A Quick Cuenca Day Trip from Madrid
Cuenca makes for an excellent day trip from Madrid. Just a couple of hours by train, it has a quaint old town with historical sites, winding streets, and (surprisingly) excellent art museums to keep you occupied for the day. The unique bridge makes it a photo-worthy destination too! A full day is not needed to explore Cuenca. Plan to have breakfast in Madrid and then make your way to the train station.
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A Little History of Cuenca
Founded by the Romans as “Conca”, the city was later conquered by the Moors in the 8th century. In 1177, King Alfonso VIII of Castile recaptured Cuenca for the Christians, ushering in a golden age as a cultural and textile hub. This era saw the construction of the iconic hanging houses that you can still see today. Afterwards, the city’s prestige grew with the opening of the University of Cuenca in 1218. Today a Cuenca day trip from Madrid is the perfect way to see the captivating hanging house architecture.
Be aware that some places are closed in the afternoon at some point between 2pm and 5pm. Be sure to check each of the locations you want to visit align with when you’ll visit them to avoid disappointment.
Getting to Cuenca
There are two train stations in Cuenca. The new station (Estación de Cuenca-Fernando Zóbel) is located outside of town, and you’ll need to take a taxi in order to make it to the old town as it’s a 15 min drive on a highway. The rates are set at €12. The trains to the new station are more frequent, however is also a train station in town from which you can walk to the old town.
I took a 12pm train and made it to the old town around 1:20pm. There were a few taxis waiting as we excited the train station—it seemed like taxis time their arrival with the trains.
Cuenca Day Trip Itinerary
Map
If you want to go on a walking tour, check out this one in Spanish that just 1.5 hours (and v cheap).
For a legit cost-effective trip with transportation included, check out this day trip from Madrid that also includes a stop at the Enchanted City, a geological site with rocks formed by eons ice, wind and water.
Early Afternoon: Hanging Houses and Abstract Art
Upon arrival, take a taxi to the old town straight to the San Pablo Bridge, which is the viewpoint for the hanging houses (casas colgadas). The houses were built in the 15th century.
Take pictures on the bridge! This is the best photo spot for the hanging houses.
Next, cross the bridge and visit the abstract art museum that is hosted inside the hanging houses. Some of the original beams and features of the house are still visible. We spent about 40 minutes here.
Then, get lunch. I’m sorry that I don’t have a personal recommendation because our lunch spot sucked (read my rant below). Instead try Restaurante Figón del Huécar (before 3:30pm). Honestly, the food options were not that exciting to us when my sister and I walked around but anything is better than where we ate.
A Scam Lunch
I absolutely have to warn you about the scam lunch deal we had. Please indulge my rant… We ordered at Restaurante Pícaro Tapas y Copas from a pre-set lunch menu where we could choose our app, main & dessert. Honestly, it’s the worst food I’ve ever had. The restaurant seemed fine with cool seating arrangements and AC on the hot day we visited. The server was nice but the chef was horrible.
First, we waited 45 minutes for our food to arrive. We got a salad, which was fine and we were feeling optimistic despite the long wait (this is Spain after all). For our mains, my sister’s rice was totally undercooked (clearly visible) and I was scared to eat my calamari as a result. The food wasn’t warm at all either, which makes me think it was barely cooked. We didn’t eat any of it. For dessert my sister ordered a chocolate ice cream and instead got a chocolate and vanilla combo straight from a tiny grocery story carton. My yogurt was fine. I can only assume that the positive reviews are when there was a different chef at the restaurant and there haven’t been enough recent low rating to deter innocent tourists (like ourselves) from wasting our money here… The end.
Afternoon: Explore Cuenca, Views, and More Art
After lunch, visit the Cuenca Cathedral, which boasts a mix of Gothic and Renaissance styles. It was actually built on the site of the city’s mosque after its reconquest by Alfonso VIII in 1177. Tickets to visit the cathedral are €5.50 but you can visit the treasure museum, tower, and triforium together for €10.50.
Then, head over to Castillo de Cuenca. You can get great views over the city from here.
Views from both directions
At 5pm (onwards) visit the Antonio Pérez Foundation Museum, an excellent contemporary art museum. I spent about an hour here. For some reason, the guard didn’t bother charging us at 6pm for our entry but tickets are €5.
The museum is open 11am-2pm and then again 5pm-8pm.
Check out some of the shops like La Casita Colgada and the Cerámica Luis de Castillo.
Next visit the main city of Cuenca. Wander your way down. My sister and I loved the winding streets.
To end the evening, we walked around the area around Melatte Coffee & Brunch.
Bonus: If you have time and are up for a little bit of walking, then walk up the path from the main part of town towards the hanging houses on C. Canónigos. This gives a cool perspective of the homes seemingly built into the side of the cliff. The connects with the bridge at the end.
Back to Madrid
To get a taxi back to the station to end your Cuenca Day Trip, call the taxi service number: 969-23-33-43. This is from the taxi company Radio Taxi which we used to get from the station to the hanging houses. Agree on an intersection to meet up at and you’ll receive the license plate number of the taxi that will pick you up. Some level of Spanish is required to book the service. Or, try to coordinate with the taxi driver that you used in the morning.
We took a 9:30pm train (which was delayed a bit) back to Madrid but we were honestly done with all we wanted to see in Cuenca by 7pm so you could leave earlier if you wanted!