Buendía: Culture, Trails and Water at the Reservoir

Buendía showcases historic traces, an artistically inspired trail and a wide-open waterscape. The Buendía Reservoir is framed by steep cliffs, riverside woods and open horizons whose light changes. The Ruta de las Caras runs along the Buendía Reservoir, an artistic trail close to nature featuring monumental sculptures and bas-reliefs carved directly into sandstone.

Culture and History

La Botica preserves the almost unchanged dispensary of Buendía’s pharmacy from the mid-19th century, with around 400 ceramic vessels. The Museo del Carro de Buendía is housed in the historic Casa Tercia, a 16th-century building. Its exhibition includes more than a dozen traditional carts and carriages from different uses and periods.

The historic walls of Buendía were built in the 15th century and had five gates providing access to the town. The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in Buendía is an 18th-century church with a Herrerian-style façade.

Every year on the second Saturday in May, the image of the Virgen is carried in a Romería from the Ermita de Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados to the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in Buendía.

When planning your trip, you can consider the preserved interior, museum, town walls, church and the annual procession as separate cultural themes alongside one another. Each historic stop has its own focus, without any fixed order being prescribed.

Other places in this selection are Casas De Los Pinos, Mariana, Molinos De Papel, Cañada Del Hoyo, Motilla Del Palancar, Valhermoso de la Fuente, Huete and Chillarón De Cuenca.

Trails, Water and Nature

The PR-CU46 passes through the Ruta de las Caras and runs for 14.5 kilometres across the peninsula of the Buendía Reservoir. From Buendía, the Ruta de las Caras can be reached via a fully paved road to a car park at the start of the trail; this is followed by an easy circular walk of just over 2 kilometres.

Non-motorised activities such as kayaking and canoeing are possible at the Buendía Reservoir in designated areas. The different route lengths can be considered separately for your own planning. This allows you to arrange an easy circular walk, a longer trail and water activities as different focal points alongside one another.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Buendía, you can compare travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions on the respective offer pages; culture, trails and water remain separate themes in your planning.

The Ermita de Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados is 11 kilometres from Buendía and can only be reached on foot via a nature trail; access is free of charge.

For the higher-level travel overview: Cuenca.