Restaurant del Parador de Alarcón

The castle, which is deemed the best-preserved historical construction in the province of Cuenca, has a spectacular keep and arrowhead battlements. It’s surrounded by a double defensive enclosure and connected to the rest of the wall surrounding the town of Alarcón. The walls, the stone ceilings of the rooms and their decoration will take you back to medieval times.

Alarcón is a small medieval village that has been declared a Historical-Artistic Site and is bounded by the river Júcar. As you stroll through its beautiful narrow streets, you come across the churches of Santo Domingo de Silos and Santa María. Additionally, the Murals by Jesús Mateo in the church of San Juan Bautista should not be missed.

This is the most beautiful and best-preserved castle in Cuenca. The origins of this small but impregnable fortress are uncertain but are probably pre-Roman. It was initially an Arab stronghold and passed into Christian hands in 1184. This Site of Cultural Interest now looks like a Gothic castle (except for the Renaissance keep) built around a small inner courtyard with a cistern. On the outside, the three walls that once protected it are still standing. All the current interior rooms were rebuilt and adapted to the needs of the Parador, which opened in 1996. The gardens and car park today are located on a former parade ground.

One of the most famous lords of the castle was Don Juan Manuel (1282-1348), a warrior, politician and a man of letters. He was an influential adviser to kings, the architect of intrigues between the peninsular kingdoms, and a feudal lord. He is renowned in history for his famous book “El Conde Lucanor” or Tales of Count Lucanor.