Spain/Castilla La Mancha: Alcala del Jucar
And the journey into the fairytale land of insane mountain towns and clifftop castles continues in the central Spain with an absolutely stunning village of Alcala del Jucar. The medieval town sits on a dramatic u-shaped gorge overlooking the Jucar river below. Every single street is above the previous one and every single house is above the previous row – the entire town is basically a series of switchbacks. All of this leads to the clifftop where a 12th century castle stands with panoramic views of the gorges around. It’s an arduous hike to get to the top of the hill and the castle. Want more? The church of San Andres at the bottom is from the 15th century and the entire cliff is made from soft chalk so all the insides of it are basically a Swiss cheese of caves, the biggest of which is Cueva Del Diablo. The labyrinth of caves inside is enormous with many floors and levels and openings to the other side of the mountains. An absolutely stunning town!
