Home Local Info Fancy a Winter Break? The Best of The Paradors

Fancy a Winter Break? The Best of The Paradors

by Loraine Gostling

For those who like to journey away from the Marina Alta now and again and see the other beauties of Spain we thought we would offer some suggestions for a few of the many Parador hotels that are always ready to welcome you.

For those not acquainted with this hotel group, the Paradores de Turismo de España is a chain of Spanish luxury hotels. The company was founded by Alfonso XIII as a means to promote tourism in Spain, with the first hotel opening in 1928 in Gredos (Ávila). The hotels are often located in adapted castles, palaces, fortresses, convents, monasteries and other historic buildings. They add to the attractions of heritage tourism and provide uses for large historic buildings. The Hostal de los Reyes Catolicos in Santiago de Compostela is considered to be one of the oldest continuously operating hotels in the world, and one of the finest Spanish Paradors.

They are located from Galicia in the north-west through Catalonia to Andalusia in the south of Spain, and the Canary Islands. Prices usually vary according to category, room, region and season.

The photo gallery follows and thereafter, there are links to take you to each of the individual hotel pages

Parador de Alcalá de Henares, Madrid
Parador de Alcañiz, Teruel
Parador de Cádiz
Parador de Cangas de Onís, Asturias
Parador de Carmona, Seville
Parador de Chinchón, Madrid
Parador Javea
Parador de Oropesa, Toledo
Parador de Plasencia, Cáceres
Parador Hostal Dos Reis Católicos, Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña)
Parador de Santo Estevo, Ourense

Parador de Alcalá de Henares

In the birthplace of Cervantes, where every nook and cranny oozes art and culture, stands the Parador de Alcalá, a 17th-century monastery school and student lodgings located in the former San Jerónimo College. However, do not let so much history overwhelm you, because the hotel offers the perfect combination of tradition and avant-garde. The interior décor is of a modern design: tasteful, minimalist and extremely elegant. The services are without par: in addition to the standard offerings at Paradores, there is a spa, business center, convention centers and twelve conference rooms. 26 kilometers from Madrid, 20 kilometers from Barajas International Airport and the trade fair facilities at IFEMA, and just 2 kilometers from the train station, the Parador’s location in this World Heritage City is one of its main advantages.

Do you dream of turning back time and spending the night in a castle high above a lovely town filled with history and tradition? Make your dream come true at the Parador de Alcañiz. Unique landscapes, architectural heritage, tradition, adventure sports, hunting, cuisine, and more. It all starts here.

    

Parador de Cádiz

They call it Tacita de Plata (Silver Cup) and it is considered the oldest city in the West. In this place of special light, baroque palaces and the homes built by Spaniards who made their fortune in Latin America coexist in perfect harmony with the modern architecture of our Parador. If you a lover of design, you will find the Parador de Cádiz fascinating. It is a modern gem with views of the bay of the bay from anywhere in the building: the balconies, the airy guest rooms, the exclusive swimming pool, the relaxing spa. The restaurant and tapas bar offer exquisite delicacies for your enjoyment and the function rooms will be the ideal location to make your most exclusive events a success. Just a few steps from the hotel is La Caleta Beach. It invites you to stroll along the esplanade, which bore witness to the years when the port served as an important connection to the New World, evoking the beautiful image of the Malecón in Havana.

On the banks of the Sella River, surrounded by the spectacular Picos de Europa mountains, the Parador de Cangas de Onís awaits you in an incomparably beautiful spot. The hotel is located in the former San Pedro de Villanueva Monastery, a beautiful building with spectacular rooms of stone and wood. The décor is elegant, warm and traditional. The function rooms and riverside garden are ideal places for a unforgettable celebration. We take meticulous care with every detail and offer the best cuisine, allowing you to fully enjoy this idyllic spot. The Parador is two kilometers from Cangas de Onís, making it an ideal starting point for visits to Picos de Europa National Park, the shrine and lakes at Covadonga, and even charming coastal towns such as Llanes and Ribadesella.

he Parador de Carmona offers beauty, tranquility, exquisite cuisine and lovely scenery. The building is built over the ruins of a stunning fortress standing high above the town. It offers a fabulous swimming pool, terraces with views of the countryside and a delightful interior courtyard surrounded by pleasant lounges. The dining room is located in the former refectory and is one of the most spectacular in the Paradores chain. It offers lovely views of the swimming pool and the light-filled landscape of Andalusia, as well as traditional cuisine, which of course includes exquisite confectionery and partridge dishes. Decorative elements such as the tilework will remind you that you are in the land of Andalusia, where the light is special and the people are friendly.

 

Parador de Chinchón

The Parador de Chinchón is located in a former Augustinian monastery. It offers large windows, beautiful common areas and guest rooms decorated with exquisite taste, with the perfect combination of colors and careful attention to every detail. The lovely courtyard filled with loquat trees and well-kept gardens will allow you to enjoy this beautiful and peaceful location. We also offer delicious dishes such as Madrid-style chickpea stew, garlic soup and roast lamb. Chinchón is an especially charming village located south of Madrid. Highlights include the Plaza Mayor (Main Square), with more than 230 wooden balconies on the surrounding houses. We recommend viewing it at night: the illumination makes it a distinctive sight.
 

Parador de Jávea

On the shores of the Mediterranean, in the lovely city of Jávea on the northern Costa Blanca, enjoying water sports surrounded by the beauty of green gardens, and parking your boat at a small dock opposite the lawn that surrounds the swimming pool … it’s not a dream. These are the possibilities the Parador de Jávea offers you. The hotel interior is very comfortable and pleasant, ideal for relaxing and allowing your imagination to soar out from the balconies to the infinite sea. You can sample delicious rice, fish and fideuá (seafood vermicelli) dishes on the restaurant terrace, with a spectacular view of the Mediterranean

Parador de Oropesa

The Parador Museo de Oropesa is a beautiful building that transmits its history and legends through spectacular function rooms, columns and arcades, an imposing courtyard and the enigmatic keep. It was once the ancestral home of the Álvarez de Toledo family, counts of Oropesa, and in past times sheltered soldiers, religious persons and nobles. In 1930, it was converted into the first historic Parador in the government-owned chain, paving the way for a network of lodgings located in castles, palaces, convents and monasteries which is unique in the world. A stay at the hotel becomes a date with history in an enticing location where you can relax and enjoy the spectacular views of the Sierra de Gredos mountains and excellent cuisine.

The town of Plasencia is located on the banks of the Jerte River, in the Extremadura province of Cáceres. Its Parador is in the old quarter, a strategic location along the ancient commercial and pilgrimage route known as the Ruta de la Plata. The hotel occupies Santo Domingo Monastery, built in the 15th century. Thick stone walls, vaulted ceilings and beautiful décor await you in the Gothic style interior. The hotel is the ideal spot from which to explore the city and the surrounding natural landscapes.
 
 
One of the most luxurious and beautiful hotels in the Paradores chain is located in Santiago de Compostela. In this city, the destination of millions of pilgrims, rays of sunlight illuminate the building façades in summer and the rain creates a magical ambiance that overtakes the cobbled streets in winter. The Parador de Santiago, known as the Hostal dos Reis Católicos, is a blend of history, art and tradition, the dream of pilgrims and emblem of Santiago. It is located on Obradoiro Square near the cathedral, creating an area of spectacular beauty in one of the most visited provincial capitals in the world. A stay at this Parador means a visit to a truly unique and exclusive location.
   
In the heart of the Ribeira Sacra region, a uniquely beautiful natural area in inland Galicia that is home to the Miño and Sil rivers, concealed within a great cloak of green woods, stands Santo Estevo Monastery, which has been converted into a beautiful Parador. The monastery’s origins are believed to date back to the 6th and 7th centuries. It is easy to distinguish elements of the baroque and romanesque styles and the building has three incredible cloisters: one Romanesque, one Gothic and the third Renaissance, where you can spend a peaceful evening in a subdued atmosphere with the soft sounds of religious music as an accompaniment. Its beauty and historical features led the building to be declared a historic-artistic site in 1923. 

 

 

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