Camping in Cuenca: sierra, gorges and one of the most distinctive landscapes of the interior
For many travellers who discover it, Cuenca is one of the great revelations of inland Spain. The city itself justifies the trip: the hanging houses above the gorges of the Júcar and the Huécar, a World Heritage Site, are an image that is hard to forget. But the province of Cuenca is much more than its capital, and for those who arrive with a tent or motorhome the area offers extraordinary natural riches in every direction.
The Serranía de Cuenca is the natural heart of the province. The Ciudad Encantada, a few kilometres from the capital, is a group of karst rock formations of whimsical shapes (mushrooms, bridges, elephants, ships) carved by erosion in the limestone over millions of years. The source of the River Cuervo, at the northern end of the sierra, has tufa waterfalls of great beauty that flow among moss and ferns in a cool, damp forest setting. The lagoons of El Tobar and the Laguna del Marquesado are tranquil spots for wildlife watching in the heart of the sierra.
The Alto Tajo, shared between Cuenca and Guadalajara, is one of the most impressive river canyons on the plateau. Over millions of years the river has carved vertical walls one and two hundred metres high into the limestone, creating a grand landscape with riverside woodland on the valley floor and pine and juniper woods on the upper moors. The hiking routes that follow the gorges of the Tajo are little frequented and let you enjoy a solitude that is hard to find in better-known natural areas.
La Manchuela of Cuenca and the La Alcarria region have a different character, more open and luminous. The lavender fields that bloom in July make this area a first-rate destination for photographers. The vineyards of the Manchuela D.O. produce wines of their own character, and the villages of the region have a stone and plaster architecture that mixes influences from La Mancha and Valencia. Alcalá del Júcar, perched on a bend of the river in an impossible meander, is one of the villages with the most personality in all of Castilla-La Mancha.
Cuenca's cuisine has flavours that are hard to find outside the province. Morteruelo, a dark, spiced game pâté, roast lamb zarajos, ajoarriero with cod and resoli (a liqueur of coffee, cinnamon and aguardiente) are local specialities with centuries of tradition. Black truffle from the Sarrión area and La Mancha saffron are also produced in the lands of Cuenca. Eating at a campsite or having a picnic by the gorges with Manchego cheese and local wine is one of those simple pleasures that travellers remember long after they have returned home.
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