Parador Cardona
Parador of Cardona is located on a headland in a 9th century fortified enclosure, alongside the 2nd century Minyona tower and an 11th century church with characteristic features from the surrounding Catalan Romanesque. 
Its location provides exceptional panoramic views over the city and the fertile lands bathed by the River Cardoner.
Some of the hotel rooms have charming canopy beds. Pits, towers, walls and gothic features come together with a predominantly comfortable decor and Catalan-inspired mediaeval furnishings.
Catalan cuisine is served in the dining room including aubergine terrine with pig’s trotters, selections of sausages and especially barbecue dishes with the braised lamb shoulder a highlight.
Our family of four (children aged 10 and 11) stayed here for 2 nights in July 2010 and loved it! The drive to reach the castle was lovely; the staff was very helpful on arrival; we were delighted with the spacious, comfortable room; and the meals were among our favorites in all of Spain! The nearby salt mine is a fun tour even if you don’t speak Spanish, and the little city below the castle was a nice place to walk about, shop, and experience local culture. If you find the rates to be too high, you could always visit for a meal and explore the grounds & take photos. We hope to return from our home in Portland, OR to this, or another Parador in the future.
My husband and I stayed her for one night in July and absolutely loved it. The castle is awe-inspiring. The views are incredible; the setting is very peaceful. The room is lovely, not nearly as simple as we expected, and the bathroom is large with a great bathtub. I had my first good vegetarian meal in Spain and both breakfast and dinner were delicious.
I can’t rave enough about it. The setting can’t be beat and it’s incredibly comfortable as well.
I will recommend it to all my friends.
My husband and I stayed two nights at Parador Cordona at the end of June – it was our third parador on this trip. We loved it! To be staying in such an amazing and historic structure was a real joy. The first day we arrived we toured the old church on the grounds which was amazing inside. Our room was spacious and comfortable, with enough room for us to relax and read when not touring. Service was good in the lovely vaulted dining room. Our only suggestion is that there be a menu change from lunch to dinner. Breakfast was excellent and varied slightly on the two days we were there. I’d highly recommend this parador. I consider the Paradors of Spain to be a travelers dream come true.
We had the advantage of a room with young traveller rate. Otherwise it would have been too expensive. The setting with the castle up the hill is super charming and breath taking. The rooms and the dining room are very well decorated. An experience you will never forget. Breakfast is very good. A pity there is no outdoor pool or at least a solarium.
we spent one night here in May – a birthday present from my mum. I couldn’t fault a thing. The location is magnificent, and the whole castle is decorated very well – especially the 4 poster bed in our room! The restaurant was atmospheric (like eating at Hogwarts!) and we enjoyed well cooked Catalan dishes for dinner and a very good choice at the buffet breakfast next morning. The staff in the bar, restaurant and reception area were all welcoming and professional. 10 out of 10 in all respects – gracias!
This was the last stop of our visit to Spain. We loved it. Our kids (15, 12, 10) really liked the castle, even when it rained…plenty of comfortable chairs and sofas in the common areas to curl up and read, and the staff were always friendly to them. When we arrived we were surprised to see the salt mine nearby. At first we were disappointed (what is this, some sort of strip mine?) but then went out and took the tour. Though we speak no Spanish, which was the language of the tour, we learned a lot, liked wearing our hard hats, and found the salt formations really interesting. The parador website never mentions this mine but we found it a plus rather than a minus, not just of natural interest (along with cool machinery) but also of historical value– the dukes of Cardona made their money–and their castle– by mining salt.
Loved the parador’s food and the arched dining area. All you need is livery for the full castle experience. We found the service to be excellent throughout. The outdoor terrace was a treat– even the school groups visiting the castle were amusing. We’d be happy to return here as well as to visit other paradors.
We stayed at this Parador for 2 nights on a half board deal on the 2nd and 3rd June 2010. When we arrived we were asked did we want the twin we had booked or would we prefer a double. We went for the double and were delighted to be given a beautiful four poster room with a gorgeous view and luxurious bathroom. It was a wonderful experience staying in such an old and historic castle and we enjoyed eating in the medieval style restaurant and having an evening drink on the terrace next to the oldest tower. Very atmospheric.
The food is very good, especially the breakfast buffet which was served from 8-11am allowing for a long relaxed sampling of all the delicious options. Grant loved the little sausage tapas plates and I particularly liked a sort of caramel egg custard cake which I’m guessing is a local delicacy.
All together a perfect, romantic 2 days. Highly recommended.
We thought that this was a very good Parador: the building is impressive and the room was large & well fitted with a splendid view.
There was a festival in the town which made our visit more interesting. There was some noise at night but people will enjoy themselves & the reception staff did warn us.
The staff were all very friendly & helpful. It’s nice that they don’t all speak English as they don’t seem to mind our assault on their language.
Finally the food was excellent. All in all, nothing to complain about.
My husband, son and I stayed at the castle in May of 2010. The food was good, the view great, the staff very helpful. The restaurant is beautiful. We walked into town and enjoyed roaming around. Our room was very quiet
My only suggestion: a porter to help with the bags would be nice.
Had a great time, very happy we decided to come.
We cannot fault this parador. The room, the food, the service first class. And on top of that an amazingly spectacular view.
May 18, 2010
Our group of 9 on a cycling tour stayed one night en route from Montserrat to Coll de Nargo and the Pyrenees. The castle and the rooms were fantastic, with ambience amply rewarding the steep climb. The staff were friendly and spoke English well. The breakfast was excellent. Dinner was passable but service could be quicker. We enjoyed promotional rates but the overall experience justifies the full price.
10th-14th May 2010
We had a wonderful stay at the Parador , the room we had was excellent and everything was cleaned and left refreshed daily. The staff on the reception were particularly helpful.
The only downside for us was the service in the restaurant, where it was a bit hit and miss as to whether you were seved or not.
In fact our last night there, there were about 5 /6waiting staff, and after about 20 mins of being ignored,wedecided to leave and went into Cardona itself to eat.
Apart from that it was a lovely stay
Paul and Ann Craddock
France
Loved the parador !! The dinner was great and the breakfast as well !!
The Parador was incredible. The bathroom was completely marble with a huge whirlpool tub. The views were amazing as well. Would loved to have stayed another night.
The parador was a great place to stay even when the weather was cold and windy. The room (a duplex) was really nice and strolling around was a real treat.
Food was excellent and we were sorry we only had one night
We had a great stay in parador-Cardona. Not only the scenery is fantastic, but the facilities are both modern and comfy, which makes us feel like stay in a castle. The staff also provide five-star service. Will definitely recommend for travellers!!! It would be better if the shuttle buses from the airport or Barcelona are provided.
To see Spain by means of staying at Paradors scattered all over the country IS indeed the best way to go.
Our first experience with one of them–the Parador Cardona–was exceptional. The room was spacious and comfortable and the cuisin excellent, especially the freshly-prepared fruit juices–a world class treat.
We have 2 comments to make though: A porter service to help with moving luggage from car to reception will indeed add to the enjoyment of the stay. A dining-room serving staff with more command of English will greatly help to enhance the dining experience for the non-Spanish speaking diners.
We were extremely happy and enjoyed our stay tremendously.
Additionally, the breakfast table must be the best we have seen anywhere in the world. Exquisite!
My wife and I stayed at the Parador Cardona from December 1 thru 3, 2009. The castle is easy to spot and access by car – once you approached the town of Cardona. Our room & bath were large, clean, and very comfortable. The staff installed a new flat panel HD TV during our stay – but the English language channels were limited to BBC & CNN. The views from our window were limited by the thick castle walls – but we did enjoy the evening sunsets and night lights of the nearby salt mine operations (no noise was heard during our stay). We could also see the “serrated” mountain edges of Monserrat – which we visited as well. We also toured the massive castle & tower and walked to town (15 min. walk) for a better view of the fortifications. The best photographs can be taken in the afternoon from the town’s plaza below. The staff was very friendly, professional, and spoke excellent English. We ate breakfast at the restaurant which featured a vaulted Gothic ceiling and an extensive buffet. We obtained a “senior rate” which made our stay at the Parador Cardona one of the best values in Spain.
The castle was, as we expected, incredible. The pictures we had seen did capture the massive size and medieval architecture, but we were surprised by the comfort of the room and accommodations, and in particular, the friendliness of the staff. Our room and bath were perfectly clean and comfortable. I can honestly say that staying at Parador Cardona was the highlight of our trip.
To visit Spain in autumn without staying at least a couple of nights in the magnificent Paradores would be to miss one of the highlights of any European trip.
Cardona Castle, steeped in history, was itself one of the most imposing with aweinspiring views from the rooms as well as from the ramparts. The suites were palatial indeed, the service excellent and the breakfasts and dinners absolutely delectable in a regal setting. My wife and I would highly recommend Cardona Castle as one of the best values in Europe, a truly unique experience.
avons sejourne au parador cardona pour notre 40eme anniversaire de mariage.
la chambre et tous les services ont ete apprecie au plus au point.
la cuisine etait excellente et le service de premier ordre.
l,avont recommende a nos amis.
Suzanne et Michel
WOW! What a spectacular venue. We traveled w my wife,10 year old daughter and 80 year old parents from the USA. Everyone was so thrilled w the accommodations. This was our 1st stop on a two week holiday and it was hard for the remaining accommodations to rise to the occasion of the castle. Everything was just perfect. Huge in room Breakfast came w our stay. Large clean rooms. Nice little nooks to share a bottle of wine and play a game of scrabble. Decor was just lovely. Make sure you go explore the village a short drive away. The town square gets busy at night and is fun for people watching. Also, Montserrat is not to be missed. We stayed at many other Paradors and Cardona was by far the best overall. We will absolutely be back.
The reception staff was extremely accomodating since we mixed up our reservation dates and arrived a day early. The room, though small, was bright and nicely appointed. View was magnificent. We spent about half an hour exploring the nooks and crannies of the castle, and only wished we had allotted more time to spend in the common rooms.
Our one serious quibble was that the service in the dining room was very slow and inattentive. Perhaps they were understaffed that night, but it was literally a half hour from when we were seated till someone took a drink order. Since the other tables were being served normally, we felt a bit like lepers.
What a spectaculer place to stay. The castle was lovely, the history, the setting with the lovely terraces to sit and enjoy a glass of cava looking over the valley below. The rooms were big and nicely decorated, bathrooms good size as well. The resturant was excellent, we walked down to the town below but ate all our meals at the hotel as food was good and well priced. We spent 2 night, the middle day we drove to Monserrat and otherwise spent the day enjoying the ambience of the castle. I would highly recommend it to anyone and hope to visit again with the rest of my family. It was a lovely castle to stroll around, explore and enjoy the views surrounding it.
My wife and I spent three excellent nights in the parador. Everything was very good but 2, hopefully constructive suggestions, are:-
1. Given the difficulty of vehicle access and parking close to the building a porter service would be a big advantage.
2. More variety in the background music in the dining room would be more restful. We heard the same tracks too often for comfort.
Everything else was excellent and the staff, especially the front desk, were brilliant.
We had a wonderful week in Spain. Our stay at the “castle” was wonderful. This was a 5 Star experience. We ate all our meals there, the food, the service and the environment were great. Normally we ventue into town for our meals, but why leave withthe quality of food and service they served. Our room also was very comfortable.
We only wish we had stayed longer. The town also has alot to offer.
Thank you for a wonderful experience.
Greg & Roberta Wright
Napa. California
A beautiful setting, but we were unimpressed with standards of service. A bad case of food-poisoning followed dinner in the castle, and in the morning management and staff at Reception were totally unsympathetic. A warning to others thinking of staying/eating. We won’t return.
We brought out parents for my Fathers 80th birthday and started our second week touring Paradors. This was the second one we visited and the drive from Vielha was scenic and spectacular. The Castle itself was a challenge to park, but well worth the effort. There seem to be 3 thigs to see in Cardona. The Castle itself, the Salt mines andthe medieval village. We saw them all and had a geat time. The rooms were excellent and the dining room acceptable. Staff spoke fluent english. A real treat.
We traveled throughout the Mediteranean with our 2 teenage children and this was a highlight of our trip. We did not expect the interior of the caslte to be so modern and updated. We had a beautiful “family” suite and everyone had more than enough room after being in a small cabin on a cruise this was a very welcome change. The food and all the atmosphere was magnificent! We will be back! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Parador Cordona.
Thank you to all the lovely staff!
Great service, food and atmosphere. Large room with a view. It was a treat to stay here. I love castles and was not disappointed!!! We visited in July 09.
We visited Parador Cardona for one night whilst driving through Spain. This was the first time we had stayed in a Parador and we were very pleased with our choice! We did not know what to expect and were pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome, fantastic location and comfortable bedroom with great views.
The only disappointment was that we were only there for one night and had to leave early in the morning. We would have loved to have spent more time exploring the Castle and finding out more about the history and culture.
If you have never stayed in a Parador you are missing a treat!
Wonderful Castle. Can’t wait to go back. The views are spectacular, the dinners splendid. The rooms gorgeous. Service at the front desk is excellent. Room care is fair. Would go again and again.
My b/f and I visited Parador Cardona for one night in late June 2009, during a road trip through Catalunyia.
This was our splurge hotel night – WOW! an amazing experience and such a deal (we got a web deal for 90E/room incl. breakfast for 2).
The complementary breakfast was amazing. The dinner was very classy and traditional.
The reception staff was very pleasant and the room was deluxe.
The view was amazing.
The castle is stellar and the views breathtaking. We spent 3 hours just walking around and taking pictures of the castle and cloisters.
The city of Cardona is very quaint and lovely.
Only complaint: wi fi only available in the lobby, and the Internet-ready computer was broken.
Thank you!
We drove through the Pyrenees in our open top Jaguar sports car, with some wonderful scenery, and arrived at Cardona with the Parador immediately in view on top of the hill. A wonderful sight, very welcoming reception, an excellent room, exceptional food & wine list, a truly memorable stay. To cap it all a party of vintage car drivers with varied autos parked in the car park made our day!…….well done, we will try and return……..kind regards
17-19 June. An Englishman’s home is his castle. What a treat to rent a small corner of this one fopr a couple of nights. The Parador conversion of this building is magnificent and we were lucky to have one of the 2 lower floor medieval rooms which must have been a dungeon at some time with the iron bars still up behind the window to stop people crawling out through the 2 metre thick walls to find a sheer drop to the roadway below. The kitchen excels with a mouth-watering aubergine canneloni coated in a gratin of goat’s cheese bechamel. Catalan Cream is an area speciality but the chef has his own twist with a mint jelly encased in the custard which is accompanied by a great icecream. Good wines good prices and top rate service from everyone. Thankyou.
Bravo! Even afer 3 weeks of pleasant surprises throughout Spain, every facet of our stay exceeded our expectations and this night stands near the top of our “best of Spain” list. The rooms are spatious and comfy, and the views across the village, valleys and beyond to the Pyrenees will be remembered for a lifetime. We explored hallways, rooms and roof lines, climbed the tower, and wished we’d had a pike on which to affix the flag of our newly adopted country. Dinner in the Great Hall was superb, and a late breakfast after a long sleep was nutritous and nicely presented. All the staff were excellent hosts and it is evident through their knowledge of this old castle and other paradors that they enjoy their profession. We will return again, and this time for a longer stay!
My wife and I spent 24 hours in the castle and it was absolutely great. I don’t know if the receptionist did it on purpose, but he put us in the Cardona Suite – and being a Cardona, I felt priviliged! The room was lovely, the view not so much as it overlooked the saltmine. Bathroom was large and very clean. We spent our afternoon on the terrace, enjoying the wonderful view and fresh clean air. Dinner was excellent, although one waitress did annoy me as I asked for some bread and she just ignored me. Next morning we checked out and walked down to the town of Cardona. It was good to visit, especially the impressive church. We just loved being at the castle and hope to go there again soon. Highly recommended for a relaxing break. I do not drive but it was no problem getting there from Barcelona. We took a train to manresa (which we also visited for a few hours) and then a taxi from there to Castle Cardona.
We stayed twice recently at this Parador (room 701 first time and 601 second time). This is certainly one of the very best Paradores. Lovely location, very comfortable rooms with excellent views, very helpful and friendly staff. The food was excellent – especially the breakfast which was a real feast. Only 2 minor gripes – we could not make out where reception was the first time and parking is very limited. But neither of these things would stop us going there again.
We stayed two days each in CARDONA, ALCANIZ and TORTOZA.
Great accommodation, service, wine and food!
Regards
Ronnie and Dave
Our stay at the parador in Cardona was sensational. Loved the setting, the castle itself, the wonderful views — all the way to snow-capped Pyrenees — and the rooms and service. Breakfast was fantastic, tons of variety and all good quality. Staff was very friendly and very helpful. We also had a great promotional rate which made the parador very affordable as well as great fun. We’d stay here again anytime we were nearby.
We liked to stay here. Service and accomodation was outstanding.
The sourrounding is overwellming.
Take care visiting the rehistoric stone monuments near Carretera C-380/Cami de Moraqueeres. The farmer has closed the sights for visitors, and does not allowe you to enter his road to the monuments. He is sending his “friendly dogs” and you will decide to leave.
We will come again.
Emmy and Siegfried Hermann, Vienna, Austria
we could not believe that this was where we were staying when we approached the town. it is truly magnificent. whilst the bedrooms are modern and well equipped they do not in anyway detract from the history of the great castle. walk into the town and view the castle backup on the hill to realise just how it dominates the area. look back at the sentrypods and marvel at how they biult such cantelevered structures so long ago.
the town of Cardona is fascinating with its narrow streets and passages.
sadly we did not have time to visit the salt mines museum which sound very interesting. the staff here were very helpful and friendly and we would definitely stya here again
My friend and I stayed here in December 2008 with the “Young Person” rate and it was an incredible deal. The breakfast was wonderful, with fresh food and variety of selection. This is where I first discovered tomatoes on toast.
The room was the largest room I have stayed in Europe. Large, shuttered windows made the room bright despite the thick stone walls. The bathroom was very large as well with full-size (American-size) amenities.
The staff was very friendly without being in your face and we were free to wander around and spook ourselves out at night. If I return to Spain, I would love to stay here again… for longer than two days!
What a great place to stay…..We traveled from Australia and wanted a nice quiet place to recover for a couple of days and this Paradore certainly helped us.
The paradore itself is spectacular with big clean rooms, well fitted modern bathrooms and spectacular views. There loads of hidden spots to take your wine bottle and “skulk” around the endless well decorated hallways and sitting areas.
The restaurant is fantastic, great food and service all set in a medieval banquet hall that somehow still managed keep its cosy feel.
The roof top veranda offers lovely sunsets and again great views.
It is a short walk to town where there are the typical small shops and plaza. The food was so good at the paradore we did’nt eat there, so cant offer any suggestions.
We would definitely stay there again.