Ciudad Encantada

The Ciudad Encantada is a karst field where limestone laid down in a Cretaceous sea has been dissolved and weathered along its bedding planes and joints, undercutting harder layers into mushroom shapes, leaving arches, corridors and towers among pine woods. It was declared a natural site of national interest in 1929, one of the earliest such designations in Spain. A marked circuit of about three kilometres runs through the formations, which carry names, some obvious and some requiring goodwill: the Mushrooms, the Sea of Stone, the Roman Bridge, the Fight of the Elephant and the Crocodile. It has been used as a film location, including for parts of Conan the Barbarian. The route is easy and largely flat.

What you actually see

• The mushroom rocks - harder caps left on undercut limestone stems.
• The stone bridge - a natural arch on the walking circuit.
• The Sea of Stone - a wide expanse of weathered bedding planes.
• The pine setting - Cuenca serrania woodland around the formations.

When to go

April to June and September to November; the Cuenca mountains are cold in winter with snow possible, and summer weekends bring crowds. Morning light suits photography before the coach groups arrive.

Honest expectations

The circuit is short and can feel slight for the ticket price. Formation names require imagination and the signage leans on them heavily. Weekends and holidays are crowded, with a one-way route that queues.

Nearby

Cuenca's hanging houses are thirty kilometres southwest; the Nacimiento del Rio Cuervo lies north.