Cuenca: An enchanting city

Belén (NA):

Last carnival holidays I was in Cuenca. When I arrived in this town I was pleasantly surprised. It is an extremely charming, beautiful town in the center of Spain which is worth visiting.

The historic district is situated on a craggy rock surrounded by two great deep gorges carved out by the water of the two rivers: Júcar and Huécar. So, the spectacular scenery of this city is determined by these gorges. In fact, you can’t miss the marvelous view of the amazing façade of the Huécar from the city’s state-owned hotel parador. In this part of Cuenca there are a variety of constructions such as collections of popular dwellings in the San Martin quarter and the daring floating balconies of the famous restored Hanging houses.

The façade of Jucar is different since the original houses have not survived the passing of time. Now, these have been turned into green areas, wonderful for taking in the gorge’s views.

Another important area in the old town is the main square, where both the city hall and the cathedral are located. Cuenca’s cathedral was the first gothic one in Castile.

Consequently, with so many attractions, it is hardly surprising that the city was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on December 7, 1996.

Not far from Cuenca, about 30 km away, we can indulge in “The Enchanted City”, characteristic for the strange forms that its stones have. About 90 million years ago, the enchanted city was part of the botton of the so-called Thetis Sea. Calcite (CaCO3) from animal skeletons and water was deposited in its botton. When the water disappeared, calcite was converted into limestone. As time passed, the limestone, which is permeable and soluble, was eroded by the rainwater. As a result, these distinctive landforms were produced. You can walk around these really fascinating forms for more than an hour.

For the same reason, in the south of Cuenca we can find one of the most important collections of sinkholes in Spain: “Las Torcas de los Palancares”. There are 22 large holes on the ground because of the chemical dissolution. Since there aren’t too many tourists in this area around you can have a good time in the heart of the nature.

As you can see, Cuenca and its enchanting surroundings offer so much of interest to make it a fantastic travel destination that I strongly recommend you.