Places to Explore

• Alarcón

  This fortified village on the edge of the great plains of La Mancha stands on a high spur of land encircled almost entirely by a bend of the Júcar River.... (more)

• Almagro

  The center of this noble town contains the only preserved medieval theater in Europe, which stands beside the ancient Plaza Mayor, where 85 Roman columns form two facing colonnades supporting green-frame... (more)

• Aranjuez

  Founded where the Tagus and Jarama rivers meet, Aranjuez was for centuries the spring quarters of the Hapsburg and Bourbon kings. Felipe V, the first of the Bourbon line, decided to transform the impressive... (more)

• Ávila

  In the middle of a windy plateau littered with giant boulders, Ávila can look wild and sinister, especially with the Sierra de Gredos in the background. Modern development on its outskirts partially... (more)

• Burgos

  On the banks of the Arlanzón River is this small city with some of Spain's most outstanding medieval architecture. The first signs of Burgos, if you approach on the A1 from Madrid, are the spiky... (more)

• Consuegra

  This small, historic town is dominated by a spectacular hilltop castle and 11 white windmills.... (more)

• Cuenca

  Though somewhat isolated, Cuenca makes a good overnight stop if you're traveling between Madrid and Valencia. The delightful old town is one of the strangest in Spain: it's built on a sloping, curling... (more)

• León

  The ancient capital of Castile-León sits on the banks of the Bernesga River in the high plains of Old Castile. Historians say that the name of the city, which was founded as a permanent camp for... (more)

• Medinaceli

  The preserved village of Medinaceli—literally "city in the sky"—commands exhilarating views from the top of a long, steep ridge. Dominating the skyline is a Roman triumphal arch from the 2nd... (more)

• Pastrana

  This pretty village was once the capital of a small duchy.... (more)

• Salamanca

  Salamanca's radiant sandstone buildings, immense Plaza Mayor, and hilltop riverside perch make it one of the most attractive and beloved cities in Spain. Today, as it did centuries ago, the university... (more)

• San Martín de Valdeiglesias

  Just 6 km (4 mi) before San Martín, on the right side of the road, is a stone inscription in front of a hedge; this marks the site where, in 1468, Isabella the Catholic was acknowledged by the assembled... (more)

• Segovia

  Breathtaking Segovia—on a ridge in the middle of a gorgeously stark, undulating plain—is defined by its Roman and medieval monuments, its excellent cuisine, its embroideries and textiles, and... (more)

• Sepúlveda

• Sigüenza

  Sigüenza has splendid architecture and one of the most beautifully preserved cathedrals in Castile.... (more)

• Soria

  Prosperous as a sheep farming center during the 15th-century European wool monopoly that laid the groundwork for Spain's golden age, this provincial capital has been marred to some degree by modern development... (more)

• Toledo

  Long the spiritual capital of Spain, Toledo perches atop a rocky mount with steep ocher hills rising on either side, bound on three sides by the Río Tajo (Tagus River). When the Romans came in 192... (more)

• Valladolid

  Modern Valladolid, capital of Castile-León, is a sprawling industrial center in the middle of a flat stretch of Castilian terrain. The surrounding countryside has a desolate, wintry sort of beauty... (more)

• Villafranca del Bierzo

  After crossing León's grape-growing region, where the complex and full-bodied Bierzo wines are produced, you'll arrive in this medieval village, dominated by a massive and still-inhabited feudal... (more)

• Zamora

  On the rocky bluff overlooking the gleaming surface of the Duero River, Zamora's two dozen 12th- and 13th-century Romanesque churches, more than any other European city, constitute a virtual museum of... (more)