Palace in Alcala de Henares
Also known as Palacio Arzobispal de Alcala de Henares
FreeCosts nothing to visit.
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 pitch his voyage west, and it was the birthplace of Catherine of Aragon. A 1939 fire destroyed much of the grand interior, and the palace now houses the diocesan offices, so the inside is not on a general ticket and depends on events. The good news for a budget trip: the exterior is free to view. Its enormous walls and towers sit a short walk from the University of Alcala, the Cathedral Magistral of Alcala de Henares, and the Cervantes Birthplace Museum, so it slots into a no-cost stroll through the old town on a cheap Cercanías day trip from Madrid.
Nearby
Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
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.
Working out what Alcala de Henares costs?
The whole of Alcala de Henares