The Parador Hotel in Benavente - Parador de Benavente
The four star Parador de Benavente in a Renaissance style castle which dates back to the year 1202 when it was the seat of parliament built by order of Fernando II de Leon. It was partially destroyed during the Peninsular War in 1808 but still has the original Torre de Caracol with its Mudejar coffered ceiling. There are beautiful living rooms and ballrooms which are regularly used for social gatherings.
For many years Benavente has been a favourite resting place for travellers as it is the crossing point of the road from Madrid to Santiago de Compostela and the road from France to Pontevedra, Tui and Vigo. Buildings in the town worth visiting include the Santa Maria de Azogue and San Juan del Mercado churches, and also the Piedad Hospital.
The restaurant at the Parador de Benevente serves specialities of the region including arroz a la zamorana (Zamora-style rice), dos y pinga (fried eggs, bacon and bread), Bacalao a la trance which is a dish of reconstituted dried salted cod with eggs and peppers, Lechazo asado (roast lamb), Tocinillo de ceilo which is a desert made with egg yolks and syrup and the sweet rebojo zamorano The Parador de Benavente is surrounded by beautiful gardens and has classic style interior decoration with wrought iron wall lamps, Castilian bricks and wood floors covered in rugs. There are twenty nine twin bedrooms, 4 double bedrooms, 2 suites and three single bedded rooms all with a private bathroom, direct dial telephone, cable television and a mini bar.
Parador de Benavente Additional Information
Facilities:
Restaurant; Bar; Conference Room; air-conditioned common rooms; lobby; lifts; gardens; swimming pool, shops.
Hotel Class:
Four Stars
History:
The seat of parliament in 1202, this Renaissance style castle was built by order of Fernando II de León and forms part of the former walled enclosure of the town. Practically razed to the ground in 1808 during the Peninsular War, it conserves the monumental Torre del Caracol, where there is a living room with an admirable Mudejar coffered ceiling. Surrounded by beautiful gardens, the interior contains classical decorative elements such as rugs, forged lamps, coffered ceilings, wood and Castilian bricks.
Internet Access:
No internet access in the hotel.
Parking:
Private parking for guests.
Best For:
Heritage; City and Business.
Rooms:
4 doubles, 3 singles, 29 twins, and 2 rooms with hall. Facilities include complete bathroom, mini bar, satellite TV, safe deposit box, direct dial telephone, air-conditioning and central heating.
Disabled Access:
Disabled guests have access throughout all communal areas of the hotel.
Benavente Activities & Attractions
Places of Interest:
In Benavente: Romanesque Churches, Santa Marta de la Tera parish church. In Villafáfila, 28 km away, Laggon Nature Reserve. Puebla de Sanabria (82km): Castle, Romanesque church, Sanabria Lake. Granja de Moreruela: ruins of manestery, 35 km away. Arqueologic Route; Tera Route; Sierra de la Culebra Route; Tierra de Campos Route and Orbigo Route.
Festivals:
Toro Enmaromado, eve of Corpus, in Benavente. The Holy Week of Zamora, at 65 km. Virgen de la Vega, Patron saint of the town. Fair of the Pepper (Pimiento), end of Septembrer.
Activities:
Hunting; Horse riding; Fishing; Golf; Trekking.
Parador de Benavente Location
How to get there:
The Parador is at the end of Paseo Ramón y Cajal, in the spot known as Jardines de la Mota. Located in the nerve centre of the town, the most common access route is the A-6 motorway Madrid-A Coruña, or else from Ourense, Vigo and Pontevedra along the N-630 main road.
Transport Links:
Nearest airport: 110 km. Rail station: 70 km. Port: 195 km.
