Hotels in Alcalá de Henares

Alcalá de Henares is Madrid's scholarly satellite: the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes and home to the university Cardinal Cisneros founded in 1499, which turned the town into a model of the planned university city. Its historic core and university are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Calle Mayor, one of Spain's longest arcaded streets, leads past the house-museum where Cervantes is said to have been born, and storks nest on nearly every church tower. The Corral de Comedias is among Europe's oldest surviving theatres, and the Cervantes Prize is presented each year in the university's ornate Paraninfo.

Bars still tend to serve a generous free tapa with a drink, which makes evenings cheap and lively. Be honest: beyond the old town, Alcalá is a sprawling commuter city of apartment blocks and industrial estates, and most visitors treat it as a day trip from Madrid on the Cercanías train. It is close to Barajas airport, so it also works for early flights. Stay in the historic centre around Plaza de Cervantes and Calle Mayor, where the sights, tapas bars and train station are all walkable.