Castilla y Leon Tourism

Getting to Castilla y Leon

There is only one airport, at Villanubla, Valladolid, that currently has a low-fair airline operating from Britain, Ryanair, but the road connections with Madrid make Castilla y León one of the most accessible areas of Spain. All of the provincial capitals have regular and fast train services to the capital and  the high speed AVE service between Madrid and Valladolid has cut the journey time down to 65 minutes.

There is also a network of excellent roads criss-crossing the region, including the main roads from Madrid to the north and north west coasts, the A1 and A6.

As in all of Spain, local bus services enable you to visit the smaller towns easily and cheaply, in air-conditioned, modern buses.

Top Destinations in Castilla y Leon

All of the provincial capitals are cities that will repay any time spent there.

Zamora is a medieval town of great beauty with some fine Romanesque churches, a cathedral with an impressive Byzantine dome and the eighth century Visigothic church of San Pedro de la Nave nearby. Also quite close is Spain’s largest lake – the glacial Lago de Sanabria.

Segovia is one of the region’s six World Heritage sites and it’s easy to see why as you approach the Alcazar standing on its hill. It also has Spain’s ‘newest’ cathedral – built in the sixteenth century - as well as the Roman aqueduct and a fascinating old centre. About 9 miles away from Segovia are the castle and, especially, the gardens of La Granja de San Ildefonso, Felipe V’s attempt to emulate the Palace of Versailles.

Ávila, completely enclosed within well-preserved Romanesque walls built in the eleventh century, is another of the World Heritage sites. Famous for being one of the coldest cities in Spain during the winter, Ávila was the home of Saint Teresa and there is a museum here in what was originally the first convent she established. The city walls are spectacular, with 90 towers and numerous arched gateways and are attractively illuminated at night. Perhaps the best viewing point to appreciate the city is on the road to Salamanca at Los Cuatro Postes.

Salamanca’s history stretches all the way back to Hannibal, who besieged the city, but since the Middle Ages it has been one of Spain’s leading universities, attracting students from all over the world. Unusually, it has two cathedrals standing adjacent to each other as well as, in Plaza Mayor, a city square that is arguably the most attractive in Spain. Much of Salamanca’s visual appeal is because of the attractive golden stone of which the buildings are built. Because of the high number of students here, the atmosphere in Salamanca is distinctly livelier than in many of the region’s other provincial capitals.

Burgos is yet another of those delightful old towns to wander around and discover. The extravagant Gothic cathedral, one of Spain’s largest, and a fabulous art gallery at the end of the Puente de Santa María, which crosses the atmospheric Río Arlanzón, are special highlights of the city. There is a statue of El Cid, whose tomb is given a prominent position in the cathedral. Because of the strategic position of Burgos on the Camino de Santiago, it is a very popular resting place for walkers heading north to Santiago from Madrid. Atapuerca and its glimpses into the beginnings of mankind is just a few miles from Burgos.

León, once the region’s capital city, has a cathedral worth seeing for its stained glass windows alone, but also has a much more modern, Gaudi designed, Casa Botines. The Basilica de San Isidoro has a series of Romanesque frescoes in its crypt and another building you can get a close look at is the Renaissance San Marcos monastery, which is now a Parador hotel.

Soria and Palencia, whilst not being as popular or outstanding as other cities in Castilla y León, both have their share of outstanding architecture and Palencia, especially, has a cathedral that justifies its nickname of being ‘ the unknown beauty’.

Valladolid was for a time home to two of Spain’s most famous residents. Consequently, the houses of both Cervantes, who was imprisoned here, and Columbus, who died here, are both open to the public. There are also some excellent museums here, especially the one devoted to sculpture, and it’s a city well-known for the quality of its cafes and bars.

Local Tourist Activities in Castilla y Leon

This is one of Spain’s most historical and cultural areas and those visitors interested in all aspects of archaeology and architecture will likewise find Castilla y León a paradise. In addition, the Camino de Santiago passes through the area and can be followed as a ‘trail’ and there are also a good number of vineyards and vineyard tours.

Additionally, however, Castilla y León has become one of Spain’s premier activity holiday areas. The mountain areas, for example, are popular with snow sport enthusiast, being very popular with snowboarders and cross country skiers. Although this is an inland region, there are many excellent fishing areas and also many places where canoeing, water rafting, sailing and gullying all take place. Horse riding, pot holing, paragliding, ballooning, hang gliding and climbing are all possible outdoor activities enjoyed here.

There are twenty golf courses in the region, probably the best of them being that at Villamayor; it’s certainly the longest and most difficult.

Local Festivals of Castilla y Leon

The Easter celebrations at Valladolid are famed throughout Spain, notably the Good Friday procession in which 28 elaborately crafted tableaux are paraded around the town.

In June at Manrique in Soria, there is a traditional fire walking festival in which you can redeem your sins. Be careful, though, as apparently only locals can do this safely.

One of the most colourful spectacles of them all is the El Colacho Festival at Castillo de Murcia near Burgos. This takes place on the Sunday after Corpus Christi and involves a man jumping over mattresses on which babies are lying. This prevents them, bizarrely, from not only illnesses but also getting hernias – presumably he has them all instead.

There are also lots of bull runs – such as at Ciudad Rodrigo near Salamanca in February and Cuellar near Segovia in August.

Food and Drink of Castilla y Leon

Meat dishes are especially well-known from this region. Suckling pig, baby lamb and some tasty chorizo sausages will feature on most menus, along with perhaps roast goat (cabrito aserdo), blood pudding (morcilla) and wild boar (jabalí).

The predominant wine regions of Castilla y León are the Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Toro regions. There is every thing here from young and lively, fruity red wines all the way through to the most sought after reservas. There are, accordingly, many Wine Routes throughout the region, highlighting many of the better known vineyards.

As well as wine, high-alcohol content licorosos and aguardiente brandies are popular here.

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Castilla y Leon