- Region: Castilla la Mancha
- Province: Cuenca
- Declared a Natural Site of National Interest on June 11, 1929
- Privately run
I first stumbled across the Ciudad Encantada in Cuenca whilst on a long road trip over 20 years ago and, I remember then being totally awed by the amazing formations on this 3 km stroll through pine forest and rock. Finally, many years later in July 2022, I had the opportunity to visit again with my family. What a treat, this place is as fantastic as I remembered!
90 million years ago, this area was part of the shallow, and most importantly, calm seabed of Thetis which led to the deposition of minerals and salts creating limestone and dolomite.
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At the end of the Cretaceous as a result of the ground rising, the sea retreated and the limestone seabed rose to the surface. After many, many thousands of years, this has resulted in the amazing geological phenomenon caused by rain falling on the original limestone plateau that wore down the porous limestone leaving behind the more resistant dolomite Because the dolomite is not distributed evenly in the original rock structure, the erosion result is the irregularly eroded shapes that now form the Ciudad Encantada.
Find a hotel in the area
There are plenty other hotels to choose from in the area as you can see below. (Check out the options at booking.com by clicking on the map)
Booking.comFrom the entrance, you follow a 3km route thats winds its way past various formations with some named as the things that they resemble (some more than others 🙂 )
Apart from the obvious rock formations don’t forget to spend some time admiring the wildlife here as well. The pine trees are fascinating, moulding themselves around the rocks and in places natural bonzai trees have grown and survived in crevices lacking soil and water.
The oficial website has current entry times and prices: https://www.ciudadencantada.es/en
Cuenca is the place to stay if you are going to visit the Ciudad Encantada
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