The Spanish series Cuéntame cómo pasó is part of the memory of several generations and, 25 years after its premiere, it continues to inspire emotion, nostalgia and recognition. To mark this anniversary, Alcalá de Henares, a World Heritage City, has presented the Cuéntame Alcalá Route, a new tourist and cultural itinerary that invites visitors to explore the real settings where the legendary RTVE series came to life.
This tour is also a journey through Spain's recent history, the heritage of Alcalá de Henares and some of the most emblematic Paradores locations.
A city of cinema (and television series)
For more than two decades, Cuéntame cómo pasó was filmed in more than fifty locations in Alcalá de Henares, especially outdoors. Streets, squares, historic buildings and everyday spaces were transformed into settings recognisable to millions of viewers.
The new route, designed by Alcalá Film Office, offers an itinerary of approximately an hour and a half that takes in ten key locations from the series, allowing you to relive unforgettable scenes while discovering the city’s historical and cultural.
The tour begins in O'Donnell Park, one of Alcalá's green lungs and a regular setting for the Alcántara family's walks and conversations. It continues through such iconic spaces as the Plaza del Palacio, Calle Mayor, Plaza de Cervantes and Plaza de San Diego, where fiction and university history intertwine naturally.
Streets such as San Juan, Escritorios and La Imagen became highly dramatic settings, while Calle Colegios was the scene of plots related to Inés' artistic career and Toni's journalistic work. Each stop allows you to rediscover the city from a cinematic perspective, supported by an interactive story map with QR codes that can be viewed on your mobile phone.
The Parador de Alcalá de Henares, a key location
Among all the locations on the route, there is one that is particularly significant for us: the Parador de Alcalá de Henares. The current Parador was the main set during the first three seasons of the series and one of the most memorable locations for fans of Cuéntame.
This is where the iconic abandoned truck was located, where Carlitos, Josete and Luis spent much of their time, a childhood refuge that became a symbol of friendship, games and adventures. The Parador was also a real hub for filming, as it served as a space for make-up, script reviews and meals shared by actors, scriptwriters and directors.
Today, this historic space, a former 17th-century school-convent, once again occupies a prominent place in the narrative of Cuéntame, forming part of a route that features both the city’s audiovisual legacy and its architectural heritage.
The Alcántara family table: aromas and memories at the Parador de Alcalá
As the finishing touch to this tribute, the Parador de Alcalá de Henares is joining in the celebration with an offering that appeals directly to memory: gastronomy.
Between 14th February and Easter, the Hostería del Estudiante restaurant will offer a special menu entitled "The Alcántara family table. Aromas and memories of the 60s and 70s", a culinary experience inspired by the dishes that epitomised home cooking in those decades and which we saw so often in the series.
The menu revives traditional recipes from a time of transition, when Spanish cuisine was beginning to leave behind the austerity of the post-war period and opening up to new flavours, colours and presentations. Dishes designed to be shared and enjoyed, just like those Sundays around the family table.
In this way, the Parador de Alcalá de Henares once again becomes a meeting point between cinema, memory and gastronomy. A place where memories are served at the table and where Cuéntame cómo pasó lives on, like those endless after-dinner conversations at the Alcántara family home.
