On our page on Spain, we have described the possibilities for accommodation in Spain in general; on this page, we suggest specific places where to spend the night in Spain.
First, we show you some of the places we found especially worthwhile during our trips to Spain. You also find links to advertising hotels.
Of each place, we give you a short description of the rooms, the restaurant, the surroundings, and a map. For each place where we did spend the night ourselves, you will also find a page where we give you a review.
This photo shows the Monasterio de Valvanera, where you can sleep. There are many unique places to sleep in Spain!
Monasterio de Guadalupe
Your stay in the Hospederia
One of the most special places to sleep in Spain, is the Hospederia del Monasterio de Guadalupe. A hospederia is a place where monks welcome visitors, and offer them a place to sleep and a place to eat, and this is exactly what this place is: a welcoming hotel in a monastery with Franciscan monks.
You stay in a beautiful place: half of the building of the monastery is for the hospederia. And you feel the way these monks live everywhere: in the quiet way they perform everyday tasks, with all their attention, in the way they treat the animals that live in the monastery (birds that roost there, and are not chased away).
In general, the hospederia is fully booked. So, come during mid-week, or try to book in advance.
What to see
The obvious place to visit is the monastery itself. Don't miss it! The building itself is worth a (guided) visit, and there are interesting paintings and statues to admire as well, with the added value that you see these paintings in the environment for which they were painted.
Keep in mind that this is also a place of worship. Many of the other people on a guided tour are pilgrims. They come from all over Spain, and from South-America, to visit this place.
Where to ride
Guadalupe lies in the Sierra de Guadalupe: in every direction, there are mountain roads, full of corners.
To the east, you ride into the Montes de Toledo, to the west, you can reach beautiful Trujillo using narrow mountain roads, to the south, you will cross the great embalses of the Extremadura, and reach La Serena, a vast steppe-like plain.
Travel story and review
You can find out more about the Hospederia de Guadalupe on our travel story to Cadiz, on day 11 and day 12 (in Dutch).
Links
The Hospederia has a website: www.hotelhospederiamonasterioguadalupe.com.
Booking possible through Hospederia del Real Monasterio at Booking.com.
Fonda Farré
Your stay in the Fonda
Fonda is the Spanish word for inn: a place to eat and to sleep, with a long tradition. Fonda Farré in Baro, in the Pyrenees, though in a new building, is such a place with a history.
The rooms are pleasant, with great views, but the real specialty of Fonda Farré are the food, the owner and his parents. You will be really welcomed here, and the food is very, very good.
Where to ride?
Baro lies in the midst of the Spanish Pyrenees. There are marvelous roads everywhere!
The N260, from Sort to the east, is a circuit-like road, with very little traffic. The N260 from Baro to the south leads you through the spectacular Congost de Collegats.
From Gerri de la Sal, you can take a small mountain road, from which you can ride into the high Pyrenees, almost into the Parc Nacional de Aiguestortes.
To the north, you can reach the Val d'Aran, by the spectacular Port de la Bonaigua.
Travel story
You can find out more about Fonda Farré on our travel story to Aragon, on day 15 and day 16 (in Dutch).
We also wrote a review about Fonda Farré.
Links
Fonda Farre has a website: www.fondafarre.com/.
Booking possible through Fonda Farre at Booking.com.
Hospederia of the Castillo de Papa Luna
Your stay in the hospederia in the Castillo
The building you see on the hilltop is a castle, the Castillo de Papa Luna, the home of a former "alternative" pope, Papa Luna. Inside that castle is a hotel, the hospederia.
Everything about this hospederia is special: you sleep in splendid rooms, spacious, with great views, and with many preserved old features.
You eat delicious food, eather in the restaurant or in the bar.
And all of this comes at a very modest price.
From here, you could visit Catalayud, and especially Zaragoza.
You could also ride from here to the Monasterio de Piedra, with a parque full of waterfalls.
Where to ride?
In the direction of the north-west lies the Moncayo, a beautiful region with lots of narrow mountain roads.
To the south-east, you enter another mountain region, where you will find spectacular colourfull open mines.
Travel story
You can find out more about the Hospederia del Castillo de Papa Luna on our travel story to Aragon, on day 14 and day 15 (in Dutch).
Links
The hospederia de Papa Luna has a website: www.touractive.com/pub/home.jsp?sec=instalaciones/papaluna/inicio.
Booking possible through Hospederia de Papa Luna at Booking.com.
Hotel Los Calizos
Your stay
All the comfortable rooms in this hotel are different, and from all of them, you have a view on the magnificent mountainous surroundings.
The hotel has a large garden with a terrace for breakfast or just to sit.
The hotel is very proud of its restaurant: the chef uses fresh local ingredients: the menu often changes, along the seasons. The goal is to offer the guests the taste and smell of the mountains around the restaurant, on the plate.
Places to visit
From the hotel, you can easily reach Segovia, a historic town with a famous castle and Roman aquadauct. Also within easy reach is Pedraza de la Sierra, a very well preserved village from the middle-ages.
The Monasterio El Escorial is the famous former palace of the Spanish kings, very much worth a day trip.
Where to ride?
The hotel lies at the road of the Puerto de la Morcuera, and there are many more mountain passes in the surroundings: the Puerto de Navafria for instance, the Puerto de Navacerrada, the Puerto de Fuenfria or the Puerto the Canencia. Rascafria lies in the centre of the Sierra de Guadarrama.
Experience
You can find out more about Hotel Los Calizos on our travel story to Cadiz, on day 9, day 10, day 20 and day 21 (in Dutch).
Link
Hotel Los Calizos has a website: www.loscalizos.com/.
Comments, Q & A, on a separate page