My husband recently sold me on the idea of our first vacation since the pandemic: “It will be an overview of Spain,” he promised, “staying in centuries-old castles called paradors.” Of course, I was immediately captivated by the vision of stones, beams, torches and dungeons. My kind of interiors!
We didn’t bother to calculate how much driving we would be doing – we love driving…2 hours here, 3 hours there. We really could cover a lot of ground in 10 days. So after landing in Madrid, we gathered our belongings in a cute little manual transmission Fiat and set out for a village called Avila (of St. Teresa).
The Parador of Avila was beautifully situated at the top of the old city, surrounded by a very proper castle wall.
When we entered our room, the garden view stunned me with its lush pines and mazes. The building seemed newly renovated, with several beautiful rustic antiques on every floor. 
The town, however, seemed quite antique. Off to a good start…
On to Caceres, my absolute favorite of the trip. This ancient town, a Unesco Heritage Site, has the most beautiful tiny streets and alleyways, perfectly lighted for high drama. There was a one-star Michelin restaurant next to our parador, so I imagine many world travelers have passed through these walls.
Our room was an absolute decorator’s dream. Located in what looked like a storage chamber on the lower level, its ceilings soared to 20 feet in beautiful brick arches, and everything was decked in the latest contemporary appointments.
Pairing the ancient with the modern creates such an exciting tension in interior design. I’m so happy I could luxuriate for a couple of nights in this little castle!
Another two-hour drive put us near Seville and the beautiful Parador of Carmona (Alcazar Del Rey Don Pedor – i.e. Pedro the Cruel). The Moorish influence in architecture and furnishings was very evident everywhere, and the view of the Andalusian fields from our balcony, quite breathtaking.
Later in Seville we toured the magnificent cathedral and the Royal Alcazar Gardens,
then journeyed to Granada and the Nasrid Palaces, where we spent two nights.
This exotic site had been totally rebuilt and renovated. The manager explained that earthquakes often destroyed parts of the castles, or they were looted and burned as Morrish and Spanish wars waged. But the all-pervasive mood of this hilltop is totally Moorish, with the Alhambra and its magnificent gardens.
Secretly, we would steal off to the Hotel America, steps away from our hotel, for breakfasts and lunches so charmingly served in a private little couryard (with vintage music playing).
Our final stop was the Parador of Oropesa. 
Although it was only a few miles outside Toledo, we never set foot in the town! It, too, had ancient walls and historic sites, but we were weary from driving and chose to see Toledo from our perfect lunch spot
(for several hours!).
Oropesa was the sleepiest of paradors and towns, and we charged up for our last three-hour drive back to Madrid where we finished our trip.
Paradors: there are hundreds of them in Spain! They’re well-run by the government and relatively inexpensive to stay at, but in my mind they all start to look alike. They seem perfect for the traveler who wants to feel safe and well-fed.
My husband and I decided that taking our chances on little quirky hotels was more our style — and there’s no thrill to being safe with food. I’ve learned my lesson from Stanley Tucci: You have to try the local delicacies to get to know a place. In the paradors, we felt the menus had been watered down to satisfy the tastes of European and British guests. So, after 1,000 miles, we got an overview of rustic Spain, sort of. Now we’ll have to regroup to brainstorm some new destinations!
Roof top at the Principal Hotel, Madrid
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