this place to anyone who has a couple of days to travel around whilst in Madrid.

What a view!

This building was apparently once used to observe the stars


Fortifications as you enter the town

Entering the village of Alarcon

We were lucky enough to stay in the tower of the castle and had this spectacular view across Alarcon

There is a signposted walking track around the area which provides fantastic views back onto Alarcon as well as the countryside. More fortifications could be seen.

A field for growing onions

As dusk approaches...

The tower we stayed in - you can see our window (it was the only one on this side).

The next morning, we climbed up to the ramparts to have a look...

...and we got a bird's eye view

Sahara Gal