PARADOR DE BENAVENTE

This castle was built on the orders of king Ferdinand II of León and served as the venue for the legislative assembly of 1202. The Renaissance Caracol Tower (Snail Tower) has been preserved. It was part of old walled area of the town and was almost destroyed in 1808, during the Peninsular War period. The monumental Caracol Tower houses a function room with an impressive Mudejar coffered ceiling. Surrounded by beautiful gardens, the castle's interior has classical decorative features such as tapestries, forged lamps, coffered ceilings, as well as Spanish bricks and woods. Its spectacular rooms are specially equipped to be an ideal location for social gatherings. The sleep-inducing bedrooms are cosy and accomodating, and the restaurant offers local cuisine: Bacalao a la tranca (cod with boiled egg), arroz a la Zamorana (rice and pork dish), dos y pingada (fried egg and bacon on bread) and tocino de cielo (custard caramel).