Destinations,  Europe,  Spain

Cuenca: discovering the Enchanted City with kids

We visited the city of Cuenca a couple of weeks ago and even though the city is beautiful, we wanted to explore Cuenca’s nature. We drove about 28km and were discovering the enchanted city with kids. It’s called “city”, but it couldn’t be a bigger misguidance. The Enchanted City or “Ciudad Encantada” is a Natural Site of National Interest. It’s situated in a canyon that is almost 1,500 metres above sea level and characterised by its curious rocky formations.

discovering the Enchanted City with kids: the seal

The Enchanted City dates back to 90 million years ago, when  it was part of the seabed of Thetis. It was quiet waters, which led to the deposition of salts, especially calcium carbonate. The sea retreated and a seabed of limestone surfaced. The action of water, wind and ice created this amazing geological phenomenon.

discovering the Enchanted City with kids: the bridge

The visitors can walk around Ciudad Encantada and learn about the karst geological process. There’s a well-marked loop route of about 3 km. This route isn’t difficult, but it isn’t recommended for strollers.

discovering the Enchanted City with kids: bears

I saw a couple with a stroller and they had to pick the stroller a few times in order to climb some “stairs” or some stones. In general, it’s a flat path.

There’re information panels with the name of the figures each formation is resembling. Some formations are easy to recognise, for other you will need a bit of imagination. You have, for example, the Seal, Boats, the Dog, the Sea of Stone, Roman Bridge, the Slide, the Mushrooms, the Convent, the Lovers of Teruel, the Turtle.

The great thing about Ciudad Encantada is that children can walk around, climb, jump and also learn about the karst geological process. There’re banks to sit down and a lot of shadow from the trees. The perfect combination to have a picknick and to discover the Enchanted City at your own path.

discovering the Enchanted City with kids: boats

In the weekends, you can also join a guide that will tell you more about Ciudad Encantada. The ticket with guide costs just one extra euro: 6€. Check the opening times in their website. In the summer, it’s open every day from 10:00 until 20:00.

If you drive from Cuenca city to Ciudad Encantada, make a stop at Ventano del Diablo. A great viewpoint of the river Júcar.

15 Comments

  • Lorna

    “Enchanted City” is so evocative. I love the names of the formations, too. Would love to see what the turtle looked like! Beautiful spot for a wander and picnic. 🙂

  • Anisa

    It looks like a great place for kids and adults. The rock formations are really fascinating. I bet depending on how you look at them you could find that they look like lots of different objects. Such a great place for hiking and photography. Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard.

    • Shere

      Not every rock has a name, so you can put your imagination to work. It’s the perfect place for a hike with kids

  • Anda

    It is for a good reason why this magic place is called a “city.” The geological formations definitely resemble big buildings. It’s quite beautiful and I think it’s a great place to explore with your little ones. Unlike in a real city, here they definitely run around at will. Thank you for joining us for #TheWeeklyPostcard. We missed you lately.

    • shere

      the kids loved it and probably the main reason was that they were able to run freely. It’s really a lovely place!

  • Corey at fifi + hop

    How beautiful – this looks like a kids’ paradise! And grown-ups too..this is something right up my family’s alley. We would love to spend a day here exploring. #theweeklypostcard

  • Michele {Malaysian Meanders}

    It’s a good thing they don’t mind people climbing on he formations as I think my kids would definitely want to explore them on all sides. Also, I am very glad that we are well past the stroller stage so that I no longer have to plan as carefully. #WkendTravelInspiration

    • shere

      you can walk around and climb as long as you’re careful and don’t damage the formations. Some of them wouldn’t be possible to be climbed.

  • Ruth | Tanama Tales

    This place is so cool! I really like rock formations and arches. I am sure I would like this place a lot (and getting outside a city sounds like my idea of fun). #TheWeeklyPostcard

  • Mapping The Map

    We live in Barcelona but we’ve never been to Cuenca. And now we know we shoud go there! Nice to see your kids experiencing the nature. Thanks for sharing.

  • Rob+Ann @TravelLatte(.net)

    What a great place! Always fun to have rocks to scamper over, even as a “big kid”. 😉 Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard!

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