This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting our small business.
Cuenca splits cleanly into two halves: the UNESCO old town on the ridge and the modern lower city in the valley, with a handful of distinct quarters in between. The old town is where the sights and most hotels are; the lower city is where most of the 55,000 residents actually live, eat and shop. Here is a tour of the districts and who each one suits.
Cuenca Neighborhoods: Casco Antiguo (Old Town)
The Casco Antiguo is the historic upper city, built along a narrow ridge between the Huécar gorge to the south and the Júcar to the north, at around 950 metres. It holds the cathedral, the Casas Colgadas, the Plaza Mayor and most of the city’s museums, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Streets are steep and cobbled, with staircases and viewpoints at every turn, and it is almost entirely pedestrian. It runs several degrees colder than the lower city in winter, as our Cuenca weather by month guide explains. This is where you stay if you want to walk to everything, and it suits first-time visitors and couples. Hotels here include the Parador de Cuenca and the Convento del Giraldo, and prices run the highest in the city. See the where to stay in Cuenca article for the full rundown.
Cuenca Neighborhoods: Barrio del Castillo
The Barrio del Castillo is the highest and quietest part of the old town, built around the ruins of the medieval castle at the very top of the ridge. It is residential, with little commerce, and its reward is the best sunset views in the city, looking down the gorges and over the lower town. It is a five-minute climb from Plaza Mayor up Calle de la Plaza Mayor and Calle del Trabuco, and it suits travellers who want to stay in the old town but sleep somewhere calm. There are a few small guesthouses and apartments here, and almost no restaurants, so plan to walk down for dinner and onward to the sights listed in our things to do in Cuenca guide.
Cuenca Neighborhoods: San Antón
San Antón is the oldest suburb, founded in the 14th century on the slopes of the Cerro de la Majestad beside the Júcar river, outside the original walls. For centuries it was the quarter of potters, blacksmiths and tanners, and its streets still climb the hill in tight, steep lines. Its landmark is the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Luz, dedicated to Cuenca’s patron saint. The district has been partly rehabilitated and now mixes old houses with a few tapas bars, and it is the starting point for the riverside path along the Júcar. It suits walkers and anyone after a more local, less touristy base than the old town, and it is a 10 to 15-minute uphill walk to the cathedral.
Cuenca Neighborhoods: Centro (Modern City Centre)
The Centro is the flat lower city, built in the first expansion of Cuenca and now its most populated district. It centres on Calle Carretería and the surrounding shopping streets, and it is where you find the main bus and train connections, the everyday supermarkets and the bulk of the restaurants aimed at locals rather than day-trippers. Most of the mid-range chain hotels, including the NH Ciudad de Cuenca and the Exe Cuenca, are here, and prices are lower than in the old town. It suits budget and business travellers, and the walk up to the historic centre takes 15 to 20 minutes or a short bus ride on lines 1 and 2. See our Cuenca travel tips for reaching the city by train or bus.
Cuenca Neighborhoods: Tiradores and La Fuensanta
Tiradores is the strip of lower town immediately below the old town’s southern edge, along the base of the ridge, and La Fuensanta extends south from it toward the Júcar. These are working residential areas with wider streets, small parks and some of the cheapest places to eat in the city, including family-run menús del día for around €12 to €15. They suit long-stay and budget travellers who prefer an apartment or a simple hostal to a hotel, and they connect to the old town by the same steep paths and staircases the locals use. The San Julián fairground and the municipal sports facilities sit in this southern stretch, and the fair dates are in our Cuenca events and festivals guide.
Cuenca Neighborhoods: San Antonio
San Antonio is the modern residential district in the south of the city, bounded by the railway and the ring road, and built around the Plaza de San José Obrero. It is home to the Estadio Obispo Laplana football ground and the main sports complex, and it is where much of the city’s newer housing is. There is little here for a short visitor unless you are attending a match or an event, but the district is quiet, flat and well connected by bus. It suits families on longer stays who want parking and green space. For help choosing a base, see the best time to visit Cuenca guide, which links district choice to season.
