Alright, so I think I understand why people post less and less on their blogs as time goes on – life gets so crazy! Anyhow, I loved this day trip I took so much that I am willing to swallow my pride, dig deep into my memories, and write this post nearly a month after it happened.

Introduction

Cuenca is a city in the autonomous community of Spain called Castilla-La Mancha. While it is not the biggest nor most well-known city of Castilla-La Mancha, there is a lot to see and do. Perhaps its biggest claim to fame are the casas colgantes/colgadas (hanging houses), which have been there since the 15th century. While you could spend hours staring at them from afar (I almost did), read on to learn about the other incredible things this city has to offer.

Itinerary

Below is the order in which my friends and I did things. We took a 9:50am train there and a 10:25pm train back. Time estimates are based on my experience.

50 minutes: AVE train from Madrid Atocha to Cuenca Fernando Zobel.

20 minutes: taxi ride from Fernando Zobel to Plaza Mayor.

• Apparently people just know to call the city’s 24/7 taxi hotline at +34 969 23 33 43 to pick them up and bring them into the city. Not a single ride-sharing app works but my friend and I assumed that taxis would just come on their own will to the station. So we waited for 20 minutes doing absolutely nothing. I am still grateful for the man that walked up to my friend and I and told us this information!
• There might also be a bus that goes to and from the train station, but I did not see one while I was waiting. Either way, taking an automated vehicle is your only bet to getting to the city, as it is too far to walk. This is because Fernando Zobel is a relatively new train station, so it was built outside of the city. About half the ride to civilization consists of barren roads.

30 minutes: walk up from Plaza Mayor to Mirador Barrio del Castillo.

• Don’t forget to stop at shops along the way! I bought some mantecados (mentioned in my previous post; they are a traditional dessert of the region).
• The Catedral de Cuenca is located in Plaza Mayor. If you decide to purchase a ticket to visit, I would estimate that it takes about 30 minutes. I personally did not purchase a ticket, I just peeped my head inside.

1 hour: admire the view from Mirador Barrio del Castillo.

• My friends and I went a bit off-path so that we could walk to the edge of the cliffs, relax/meditate, and take pictures without people in the way.
• One of the big reasons I like to take trips out of Madrid is to be immersed in nature, which is why I spent so long here!

30 minutes: walk back to Plaza Mayor.

1 hour: lunch.

• My friends and I did a 15 euro menú del día in Plaza Mayor. The food was great but the restaurant was not located in the sun; it being October, I was quite chilly.

30 minutes: walk to the Puente de San Pablo.

• We love a post-meal walk! We had to take a slightly longer, alternative route to the bridge since there was construction going on that made us unable to access the city side of the bridge (as opposed to the Parador side).

15 minutes: Puente de San Pablo.

• This place gives you a much closer look at the casas colgadas than the mirador.
• Hopefully when you visit there will not be any more construction and you can cross on my behalf!

1.5 hours: Museo de Arte Abstracto Español.

• Located inside of the casas colgadas, the establishment of this museum is one of the reasons why the casas have been preserved.
• It is quite extensive, with online descriptions of each room if you want to know more.

30 minutes: walk to the Museo de Paleontologica de Castilla-La Mancha (MUPA).

• Or, alternatively, walk to whichever museum piques your interest. Cuenca has a ton. There is also the Museo de las Ciencas de Castilla-La Mancha, another family-friendly option, or Fundación Antonio Perez, a contemporary art museum. Both are closer to the historic city center than MUPA.

1 hour: Museo de Paleontologica de Castilla-La Mancha.

• Very well-documented museum with some awesome, life-size models of dinosaurs. Don’t worry, they have descriptions in English as well.

30 minutes: watch sunset.

• We sprinted to the top of the hills next to MUPA because we were not going to have time to make it back to a mirador that overlooked the history city center. This view was still absolutely stunning and peaceful.
• One of my friends who had booked a bus instead of a train left after this point.

2 hours: dinner (including time it takes to find a place).

30 minutes: taxi ride from Plaza Mayor to Fernando Zobel.

• As might be expected, a chilly Saturday night is a popular time to call a taxi, so make sure you call sooner rather than later, because you will need to wait.

50 minutes: AVE train back to Madrid Atocha.

Closing Remarks

If you are visiting from Madrid, make sure to keep in mind that Cuenca has a higher elevation, so it is colder. This becomes especially apparent at night.

If I ever were to drastically change career paths and become a travel blogger, I think the niche I would choose to make myself stand out would be my bathroom analyses. For example, I would consider Cuenca to be very restroom friendly; I encountered many free restrooms throughout the day. I think a large part of this has to do with the fact that Cuenca is a museum-heavy city. My friends and I also were fortunate to encounter some very friendly shop owners.

In terms of cost for the day, I spent 35 euros on the roundtrip train ride, 25 on food, and about 10 on souvenirs, leading to a total of 70 euros spent on the day. None of the museums I visited required me to pay an admission fee, which was a pleasant surprise.

I would say my favorite parts of the day were the times when I was able to just sit and take in the beauty of the city from afar; in other words, sitting at the mirador at the beginning of the day and watching the sunset over Cuenca at the end of the day. It was during these moments I felt so at peace with myself and my life. I feel so fortunate to be able to take memorable day trips such as this one.

¡Hasta la próxima!

Note: views are my own and do not reflect those of The Fulbright Program or La Comisión Fulbright de España.