A couple of days ago we got up with no desire to be at home and wanting to do kilometers, so we decided to take the car and we went to Cuenca. There are about 200 kilometers from Madrid, aprox 2 hours by car.
The only time we had been in Cuenca was for a wedding, so we did not have the opportunity to know much about the city, it only helped us realize that we had to return.
Cuenca: UNESCO’s World Heritage
As you know, Cuenca has been declared a World Heritage City by UNESCO. It is an amazing city, since you can find cultural heritage and nature just a few steps away. The old town seems to have stayed in time.
The first thing we did when we arrived was to go to what we already knew, San Francisco Street. We stopped to eat something in the Barrica de San Miguel, it is well priced and they are very friendly. When we left we forgot the sun glasses on the table and they kept them. And that there were many people!
Then we headed to the Hanging Houses “Casas colgadas”, but we made a first stop at the Parador de Cuenca, there is a small parking where you can leave the car. The truth is that there are spectacular views from there, if you are good budget, it is a good place to stay for the night.
Bridge of San Pablo and the Hanging Houses
After park the car, we go to the Bridge of San Pablo. It has spectacular views of the Hanging Houses and the Hoz del Huecar. And it seems that there is also the custom of leaving padlocks, on the part of couples in love, a custom that I have read there, they attribute it to the writer Federico Moccia.
After taking a few pictures and taking a walk, we went back to look for the car to, honestly, park it well.
Driving through the old town of Cuenca is quite complicated. You pass a street and you have to go around again, the streets are narrow, it is better to go by motorcycle.
We get to the Camino de los Jerónimos, we must follow the signs of “Barrio del Castillo”, there we leave the car, well parked. Comment that in this area there are also a few restaurants that looks good, although they seem very touristy, so, as we had already eaten we had a coffee.
Viewpoints of Cuenca in 1 day
In this area there are a lot of viewpoints, with spectacular views of the city of Cuenca and the Hoz del Huecar. (if you go a weekend or if you like nature, there are a few ways to go hiking or go with the bike).
On the Camino de Los Jerónimos, we go down to the Plaza Mayor. First you see the Ruins of the Castle of Cuenca, then we went down the narrow street and visited the Cathedral of Santa María and San Julián of Cuenca and toured the historic center, going through alleys and finding great places, such as the Barrio de San Martin, convents, which fulfill the same function as in its beginnings, etc.
For those who have planned to go more days, if you like cycling routes, you can take a look at the website of the City of Cuenca, has a couple of bike routes that look good. The truth is: we were left wanting more, but we had to go home.
I hope you have the opportunity to visit the City of Cuenca soon!
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