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Alcalá de Henares packs a UNESCO World Heritage historic centre, Spain’s oldest university precinct and the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes into a compact area you can walk in a day. Most sights are free or under 6€, and the city is 35 minutes from Madrid on the Cercanías train. These are the best things to do in Alcalá de Henares, with opening hours and prices.
Things to Do in Alcalá de Henares: Landmarks and Museums
University of Alcalá (Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso)
The 1499 facade on Plaza de San Diego is the city’s defining monument, built in Plateresque stone with a courtyard, chapel and the Paraninfo hall where the Cervantes Prize is awarded each April. Guided tours run daily and cost 6€; you can book through the tourist office on 91 882 13 54. The university area is also covered in our neighborhoods of Alcalá de Henares guide. Our Alcalá de Henares weather by month guide has the full breakdown.
Corral de Comedias
This 1601 open-air theatre on Plaza de Cervantes 15 is the oldest complete corral de comedias in Europe, restored to its original wooden galleries. Guided visits cost 4€ (3€ for children 6 to 12, free under 6) and run Tuesday to Sunday at set times between 11:30 and 17:00, though the schedule shifts around performances and the theatre closes in August. No individual reservations are taken, so arrive 30 minutes early at the box office. See our Alcalá de Henares guide for the full picture.
Museo Casa Natal de Cervantes (Cervantes Birthplace Museum)
The house on Calle Mayor 48 recreates the home where Miguel de Cervantes was born in 1547, with period rooms and a library of Cervantes editions. Entry is free. It opens Tuesday to Friday 10:00 to 18:00 and Saturday, Sunday and holidays 10:00 to 19:00, with the last entry 30 minutes before closing. Closed Mondays and on 1 and 6 January, 1 May, and 24, 25 and 31 December. Check our best time to visit Alcalá de Henares for more.
Calle Mayor
Alcalá’s Calle Mayor is the longest surviving arcaded street in Spain, lined with stone columns supporting covered walkways. It runs from the Puerta de Mártires to the Plaza de Cervantes and holds the Cervantes Birthplace Museum, the Hospital de Antezana (one of Spain’s oldest working hospitals, founded 1483) and dozens of bars and pastry shops. Read our where to stay in Alcalá de Henares guide before you book.
Cathedral-Magistral de los Santos Niños Justo y Pastor
This 16th-century gothic cathedral on Plaza de los Santos Niños is one of only two ‘magistral’ cathedrals in the world, a title meaning all its canons must hold a doctorate. It holds the relics of the child martyrs Justo and Pastor and the baptismal font used for Cervantes. Entry is free and it is open daily, closing over lunch.
Things to Do in Alcalá de Henares: Palaces and Archaeology
Palacio Arzobispal (Archbishop’s Palace)
This fortress-palace beside the cathedral hosted the first meeting between Christopher Columbus and the Catholic Monarchs in 1486, and was where Catherine of Aragon was born in 1485. It is now the seat of the bishopric; the exterior and courtyards are the main draw and can be viewed freely from the plaza.
Palacio de Laredo
A flamboyant 1882 neo-Mudéjar palace at Paseo de la Estación 10, built by painter Manuel José de Laredo with horseshoe arches, glazed tiles and a tower. It now houses the Cisnerian Studies Centre and is open to visitors; check current hours at the tourist office because they vary by season.
Museo Arqueológico Regional (Regional Archaeological Museum)
Housed in a 17th-century Dominican convent on Plaza de las Bernardas, this museum covers the archaeology of the Madrid region from the Roman city of Complutum to the medieval period, including a large Roman mosaic collection. Entry is free and it opens Tuesday to Saturday 11:00 to 19:00 and Sundays 11:00 to 15:00.
Roman Complutum and the Casa de Hippolytus
The remains of the Roman city of Complutum, Alcalá’s predecessor, lie at Camino del Juncal on the city’s edge, with a forum, baths and mosaics, while the Casa de Hippolytus preserves a school’s mosaic floor. Both are open at weekends and are free. For getting around these outlying sites, check our Alcalá de Henares travel tips.
Things to Do in Alcalá de Henares: Outdoors
Cerros de Alcalá Natural Area
The hills rising behind the city along the Henares River offer marked walking and cycling trails with views over the historic centre, and they hold a colony of white storks that nest on the university’s rooftops in spring. The trails are free and reachable on foot from the centre in about 20 minutes.
Plaza de Cervantes
The main square links Calle Mayor to the town hall and hosts the bronze Cervantes statue and a bandstand. It is the natural starting point for a self-guided walk and fills with stalls and stages during the events and festivals in Alcalá de Henares such as the Mercado Cervantino.
