These Are the Best Castle Hotels in Spain in 2026

Castillo de Arteaga is a fabulous Neo-Gothic castle hotel near Guernica in the rolling hills of the Basque Country. The present-day structure was built in honour of Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, Prince Imperial of France, in the mid-19th century, on the site of a ruined castle dating from the mid-15th century. Its four grand towers now make a very imposing sight over the wilds of the Urdaibai Nature Reserve and its interiors… > Read More

Parador de Chinchón is a 17th century convent palace, in a charming little town near Madrid, now converted into very classy, stylish and friendly hotel. Kudos go to the interior designers here for keeping a perfect balance between the modern and the historic. The exteriors are very much old style (apart from the obviously modern outdoor swimming pool) and beautifully atmospheric, with a lovely old cloister and traditional gardens perfect… > Read More

Being able to stroll around the grounds of Europe’s most iconic historical sites after the tourist hordes have left and staying within the walls of Granada’s Alhambra fortress feels like an exclusive experience, and that it certainly is. The only way to do this is to stay in the luxury Parador de Granada, something which makes it one of Andalusia’s and Spain’s most desired castle hotels, and just hotels in… > Read More

Most Notable Former Guest: Orson Welles. Parador de Cardona is a towering, 9th-century-era, hilltop fortress near Barcelona now converted into a beautifully atmospheric, modern luxury hotel. It is seen as the most important medieval fortress in Catalonia and one of the most important in Spain, the strategic setting allowing for jaw-dropping views and the castle itself still retaining a strong historical ambience. The Rooms: They have a choice of rooms:… > Read More

Most Notable Former Guests: Ferdinand II of Aragon, Isabella I of Castile… Castillo del Buen Amor/Buen Amor Castle near Salamanca, Spain, and less than two hours from Madrid, is a splendidly atmospheric place with a history going all the way back to 1227. The property is huge, with a great amount of common space; there are a total of seven living rooms, for example. Outside there are beautiful gardens, a… > Read More

The 5-star Parador de Santiago – Hostal de Los Reyes Católicos is an integral part of the historic core of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain, and one of the world’s very oldest hotels. It is located on Obradoiro Square beside the cathedral which marks the end of the infamous Camino de Santiago, with which the hotel is intrinsically linked. It was commissioned by King Ferdinand in 1499 as a place… > Read More

Parador de Alarcón is a truly stunning 8th-century Moorish fortress turned luxury Spanish castle hotel, in the village of Alarcón, near Cuenca. The setting is spectacular, the hotel has a wonderfully authentic historical ambience and it has one of the finest restaurants in the region. The Rooms: Parador Alarcon, though quite a large structure, has only 14 bedrooms and so is very much a boutique hotel. The choices are between… > Read More

Parador de Alcañiz is a stunning Spanish hilltop castle hotel overlooking the town of the same name between Zaragoza and the Mediterranean. It has a history going all the way back to the 12th century and some of its original features are intact from that time, from the later medieval period, and after its conversion from a defensive fortress to a monastery and then to a residential palace in the… > Read More