The little secrets hidden in Spanish castle hotels

In Spanish, it's not "hotel" or "hostel," but "parador" that refers to hotels that are relatively luxurious to some extent. They are usually built in buildings with a sense of history, such as a monastery or a castle. The Spanish castle hotels introduced below have many little-known stories behind them.

Parador de Jaén

Nestled in the hills of Santa Catalina, the Parador de Jaén is a gem of the city. The famous French politician and writer Charles de Gaulle once stayed in room 13 of this hotel, where he completed part of his memoirs.

Parador de Cardona

In this medieval castle, the exquisite Gothic elements are fascinating, but this magnificent building is also very mysterious: Room 712 often experiences strange occurrences, such as supernatural phenomena, nightmares, ghosts, and so on. This room is now closed unless someone explicitly requests to stay.

Parador de Cazorla

This hotel is located in the heart of the Cazorla Mountains Natural Park, making it a perfect holiday destination. However, near the Polluelos Spring close to the hotel, it is eerily quiet. It is said that when the river floods here, the entire area gets submerged.

Parador de Olite

The hotel has a close connection with Prince Carlos Viana, who was raised here by his grandfather, King Carlos III. The building was a royal castle palace at the time and is now listed as a national historic site.

Parador de Jarandilla

This king once resided in this building, which belonged to the Duke of Oropesa, from November 1556 to February 1557. To commemorate King Carlos V, the castle hotel has placed three portraits of the king and some of his emblems inside.