Nestled in a canyon within the borders of the Serranía de Cuenca Nature Reserve, is a place called La Ciudad Encantada. The English translation is (“The Enchanted City”) From Cuenca it’s roughly a 17-kilometre drive which has some spectacular vistas and hairpin bends along the route.
La Ciudad Encantada is home to a collection of rock formations that have been molded by the forces of nature to resemble an array of figures and scenes, many of which have been named. The entrance fee of 5 euros provides a map of the area with marked routes and also includes parking. Ciudad Encantada is like a larger version of Brimham Rocks in Yorkshire, but with fewer people. To explore the area fully takes about 2 to 3 hours, although Fran and I spent longer.
According to the official Spanish tourism website, the formations and unusual shapes are the result of a unique mineral composition that causes the lower part of the formation to erode faster than the top. Popular attractions include the Sea of Stone, the Mushrooms, the Slide, the Lovers of Teruel, Battle of the Crocodile and the Elephant, and, of course, the Mushrooms.
How to find it: La Ciudad Encantada is Located in the village headman Valdecabras (BASIN), in the heart of the Natural Park of the Cuenca mountains and is surrounded by huge pines. For me personally it was undoubtedly one of the most magical places we visited in Spain with it’s whimsical formations and is worth visiting if you are in the Cuenca area of Spain.
For further information about La Ciudad Encantada and the surrounding area here is a link https://www.ciudadencantada.es
