Ciudad Encantada
| Ciudad Encantada | |
|---|---|
|
IUCN category III (natural monument or feature) | |
|
Rock walls in Ciudad Encantada | |
  Location of Ciudad Encantada | |
| Location | Cuenca, Spain |
| Coordinates | 40°12′29″N 2°0′35″W / 40.20806°N 2.00972°WCoordinates: 40°12′29″N 2°0′35″W / 40.20806°N 2.00972°W |
| Area | 250 acres (100 ha) |
| Established | 1929 |
The Ciudad Encantada ('Enchanted City') is a geological site near the city of Cuenca, in Castile La Mancha, Spain in which the erosive forces of weather and the waters of the nearby Júcar river have formed rocks into distinctive and memorable shapes.
It was declared a Natural Site of National Interest on 11 June 1929.
Origin of the formations
The rock formations of Ciudad Encantada are karst formations, which date back to the Cretaceous period, approximately 90 million years ago.
Shapes of rocks
The rock formations that have been named include:
- Mushroom rocks Seta ('Mushroom')
- Puente ('Bridge')
- Cara ('Face')
- Convento ('Convent')
- El mar de piedra (The stone sea)
- Teatro ('Theatre')
- Hipopótamos ('Hippopotami')
- Amantes ('Lovers')
- La foca (The seal)
- La tortuga (the turtle)
- Los osos (the bears)
Popular culture
Ciudad Encantada appears as a location in the following films:
- A Professional Gun, 1968.
- The Valley of Gwangi, 1969.
- Conan the Barbarian, 1982.
Gallery
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The stone sea
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Battle of the crocodile and the elephant
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The mushrooms
See also
- Mushroom rocks
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ciudad Encantada. |
- Visitor information from the Ayuntamiento de Cuenca
- Images of some of the more distinctive rock formations
- Web Ciudad Encantada Cuenca