Free walking tours in Huete and what to see

Must-sees

Huete is a small town in the Alcarria of Cuenca with a surprising heritage for its size, concentrated in a compact old town. The key building is the 17th and 18th-century monastery of La Merced, which now brings together the church of San Esteban, the town hall, the tourist office and several museums: sacred art, ethnography and the Florencio de la Fuente contemporary art museum.

Close by, the Renaissance convent of Jesús y María houses a photography museum. Walking around you'll see the Baroque church of San Nicolás el Real de Medina, the Torre del Reloj, remains of walls and mansions, and the Gothic apse of the old Santa María de Atienza, used for concerts. A few kilometres away are the Roman lapis specularis mines, where a translucent gypsum was extracted and used as window glass in Roman times.

Free tours and guided visits

There are no free walking tours in Huete, but there are guided visits. You can book a guided walk of the town and its museums, which helps you understand the history of the town and its convents, and another to the Roman lapis specularis mines, an unusual experience in which you go down into the galleries with a guide. The tourist office, in La Merced, also has information on what you can visit on your own.

How long to spend

Half a day lets you see the old town and the museums in La Merced. If you add the visit to the Roman mines, allow a full day, remembering you need a car to get there. Huete combines well with Cuenca or other Alcarria villages on a weekend break.

Where to stay

Accommodation in Huete is limited: a few guesthouses, rural houses and apartments in and around the old town, enough for a quiet night. Staying inside lets you stroll in the evening when the town goes quiet. If you can't find a room or want more going on, Cuenca is less than an hour's drive away and has far more choice.