Cuenca & Enchanted City Day Trip from Madrid with Lunch

The Enchanted City (Ciudad Encantada)

The Ciudad Encantada is a natural park of limestone rocks in the Serranía de Cuenca, where millions of years of water, wind and ice have carved the stone into arches, mushrooms, tunnels and towers. Many rocks have nicknames after what they look like, such as a ship or a natural stone bridge, and the trail winds between them through pine forest.

Your guide leads a walk of roughly an hour and three quarters, explaining the geology and pointing out the best formations. It is one of the most distinctive landscapes in central Spain and a good answer to the question of what to see near Cuenca. Comfortable shoes are essential because the path is rocky.

The Devil's Window viewpoint

On the way to the Enchanted City the coach stops at the Ventano del Diablo, a viewpoint that hangs over the deep gorge of the Júcar river. The name means the Devil's Window, and the view down the steep walls, with the river winding far below, is dramatic.

It is a short photo stop of about fifteen minutes, but it is one of the favourite moments of the day. With luck you may see birds of prey circling over the gorge. The Devil's Window in Cuenca is a popular photograph spot, so keep your camera ready. The stop also prepares you for the walk ahead.

Cuenca's old town and the Hanging Houses

Cuenca's medieval old town sits on a rocky spur between the Júcar and Huécar rivers and has been listed by UNESCO since 1996. After lunch your guide leads you down through the narrow lanes, explaining the history of a city that was an important Castilian stronghold and wool-trading centre.

The famous Casas Colgadas, or Hanging Houses, are fifteenth-century buildings whose balconies project over the Huécar gorge, and one of them houses a museum of abstract art. The guided walk of around two hours gives a very complete look at one of the most photogenic towns in Spain.

The Plaza Mayor, the cathedral and the San Pablo bridge

In the Plaza Mayor you have around 25 minutes of free time. Its cathedral, begun in the late twelfth century, is one of the first Gothic cathedrals in Castile and shows Anglo-Norman influence. You can go inside on your own if you wish, but its entry ticket is not part of this trip.

The tour ends at the San Pablo bridge, a footbridge over the Huécar gorge, from which you get the classic view of the Hanging Houses. Opening hours of the cathedral change by day and season, so check before the trip if you plan to visit it.

The journey from Madrid and the lunch stop

Cuenca is roughly two and a quarter hours from Madrid by road, so the day is long but relaxed, with a short break on the way. A lunch stop is planned in the Barrio del Castillo, close to the old town, but the meal is not included in the price.

The best time to visit Cuenca and the Enchanted City is spring and autumn, when the weather is mild and the pine forests are at their best. Summer is hot, and winter can be cold, so dress in layers. The whole excursion takes around eleven and a half hours.