Parador de Cardona

I'll start this by saying we' ve stayed at about ten paradores and at least 50 castle/ hotels. This one is massive with commanding views for miles. We had a suite which was large and very modern in state and furnishings. With this parador that is my main issue. Overall it is very clean,modern and nice but other than the main dining room it is absent the period character you would expect. There isn't a great room, no suits of armour or heralds etc. The bar is minimalistic. Functional but minimalistic and modern. As for parking there are three choices. At the base of the castle that parking area can probably handle 50 to 75 cars. If you are staying versus just visiting go all the way to the end and turn left. You immediately have a choice to go up and left or right and down. The left choice takes you up a ramp to the parador door. You can then take a sharp left turn and go up to a tight area which might hold ten cars. If full and you have to back down that can be sporty. If you took the right hand choice it goes down slightly for about 100 yards and maybe 30 cars can park there. All parking is free. Dining in the dining room is first clasgood food,great service and good prices. Most food choices in cardona are substandard and limited to mostly bar type food,service and cleanliness standards. Again,the parador is way above this.

Another marvelous stay at a Parador. Excellent food and selection of wines. Charming staff and very good service.

I stayed for 4 days over Christmas and was not disappointed by this wonderful hotel and their staff. The town of Cardona is a place that is probably more suited to a visit during spring, summer and autumn. Everywhere was either uphill or downhill and I had to back track 10 miles to get fuel for my car but the people I met were friendly so no harm done. I will recommend it to my friends but would suggest that a 2 day visit is probably more suitable unless you like walking. Plan to revisit in the summer. I will of course stay at the Parador and if this is a sample of the other places in the group I will be looking to visit other places in the future.

Travelling with three friends, loved our last day in Spain at Parador De Cardona. The views were amazing.

Whilst this Parador maintained the standards we have become used to, the walk up the hill from the car park was a challenge. My advice is drive up the hill to deposit your luggage (there is a car park at the top if you are lucky enough to get a space). The restaurant was excellent but we noticed several errors in ordering some things, in our case a glass of wine instead of the bottle we ordered. In fairness, the staff were really friendly and obliging but it didn’t quite give the impression they were all at the top of their game. However, any minor lapses did not restrict our enjoyment of our meal, which was excellent.

We woke in the morning to cloudless skies, with a river of mist rolling through the valley below our bedroom window. It was a very beautiful and different sight. The Parador de Cardona truly is a castle in the sky! Had a nice walk all round the castle before a lovely breakfast in the restaurant. Outstanding service; and outstanding value for money. A must-stay if you are in the area.