Cuenca | FindPenguins

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Trip start
October 12, 2025
Cuenca Traveler
1 1
Ubeda
October 12 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Well....What a place!!!! It was confirmed two years ago that this is the oldest continuously occupied town on western Europe with occupation dating back to the age of copper. I am here to take a photo...weeks on the planning.....I had hoped it would rain so the streets and cobbles would be slick but no such luck. So far I have scoped my shot and visited a 12 century underground synagogue they found whilst digging the foundations for a hotel complete with a mikveh or cleansing bath for women with a window that shoots a beam of sunlight into the water on the morning of 21 June.Read more
TravelerA nice set of photos to start with! Looking forward to more photos and "interesting " comments xx
10/12/25Reply
TravelerWow and more wow. Fantastic!
10/12/25Reply
Traveler Wow
10/13/25Reply
5 more comments
3 likes
Cuenca Traveler
Baeza
October 13 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Yet more fantastic architecture
4 likes
Cuenca Traveler
Alcala del Jucar
October 13 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Another photographers' heaven but unfortunately the edge of the Valencian storm has arrived.....and the heat Shields on my exhaust started to fall off combined with the electricity at home having collapsed requiring intensive phone support for poor Kari who is feeling a bit put upon by me running away. So....some photos but no drone shots yet as the wind too strong for flying....The castle was built by the moors in the 12th century though they only held it for 100 years and then the Christians came. It seems important that it was part of the Marquisate of Villena though for the life of me I could not translate why or why the Marquisate was then abolished. There are cartoons in the castle about the ecclesiastics as well so they don't seem to have gone down well. One hell of a climb up from the river!!!Read more
TravelerOh I do love all these castles and churches xx
10/13/25Reply
TravelerPretty spectacular! x
10/14/25Reply
Very good! [Chris H]
10/14/25Reply
4 likes
Cuenca Traveler
Autumnal Gorges
October 14 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
Trees changing now lining the rivers in the sandstone gorges
3 likes
Cuenca Traveler
Albarracín
October 14 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Towns don't get much more dramatic than this. The capital of the relatively short lived Berber dynasty of Banu Razin until they lost it to the Almoravids and then taken by the Christians two centuries later. 700 years later it was the site of the biggest pitched battle of the civil war.Read more
3 likes
Cuenca Traveler
Brothel?
October 14 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
I seem to have checked into a very weird place. No reception...just an armoured glass booth like in an underground carpark. Your own locked automatic door garage and open plan room consisting mainly of bedRead more
TravelerAlmost certainly a place for assignations! Common in South America, but maainly for professional and upper class people!
10/17/25Reply
2 likes
Cuenca Traveler
Zaragoza
October 15 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
So 'the picture' is apparently the Roman bridge and the cathedral....AI says there is a viewing platform. I find it and it is surrounded by poplars springing skyward after pruning.....twice as high as the viewing platform so out with the drone despite the frightening multa for drone signs...well not come this way again etc.....Read more
3 likes
Cuenca Traveler
Molina de Aragon
October 15 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
Now this is all just a little bit weird......some years ago I passed a high route in this area and saw a fortified hill on the distance from a Mirador...I took a distant photo and looked it up....it talked about five towers, one now in ruins, and links to El Cid. So today I stop for fuel and There It Is! I don't mean on the distance I was next to it! So here you have Molina de Aragon sometime seat of the independent Caliphate of Taifa... A good mate to the complicated El CidRead more
3 likes
Cuenca Traveler
Cuenca
October 15 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
More Berbers! Original name Qal'at Kūnka conquered ( pun absolutely intended) in 1117. Lots and lots of goings up and down to get anywhere!
TravelerWhat a fascinating place, makes Sanlúcar look not at all hilly! x
10/16/25Reply
3 likes
Cuenca Traveler
Motilla del Azuer
October 16 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
This is a bronze age fortified settlement dating from 3500 BC. It is in the middle of fields ......I know all about them because Google Maps made me ride over them to get to it. Leaving was a little better but not much.....all very 'off road'. I left pretty quickly because you can't get in and have to buy tours on the internet. When you visit the website though it says you have to buy tours at the museum in town and they are only available by the bus load!!!!!.....So once more only a drone pic.Read more
TravelerWhat a fantastic site xx
10/16/25Reply
Did you take this with your drone? Brilliant! Sue x [Sue]
10/16/25Reply
TravelerThat's extraordinary! Great pic. Shame not to be able to get in. x
10/17/25Reply
3 likes
Cuenca Traveler
Almodóvar del Rio
October 17 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
This place may seem to be familiar because it was 'High Garden' seat of the Tyrells in Game of Thrones. An exceptionally well preserved moorish castle built in 960 held until the reconquest and then 400 years later sold to Diana's ancestorRead more
TravelerActually Diana's ancestors come up a lot - I'm sure they were involved with the castle at Niebla as well. Must remember to curtesy next time I see her xx
10/19/25Reply
3 likes
Cuenca Traveler
Medinat al Zahra
October 17 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
Built....950......funny how that date keeps coming up. ....by first Caliph of Al Andalus who needed a new city to go with his new dignity. Lasted only 70 years then the good folk of Cordoba used it as a quarry and completely razed it leaving amongst the foundations a 1000 year old time capsule. Only 10% excavated so farRead more
3 likes
Cuenca Traveler
Cordoba
October 17 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 24 °C
The Mezquita from the Roman bridge
3 likes
Cuenca Traveler
Home
October 18 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Well the bike has done well: Only one thing fell off and David from Castrojarana in Huelva sorted me out with dimensions for the bolt in double quick time and the hotel staff helped me find a ferret shop so all good. One frightening front wheel oscillation when I tried to lean further in a fast bend but other than that all good. Not strained much though: 2500 km in six days. Rock On!Read more
TravelerGood stuff!!
10/22/25Reply
4 likes

Trip end
October 18, 2025