Alarcon

Alarcon sits on a rock spur almost encircled by a bend of the Jucar, with the river gorge on three sides and a narrow neck on the fourth, defended by three successive gate towers on the approach road. The eighth-century Muslim fortress was taken in 1184 after a long siege and rebuilt; the keep is now a parador with a small number of rooms, one of the earliest in the state chain. Within the walls, the village has around a hundred and fifty residents, a church of San Juan Bautista holding a cycle of modern frescoes by Jesus Mateo painted between 1994 and 2013 which has drawn some attention, and streets that are quiet almost all year. The reservoir below is used for water sports.

What you actually see

• The triple gates - three successive towers on the only land approach.
• The castle parador - the keep converted into a small state hotel.
• The Mateo frescoes - a modern painted cycle in San Juan Bautista.
• The river loop - the Jucar gorge wrapping the spur on three sides.

When to go

April to June and September to November; summer on the Mancha plateau is hot, though the gorge below offers swimming. The village is very quiet outside weekends and the church keeps limited hours.

Honest expectations

The village is tiny and seen in an hour. The parador has few rooms and books out. Facilities are minimal, with one or two places to eat, and the approach road through the gates is very narrow.

Nearby

The Jucar reservoir lies below; Cuenca and Belmonte are within an hour.