Hi All.

Hope you all doing well and ready for another video from “Spanish Gems Series”.

This time we are visiting the picturesque city of Cuenca that is situated in the autonomous community of Castile – La Mancha. Cuenca is the capital of La Mancha region and has lots to offer to any traveler.

Cuenca is positioned on the gorge of two rivers Huecar and Jucar, it is said that Cuenca name is derived from the Latin word: “CONCA” – river basin. And when you get to some high vantage point you get to see why, with the layout of the city and how beautiful it looks. With its deep gorges and slopes, Cuenca is divided into two separate areas by rivers: the new and the old one. This trip was mainly about Old part of the city.

This was a full day trip with a night over in Cuenca, and I strongly advise to phase yourself and do a full day trip without rushing. There is plenty to see and a lot of ground to cover. I have to note, that the old part of town where most visitors go to are built on the mountain slope and to see it all I recommend a good pair of shoes. We visited Cuenca in middle of September 2020 and the temperature (26-28 C.) was perfect for long city stroll without getting a sunburn. Although, it offers plenty of Shade along your journey.

There are many ways to get to the Old town, by Bus, Taxi, on foot or by car with few paid parking areas around old part of town.
In case you are driving, here is a TIP - Go all the way to the top of the old city and you can find free parking area with amazing views right from the start.
You can find free parking location on google maps: “Parking del Castillo Gratuito”

In the same place where you park your car, you will see open-area restaurants and bars. Take your time with a glass of wine or a cup of coffee while absorbing the magnificent views of Cuenca. As you head down, you can take the main road and see main points of architecture and attraction. On the way back try and take a different route to discover a different side of Cuenca.
We did exactly that. We walked down main street of Cuenca occasionally making a small de-tour here and there. But on the way back we took an alternative route on the side of river Jucar.

As you reach main square “Plaza Mayor” of old city, please check out Cuenca Cathedral with its wonderful architecture of Romanesque, Neo-Gothic, Baroque style.
You can also see the church from inside with paid entrance to the Cathedral museum that can take you easily an hour with Audio guide and is totally recommended.
Not too far from main square you can continue heading down towards the Tower of Mangana “Torre de Mangana” that gives you that high vantage points with a magnificent view of the new city and river Jucar.
Once you took a moment to absorb the views, relaxed and rested on one of the benches on plaza, you can head down and discover something for yourself via narrow street and corner shops of Cuenca or start moving towards next big attraction on the list: Hanging Houses of Cuenca, “Casas Colgadas de Cuenca” and San Pablo Bridge that gives you a better viewing angles towards the Hanging houses and Parador de Cuenca Hotel.

Remember old part of Cuenca has lots of Museum in walking distance one from another , plenty of little hidden streets to discover with it's marks of history and architecture.

If you are a hiker and have more than one day, Cuenca has a lot to offer in terms of hiking routes to take around mountain and river bends with beautiful location and tranquil places to enjoy.
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So, what to see in Cuenca?
Well a bit of everything, Places full of History, Museums, Architecture, Restaurants and Castro bars, amazing views and friendly vibes.

If you are a Museum and history lover check out:
Spanish Abstract Art Museum “Museo de Arte Abstracto Español. Fundación Juan March”
Museum of Modern Artworks “Museo Fundación Antonio Pérez”
Cuenca Cathedral Museum “Museo de Cuenca”
Zaval Museum “Casa Museo Zaval”
Science Museum “Science Museum of Castilla La Mancha”
If you are travelling with kids and have a car, check out:
Museo Paleontológico de Cuenca, it is slightly off the main attraction route but totally worth seeing it if going by car. Kids are going to love it, and still plenty to see for adults too.

Most importantly, remember to rest, take your time in between sightseeing locations and if you see locals enjoying themselves in one of the bars, stop and see if any of the food or drinks catches your attention.
If you are doing a full day tour of Cuenca, sitting down and ordering a refreshing drink with some tapas - it is a must.

For us it was a wonderful experience, we managed to cover most of the things we wanted to See in Cuenca yet leave some areas undiscovered so next time we come by there is something new to discover and appreciate.

As always Travel, and Enjoy the Moment.
VK 2020

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