Visiting Alcala DE Henares

Spanish holiday trips

A number of people choose to visit the amazing city of Madrid during their summer holiday. This is not unusual, because Madrid is a beautiful city, one of the most beautiful cities in the entire country, so it easily attracts visitors. Madrid has a very special architecture which combines the old with the new, but it also has a very wide range of modern activities for the entertainment of its tourists, as well as a very active nightlife. Another big advantage of the city is that its location allows tourists to go on several very interesting day trips. A very popular day trip for tourists is the one to Alcala de Henares.

A trip to Alcala

Alcala de Henares is very accessible from Madrid by train; the Renfe Cercanias, which is a local train service, will take you there in the blink of an eye. The city attracts tourists mainly due to the fact that it is the birthplace of the great Miguel de Cervantes. However, this is not everything that Alcala de Henares has to offer. The center of the city is a beautiful medieval mix of cobbled streets and historic buildings which have been very well preserved. The historical importance of the center of the city is the reason for the designation given by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

If you are interested in the cultural side of the city, visit Cervantes Square which is dedicated to the great writer of the famous ‘’Don Quixote’’. An important feature of the city is Calle Cardenal Cisneros, a long street which takes you through the city, from the entrance of the city right to the beautiful Cathedral which stands in the center of the historical center. The street is packed with nice outdoor bars and pubs which serve the famous tapas, so have a break and give yourself a nice treat. An unusual reason why Alcala de Henares is such a popular and famous city is due to the huge number of white storks which live there. The storks build their nests on the top of the high buildings and on top of the churches, so they are a common presence all over the city.

A beautiful day

Alcala de Henares is worth a day trip because it is a spectacular city. The architecture which displays Moorish and Christian elements will impress you and the picturesque surroundings will charm you, so have fun and enjoy the trip.