Alarcón Castle

Anyone arriving in Alarcón soon realises that the castle here is not a solitary building but the centrepiece of an entire stronghold. The fortress is part of a set of fortifications surrounding this town in the province of Cuenca, so visitors do not simply admire a monument: they explore a defensive system conceived as a whole.

At the heart of that system lies the walled enclosure, which takes in both the town itself and the castle proper. This coexistence of houses and defences is what gives Alarcón its character. Strolling through the town means moving within the walls that protected it for centuries, with the fortress as a constant point of reference.

Beyond the walls lies another of the most striking features of the complex: five outlying towers, standing alone and strategically positioned. They are not part of the walled circuit but rise separately. It is well worth spending some time on them and seeing how they relate to the main enclosure, as they help you understand the stronghold as a system of surveillance and defence.

The value of the complex has been officially recognised: Alarcón Castle has been a Site of Cultural Interest since 1992. It is a good reason to head to this town in Cuenca, in Castilla-La Mancha, and give it an unhurried visit, exploring the castle and the inside of the enclosure as well as the towers that guard it from outside. Rarely can you see so clearly how a fortress, its town and its forward defences form a single whole.