CastileAndLeon
5
Day Itinerary •
Spain
Castile and Leon is the largest region in the European Union and one of the most historically rich in the world. A vast golden plateau of medieval cathedrals, Romanesque churches, ancient university cities, hilltop castles and one of Spain's finest wine regions, all largely overlooked by international visitors. Five days lets you explore Castile properly. Salamanca's extraordinary carved university buildings, Segovia's Roman engineering and Templar churches, Burgos's Gothic masterpiece and royal monastery, the stunning cathedral city of Leon with its extraordinary stained glass, and the Ribera del Duero, home to some of the world's greatest red wines grown in forgotten medieval wine villages.
Best Time To Visit
April to June or September to November
Getting There
Fly into Madrid (MAD) or Valladolid (VLL)
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout
Budget Per Day
Approx 65 to 100 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and driving
DAY 1
SALAMANCA
MORNING
THE UNIVERSITY OF SALAMANCA, THE HIDDEN COURTYARDS
The University of Salamanca is the oldest in Spain, founded in 1218. Most visitors see only the Plateresque facade. But the interior Patio de las Escuelas Menores contains a magnificent 15th-century astrological fresco ceiling, rarely mentioned in guidebooks. Find the hidden frog on the main facade carving for good luck in exams. Drive: 10 min walk to La Clerecia
MIDDAY
LA CLERECIA TOWER CLIMB
La Clerecia is a spectacular 17th-century Baroque Jesuit church. For just 3.75 euros you can ascend the twin baroque towers via an internal staircase for the finest rooftop view over Salamanca's golden sandstone skyline. Completely unknown and one of the best city panoramas in Spain. Drive: 10 min walk to old town
AFTERNOON
SALAMANCA'S HIDDEN GEMS
The Casa de las Conchas is covered in 300 carved scallop shells and free to enter, with a beautiful Gothic courtyard inside. Walk to the Convento de San Esteban, a Dominican monastery with an extraordinary Plateresque facade. End at the Plaza Mayor at dusk when the golden sandstone glows.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Cielo de Salamanca fresco in the Patio de las Escuelas Menores is one of the most overlooked artworks in Spain. A large painted ceiling of astrological figures and constellations painted by Fernando Gallego in the 15th century. Free, almost never mentioned, and genuinely breathtaking.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe Novelty, Plaza Mayor The oldest cafe in Salamanca, opened in 1905. Unmissable first morning ritual. | Lunch: Restaurante Victor Gutierrez One Michelin star in the old town. Modern Castilian cuisine. Book ahead. | Dinner: Meson Cervantes Beloved traditional restaurant. Roast suckling pig and local wines since 1930.
DAY 2
SEGOVIA
MORNING
THE ROMAN AQUEDUCT FULL WALK
Most visitors see only the Plaza del Azoguejo viewpoint. Walk the full 728-metre length of the aqueduct on foot to where it enters the city walls, passing through quiet residential streets where locals hang washing from windows overlooking 2,000-year-old Roman stonework. The end section near the city wall is extraordinary and completely tourist-free. Drive: 15 min walk to Jewish Quarter
MIDDAY
LA JUDERIA, SEGOVIA'S FORGOTTEN JEWISH QUARTER
Segovia had one of the most significant Jewish communities in medieval Spain. The old Jewish quarter is a labyrinth of narrow alleys, ancient synagogues converted to churches and medieval houses with carved Hebrew inscriptions still visible on doorways. The Corpus Christi church was originally the main synagogue, built in the 13th century. Drive: 10 min walk to Alcazar
AFTERNOON
THE ALCAZAR AND VERA CRUZ TEMPLE
The Alcazar throne room contains an extraordinary frieze of 52 consecutive Castilian monarchs. Then walk 10 minutes to the Vera Cruz church, a 13-sided Templar church built in 1208 outside the city walls, virtually alone on a hillside with extraordinary views back to the Alcazar. Entry just 2 euros.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Vera Cruz church, a 13-sided Templar church from 1208, is one of the most unusual religious buildings in Spain. Just a 10-minute walk from the Alcazar, virtually alone on a hillside with extraordinary views. Entry is just 2 euros and it receives almost no visitors.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar near Aqueduct Coffee at the Plaza del Azoguejo bars before crowds arrive at 9am. | Lunch: Meson de Candido, Segovia Serving cochinillo asado under the aqueduct since 1905. A Segovia institution. | Dinner: Restaurante Jose Maria The finest lechazo and cochinillo in Segovia. Book well ahead.
DAY 3
BURGOS
MORNING
BURGOS CATHEDRAL, THE 19 HIDDEN CHAPELS
Most visitors see the main nave and leave. But Burgos Cathedral contains 19 chapels each more extraordinary than the last. The Capilla del Condestable is a masterpiece of Isabelline Gothic. The Golden Staircase by Diego de Siloe is one of the finest Renaissance works in Spain. The tomb of El Cid is marked on the floor of the crossing. Drive: 10 min walk to Las Huelgas
MIDDAY
MONASTERIO DE LAS HUELGAS, THE ROYAL PANTHEON
Founded in 1187 as the royal pantheon of Castile, Las Huelgas contains the tombs of 16 Castilian kings and queens and the finest collection of medieval royal textiles in Europe. Burial garments from the 12th and 13th centuries in extraordinary condition. Entry approx 6 euros. Almost entirely overlooked by visitors despite being extraordinary. Drive: 20 min drive to Atapuerca
AFTERNOON
ATAPUERCA, WHERE HUMAN HISTORY BEGAN
The Sierra de Atapuerca contains the most important archaeological site in human history. Human fossils dating back 1.2 million years, the oldest in Western Europe, were found here, including Homo antecessor, a previously unknown species. UNESCO World Heritage Site. Book guided tours in advance as they are limited to 25 people and sell out fast.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Cartuja de Miraflores, 3km east of Burgos, contains the most beautiful altarpiece in Spain, a gilded retablo by Gil de Siloe painted in 1496 using the first gold from the Americas. The monastery is still active, entry is free, and almost nobody knows it exists.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe near Cathedral Breakfast near the cathedral before it opens at 9:30am. | Lunch: Restaurante Ojeda, Burgos Most celebrated traditional restaurant. Morcilla de Burgos, roast lamb and Ribera del Duero wines. | Dinner: Casa Ojeda Taberna More casual sibling of Ojeda. Excellent tapas and the finest morcilla in the city.
DAY 4
LEON
MORNING
LEON CATHEDRAL, THE HOUSE OF LIGHT
The Cathedral of Leon is widely considered the greatest Gothic cathedral in Spain for its stained glass. The entire nave is lit by 1,800 square metres of medieval stained glass windows, flooding the interior with coloured light in a way that no other cathedral in the world achieves. The effect at midday when the sun is high is extraordinary. Most visitors spend 30 minutes; spend at least 2 hours and return at different times of day. Drive: 10 min walk to San Isidoro
MIDDAY
REAL BASILICA DE SAN ISIDORO, SPAIN'S SISTINE CHAPEL
The Royal Pantheon of San Isidoro is called the Sistine Chapel of Romanesque art and the comparison is entirely fair. The ceiling frescoes from 1100 AD are the finest Romanesque paintings in Spain and arguably in Europe. The royal tombs of 23 Leonese kings and queens lie beneath frescoes of extraordinary quality. Entry approx 5 euros. Far less visited than it deserves. Drive: 10 min walk to Barrio Humedo
AFTERNOON
BARRIO HUMEDO, LEON'S HIDDEN TAPAS QUARTER
The Barrio Humedo is the old tapas district of Leon, a network of medieval streets where every bar gives a free tapa with every drink, a tradition that survives in very few Spanish cities. The tapas here are generous and genuinely excellent. Walk from bar to bar through the medieval quarter and eat your way through the afternoon. The best streets are Calle Ancha, Calle de la Rua and the Plaza de San Martin.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Palacio de los Botines in Leon was designed by Antoni Gaudi in 1891, making it one of only three Gaudi buildings outside Catalonia. The building is now a museum and the facade is extraordinary. Entry to the permanent collection is approx 5 euros and includes a fascinating exhibition about the building's construction. Most visitors to Leon walk straight past it.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Leon old town Several excellent traditional cafes near the cathedral. The market on Wednesday and Saturday is excellent. | Lunch: Restaurante Cocinandos, Leon Two Michelin stars in the heart of Leon. Outstanding modern Leonese cuisine using only local produce. Book weeks ahead. | Dinner: Tapas in Barrio Humedo Bar hop through the medieval quarter. Order a drink at each bar and receive a free tapa. Repeat until satisfied.
DAY 5
RIBERA DEL DUERO
MORNING
PENAFIEL CASTLE AND THE WINE MUSEUM
Penafiel Castle is one of the most dramatic castles in Castile, an extraordinarily long and narrow fortress built along a rocky ridge above the Duero valley. It now houses the Museo Provincial del Vino, one of the finest wine museums in Spain, with exhibitions covering the entire history and culture of Ribera del Duero winemaking. The views from the castle walls over the vineyards and the valley are extraordinary. Drive: 15 min drive to bodegas
MIDDAY
RIBERA DEL DUERO BODEGA TOUR
The Ribera del Duero produces some of the world's finest red wines from the tempranillo grape at altitudes of over 800 metres. The region contains over 300 wineries ranging from medieval village bodegas to spectacular modern architecture. Bodegas Vega Sicilia is the most famous but the most accessible for visitors is Bodegas Emilio Moro or Protos, both offering tours and tastings from approx 15 euros. Drive: 20 min drive to Penaranda de Duero
AFTERNOON
PENARANDA DE DUERO, THE PERFECT CASTILIAN VILLAGE
Penaranda de Duero is consistently ranked one of the most beautiful villages in Spain. A perfectly preserved Renaissance village centred on a spectacular arcaded main square with a 15th-century palace, a beautiful Romanesque church and a hilltop castle. The village has barely changed in 500 years and receives almost no international visitors despite being one of the finest examples of Castilian Renaissance architecture in the country.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The village of Ura, just 15km from Penaranda de Duero, contains one of the finest Romanesque hermitages in Castile, the Ermita de San Pedro, standing alone in the middle of a wheat field with no surrounding village. Built in the 12th century and completely forgotten. Free to visit, no facilities, no signs, no other visitors. Just an extraordinary medieval building in a golden field.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar in Penafiel Excellent local cafes in the village square below the castle. Coffee and traditional Castilian pastries before the castle opens. | Lunch: Restaurante Molino de Palacios Outstanding restaurant in a converted watermill in the Ribera del Duero valley. Local lamb and regional wines. | Dinner: Meson El Yantar, Penaranda Traditional Castilian restaurant in the village. Roast lamb from a wood-fired oven, local cheeses and excellent house wine.
Where To Stay
Salamanca, Night 1 Hotel Rector, finest boutique hotel near the university. Approx 120 to 180 euros per night. Segovia or Burgos, Nights 2 to 3 Parador de Segovia or Parador de Burgos. Both stunning historic buildings. Approx 130 to 200 euros. Leon or Ribera, Nights 4 to 5 Parador de Leon in a 15th-century convent or rural hotel in the Ribera del Duero. Approx 100 to 160 euros.
Top Tips
1. Find the hidden frog on the University of Salamanca facade, tradition says it brings good luck in exams.
2. Book Atapuerca cave tours at least 2 weeks ahead, they are limited to 25 people and sell out fast.
3. Segovia cochinillo (suckling pig) must be ordered at least 24 hours ahead at traditional restaurants.
4. The Burgos Cathedral tour takes minimum 2 hours to see properly. Buy tickets online to skip queues.
5. La Clerecia tower climb in Salamanca costs just 3.75 euros and gives the finest rooftop view in the city.
6. Castile gets very hot in July and August. Sightseeing is best done before noon and after 5pm.
Total Budget
75 to 120 euros/day