Exploring the Castle in Paracuellos de la Vega on the Lana Route

[peregrina2000]

I am spending more time than usual digging around to see what’s what on the Lana. There is a pretty cool looking castle in Paracuellos de la Vega, which is either in the middle of a stage between Campillo de Altobuey and Monteagudo de Salinas or the end of a stage itself (there is lodging but no albergue).

I have seen that most Lana pilgrims take the route that goes high and around the base of the castle. @Bad Pilgrim recommends another option — staying in the gorge out of town and passing below the castle. But I love climbing around castles, so I would be tempted by the standard (official?) high route.

Lana veterans, have any of you actually found your way into the castle? It looks like the path is a bit treacherous. AJ posted a video in our virtual thread, and the access looks like something I wouldn’t tackle.

I have a vague memory that Sara Dhooma’s walking companion somehow made it up there but she couldn’t figure it out.

P:S: And BP, I am kind of confused by your post in the Lana thread, where you said this:

Well, I never had a close encounter with it (referring to the castle) as in the video above. But coming from the hill where Paracuellos is located, it's more of a walk down to the castle. This is actually one of the few castles that are not placed upon a hill high above the town *Almansa-styyyle* so it is not that difficult in terms of denivelation. Just that the path going there felt really primitive with rocks and pebbles strewn around. But it is quite short. Of course I am talking out of memory here: other Laners can correct me on this.

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

I am spending more time than usual digging around to see what’s what on the Lana. There is a pretty cool looking castle in Paracuellos de la Vega, which is either in the middle of a stage between Campillo de Altobuey and Monteagudo de Salinas or the end of a stage itself (there is lodging but no albergue).

I have seen that most Lana pilgrims take the route that goes high and around the base of the castle. @Bad Pilgrim recommends another option — staying in the gorge out of town and passing below the castle. But I love climbing around castles, so I would be tempted by the standard (official?) high route.

Lana veterans, have any of you actually found your way into the castle? It looks like the path is a bit treacherous. AJ posted a video in our virtual thread, and the access looks like something I wouldn’t tackle.

I have a vague memory that Sara Dhooma’s walking companion somehow made it up there but she couldn’t figure it out.

P:S: And BP, I am kind of confused by your post in the Lana thread, where you said this:

Well, I never had a close encounter with it (referring to the castle) as in the video above. But coming from the hill where Paracuellos is located, it's more of a walk down to the castle. This is actually one of the few castles that are not placed upon a hill high above the town *Almansa-styyyle* so it is not that difficult in terms of denivelation. Just that the path going there felt really primitive with rocks and pebbles strewn around. But it is quite short. Of course I am talking out of memory here: other Laners can correct me on this.

I meant that normally you walk up to a castle (on a hill or a mound), but in Paracuellos the castle is placed lower than the rest of the pueblo so you will be walking down from Paracuellos towards it. And that the path down to the castle was a bit problematic. The best views of the castle IMO was on another path that went all the way down to the gorge and bypassing the castle from a larger distance.

 

[peregrina2000]

The best views of the castle IMO was on another path that went all the way down to the gorge and bypassing the castle from a larger distance.

How did you find this path? Is it obvious or marked? I take it that it goes from Paracuellos directly down to the gorge and does not pass by the castle itself, or am I misunderstanding? In other words is there a choice to either go past the castle or down to the gorge to look up at the castle? Hope I’m not being too dense here. THANKS!

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

In other words is there a choice to either go past the castle or down to the gorge to look up at the castle?

Yes.

On my first Lana the arrows took me down to the bottom of the gorge (it's not that big. Not like the gorge of, say, Alcalá del Júcar). The second time the arrows pointed me closer to the castle. Maybe I just went wrong the first time - I don't remember.