City in Spain
12 things to see9 of them free
A UNESCO World Heritage university city about 35 kilometers east of Madrid, birthplace of Cervantes and site of the Roman city of Complutum. The University of Alcala, the arcaded Calle Mayor of Alcala de Henares (one of the longest covered streets in Spain), and the Corral de Comedias (one of the oldest surviving covered theaters in Europe) make it a rewarding day trip or overnight. Most of the appeal is free: wandering the historic center, watching the rooftop storks, and walking the arcades costs nothing. The Cercanías regional train from Madrid keeps the trip cheap, so a half day here barely dents a travel budget.
What to see
9 of these cost nothing at all.
A massive fortified palace that served as the seat of the Archbishops of Toledo, the most powerful churchmen in Spain. This is the building where Columbus had his first audience with the Catholic Monarchs in 1486 to argue for his voyage west.
One of the longest arcaded streets in Spain, running through the heart of the old town of Alcala de Henares. Free to walk, lined with shops and cafes under its continuous portico, it is the natural corridor between the city's main sights.
One of only two churches in the world to hold the title "Magistral," a rank that once required all its canons to hold a doctoral degree. The other is in Leuven, Belgium. This late Gothic church anchors the old town of Alcala de Henares, steps from the University of Alcala, and it costs nothing to step inside.
Reconstructed house on the Calle Mayor where Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, was born in 1547, now a museum recreating a 16th-century Castilian home. Entry is free, which makes it one of the best-value literary sites in Spain and an easy stop on a budget day trip from Madrid to Alcala de Henares.
University chapel inside the Cisnerian block of the University of Alcala, known for a Mudejar coffered ceiling and the marble tomb of Cardinal Cisneros, the man who founded the university in 1499. It is one of the most ornate interiors in Alcala de Henares and is normally seen as part of the university guided tour rather than as a free standalone stop.
Complutum is the open-air ruin of the Roman city that grew where Alcala de Henares stands today, with an excavated forum, public baths, and townhouses whose mosaic floors still survive in the open. Entry is free, and the regional train from Madrid puts it within easy reach, which makes it one of the cheapest serious Roman sites in central Spain.
A cloistered convent in the historic centre of Alcala de Henares, part of the dense set of convents and monasteries that fill the UNESCO old town.
One of the oldest surviving corrales (open-air courtyard theatres) in Europe, dating to 1601 and still in use. Guided tours let you see the original galleries and stage, connecting directly to Spain's Golden Age of theatre.
Founded in 1483, the Antezana Foundation Hospital is one of the oldest continuously operating hospitals in Europe, still running as a charitable almshouse more than five centuries later. It sits in the old town of Alcala de Henares, a short walk from Plaza de Cervantes and the Cervantes Birthplace Museum.
The main square of Alcala de Henares, named after the city's most famous son, the writer Miguel de Cervantes. It is free to enjoy, with cafe terraces, a bandstand, and a Cervantes statue at its center. The natural starting point for exploring the UNESCO-listed university town, and the open end of the arcaded Calle Mayor of Alcala de Henares.
Neoclassical city gate marking the western entrance to the old town of Alcala de Henares, the historic doorway into the city from the old Madrid road. Free to view at any hour with no ticket or interior to pay for, it frames the start of the monumental axis that runs in toward the historic center.
The UNESCO-listed Renaissance university founded by Cardinal Cisneros in 1499, fronted by one of Spain's finest Plateresque facades. The original building, the Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso, sits in the heart of Alcala de Henares.
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