We arrived at the Parador of Benavente after an interesting but long day driving across the meseta. The parador is on the edge of the town, looking out over the river and canal, and the surrounding countryside, which stretches into the beyond. We were tired and just pleased to have arrived, but we had no idea of the wonderful week which we were about to enjoy.
A brief history
The fortress was built in the gr12th century when Ferdinand II campaigned for the repopulation of the town of Malgrat (renamed Benavente) as a defence against the Moors. The castle was given to the Pimental family in the 13th century and they became the Counts of Benavente. Their palace was one of the most sumptuous in all of Spain, with gardens stretching down to the river far below. Sadly the building was destroyed during the Spanish War of Independence, 1808-1814. Finally, in 1972, the building was adopted by the Paradores of Spain and renovated as the luxury hotel of today.
The Torre del Caracol is the only part of the 16th century building which remains today; it is believed to have been the armoury.1 It is used as an entertainment/dining space today and the ceiling comes from the Convent of San Román del Valle which has been demolished.
Outside
The rooms overlook this little garden and swimming pool. The Tower of Caracol is the square building in the background. The bar is in the Tower and it too has a little garden, shaded by old trees.
Inside
The interior of the Parador has numerous works of art and antique furniture, adding to the elegance of the atmosphere.
Our room
The door from the passageway opened into a large and airy room, which was very welcome, but it became spectacular when we opened the ‘windows’.
The garden
The gardens of La Mota lie in front of the parador, and are currently being renovated/renewed. The trees offer cool shade – a relief from the temperatures of 30C-37C which we ‘enjoyed’ during our stay! Surprisingly there were still roses in bloom and their faint scent was delightful as one stepped out in the mornings.
How could anyone not enjoy a stay in such a lovely place? It gave us space and time to just ‘be’ in a quiet Spanish town – we were just visitors in another layer of time to its heyday, but still enjoying, perhaps, some of the splendour of the palace days.