The Paradores not only offer unique accommodation in exceptional historical and natural settings, but they have also become true spaces for art. Our establishments house valuable collections that enrich the traveller's experience, transforming each stay into a dialogue between heritage, landscape and artistic creation. From minimalist sculptures in Cádiz to works by Dalí or Miró in Aiguablava, from avant-garde furniture in Santo Estevo to contemporary art in León, the Paradores network invites you to explore Spain through art, and here we show you some of the most important ones.

The Parador de Aiguablava art collection is a tribute to the impressive Mediterranean landscape that surrounds it and to the region where it is located.

It houses an impressive display of more than 200 works by Catalan artists such as Dalí, Rafael Durancamps, Antoni Clavé, Tápies and Miró.

Moreover, the ensemble features graphic works and large-format oil paintings by José Beulas, Modest Cuixart and Joan Hernández Pijuán, which, together with the sculptural compositions on the outside of the building, make it a veritable museum dedicated to regional and Mediterranean identity.

The Hostal San Marcos, a former emblem of the influential Order of Santiago and one of the most representative monuments of the Spanish Renaissance, has been home to the Parador de León, a living museum of history and modernity, since 1986.

San Marcos is the cradle of tradition and modernity, a harmony that can be seen in the coexistence within its walls of an exceptional antique collection, which includes the original 16th century choir stalls, featuring an authentic interior museum built around the cafeteria space.

Here, over three floors, an exhibition of contemporary art is on display, with works by Fernando Zóbel and Eduardo Chillida under an impressive ceiling by Lucio Muñoz, while in the different halls you can find various groups of works by José Caballero and José Vela Zanetti.

In Cádiz, the Parador houses a collection of contemporary sculpture that covers several of the main approaches to this discipline in 20th century Spain.

On the one hand, the works of Carles Valverde and Álvaro Matxinbarrena deal with Minimalism, being characterised by simple forms and the interplay between line and volume; on the other hand, the work of Esther Pizarro drawing from Brutalism, a movement based on emphatic structures, inspired by the city; finally, there are also the pieces by José María Riera i Arago, with a seafaring theme and which function as a tribute to the region’s maritime tradition.

The Parador de Santo Estevo houses one of the most unique collections of all Paradors: a display of avant-garde furniture, in the art deco style, which contrasts with the magnitude of the historic building and lends it a contemporary touch.

Here you can find chairs based on designs by names such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Harry Bertoia, Mies Van Der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Verner Panton and Hugo Henrik Alvar Aalto.

The collection housed in the Parador pays homage to the collection once owned by the Duke of Lerma, which was one of the most important in Europe in the 17th century.

It combines works of great historical value, such as a 14th century carving of the Virgin and Child and an enormous 17th century tapestry that narrates the encounter between Alexander the Great and Porus, with a commitment to contemporary art, which is embodied in the works Lugar para una Anunciación [Place for an Annunciation] by J. M. Ballester, Fake Abstract (Rubens) by Lino Lago and Estudio para una Crucifixión después del Greco I and II [Study for a Crucifixion after El Greco I and I] by Rubén Rodrigo.

The Parador de Alcalá de Henares houses two small treasures in the form of twinned collections: on the one hand, an important exhibition of engravings by the Madrid artist Antonio Lorenzo, one of the first promoters of the Museum of Abstract Art in Cuenca; on the other, in its corridors a magnificent series of paintings is on display which is on loan from Ars Fundum. It alternates different techniques such as oil on canvas, engravings and photographs, and in which the painting Fosfeno [Phosphene] by J. M. Ciria, which is more than two metres high.

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