Self Drive Holiday Teruel & Cuenca - Food & Wine

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This unique self-drive holiday in Spain offers you the opportunity to explore one of  the most beautiful and undiscovered mountainous regions of the country:the province of Teruel and its wonderful city as well as the famed and historical Cuenca. It is a self-drive variation of our Lovers and Ham in Teruel  trip.
Mountains,forests, medieval villages(including a fortified Templar village) and classic local food are what this self drive holiday is all about. You visit Teruel,with its beautiful Mudejar architecture,its famed ham and " Lovers of Teruel" whose Romeo and Juliet type story grabs the hearts of all who hear it.The city is small and very Spanish and unspoilt by mass tourism. After exploring the delights of Teruel city the next stop is to Albarracin, a magical pinkstoned mountain town,once capital of a Moorish kingdom.The town is the geographical gateway to the Montes Universales and the windy road from there takes you through some lovely mountainous scenery into the province of Cuenca. The city of Cuenca is a small city, famous for its dramatic clifftop setting and quaint old quarter.

This original and unique route gives you plenty of opportunity for exploring.It really is a lovely mixture of fantastic scenery,off the beaten track Spain,great food and historical cities,towns and villages.
Day 1- Valencia
Arrive and spend the day visiting the sights of Valencia,its cathedral,amazing indoor food market,the futuristically designed Arts and Science Museum and much more. Foodwise we recommend that you try paella valenciana which originates from Valencia,plus tapas and local drinks such as horchata (made from tiger nuts).
Day 2- Rubielos de Mora
Drive from Valencia and stop off at any of the interesting villages such as Jerica,Mora de Rubielos before reaching the charming medieval village of Rubielos de Mora where you stay the night in a local hotel.
Day 3 - Cantavieja
Today is a drive through the mountains to Cantavieja, a charming Templar knights' fortified village, via  some typical mountain villages.The route takes you through some majestic scenery and quaint old villages.Your hotel for this evening is in Cantavieja which was a hideaway for the Templar knights when they started to fall out of favour.
Day 4- Teruel
After visiting the lovely old village of Mirambel it is time to head for Teruel the capital of the region,home to some of the best ham in Spain,the "Lovers of Teruel",the Mudejar style Cathedral and towers,the church of San Pedro and some beautiful examples of Modernist(Art Deco buildings).Your hotel in Teruel is a small but enchanting hotel right in the centre of town..
Day 5- Teruel
Today is for exploring the city of Teruel,its towers,the mausoleum of the Lovers and trying some of the great tapas on offer.The hotel is the same as  the previous night.
Day 6- Albarracin
Today you leave Teruel for a short drive to the village of Albarracin which is a unique rose coloured stone village in the mountains 45 minutes away.Sometimes referred to as the most beautiful village in Spain. There are also some unique historic buildings like its cathedral and the dramatic castle.You can also visit the interesting prehistoric cave paintings,strange rock formations and forest in the nearby natural beauty spot of Las Rodenas where rose coloured rocks have ben moulded by erosion into unusual forms.Your hotel for tonight is in Albarracin.
Day 7- Cuenca
Today you can take the scenic route through the Montes Universales to Cuenca,one of the most beautiful looking cities in Spain. Perched on a long cliff the old part of the city looks fabulous from any angle. Cuenca was a centre for the Spanish Inquisition in the 16th century and was full of religious orders who built many monasteries and other religious buildings in this fine city.The old centre boasts some excellent restaurants and tapas bars where you can try the local "Zarajos" (sheep intestine on a stick) or "ajoarriero" (garlic and potato paté).Culturally Cuenca boasts a cathedral,a city museum,a Holy Week Museum, as well as the small but famous Abstract Art Museum. There are lots of local walks both in and around the city with spectacular views of the famous "Casas Colgadas" (Hanging Houses).These are built hanging right off the main cliff of the city in front of the beautiful Parador of San Pablo which was a monastery and is now your hotel for the next two nights.
Day 8- Cuenca
You can either chill out in your hotel, explore the city further or alternatively go on a driving tour of the nearby region. You'll visit the spectacular monastery of Uclés or the remains of the Roman city of Segobriga and eat out in a typical local restaurant. Curiously enough the monastery was built with stones from the Roman remains of Segobriga city. The monastery also played a tragic role in the Spanish Civil War. The hotel this evening is the same as the previous evening.
Day 9-Return to Valencia
The return trip to Valencia. A three hour journey with possibility of stopping off in Requena the centre of Valencia's main winegrowing area.Requena is a small typical Spanish town famous for its traditional food and excellent wine. It is also well known for its caves below the town which are open to the public. The local wineries are charming and some of them are open for visiting.Return car in Valencia. End of trip.

Price per person sharing from: 1150 Euros.
Includes: 8 nights hotel accommodation with breakfast and two evening meals, Group A hire car with our carhire partner Europcar.
The price also includes an information pack with local maps and recommendations of restaurants, places to stop and places to visit.

Please note:
- All routes are flexible and can be adjusted to suit your tastes,flight times,airport etc.We can tailormake your trip according to your requirements.
- We do NOT book,organise flights. Customers are requested to organise their own flight arrangements.

If you prefer fewer hotel changes, this trip can be adapted so you can stay in two or three hotels only.
Contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or ring us on 00 34 962254148