The Places You Must See In This World (DK Eyewitness Travel Guides)

ETHAN WELTY / GETTY IMAGES ©

Northern Spain

29Pilgrimage

Travel in the footprints of thousands of pilgrims past and present
as you journey along the highroads and backroads of the legendary
Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS 5–7 DAYS
678 KM / 423 MILES
154 km
GREAT FOR…
Santo Domingo de la
Calzada BJ
Get to know
small-town Spain at its BEST TIME TO GO
very best
April to June for fields
220 km Ll of poppies, September
Burgos and October for
Pray at the altar of the Roncesvalles golden leaves.
Unesco-listed Burgos
Cathedral # I ESSENTIAL
PHOTO
Km##19 ##13 ##8 #
##9 Standing outside the
# Puente Cathedral de Santiago
la Reina de Compostela.
Astorga
K BEST FOR
Santiago de León CULTURE
Compostela León has stunning
The magic of Santiago historical architecture Santiago de
de Compostela cannot and irresistible energy Compostela
but overwhelm 402 km

678 km

Camino de Santiago Route marker 399

29 Northern Spain
Pilgrimage

For over a thousand years pilgrims have marched across the top of Spain
on the Camino de Santiago (Way of St James) to the tomb of St James
the Apostle in Santiago de Compostela. Real pilgrims walk, but by driving
you’ll enjoy religious treasures, grand cathedrals, big skies and wide open
landscapes – and no blisters.

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0 50 miles OCEAN

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1 Roncesvalles Santa María (admission free; and staff). Also of inter- SPAIN 29 Northern Spain Pilgrimage
h9am-8.30pm) houses a est is the cloister, which
Long a key stopping much-revered, silver- contains the tomb of King
point on the Camino de covered statue of the Vir- Sancho VII (El Fuerte) of
Santiago, history hangs gin beneath a modernist- Navarra, the apparently
heavily in the air of the looking canopy. There’s 2.25m-tall victor in the
monastery complex of also a statue of Santiago Battle of Las Navas de
Roncesvalles, where (St James) dressed as a Tolosa, fought against the
pilgrims give thanks for a pilgrim (with scallop shell Muslims in 1212. Nearby
successful crossing of the
Pyrenees. The main event LINK u Historic
here is the monastery YOUR Castilla y León
complex (www.roncesvalles. TRIP
es; adult/child €4.30/2.50; Branch off at Burgos for
v Roving La Rioja a captivating tour around
h10am-2pm & 3.30-7pm Apr- Wine Region Spain’s inland towns and
Oct, shorter hours Nov-Mar), villages.
which contains a number Take a detour to enjoy
of different buildings of wine and gourmet
interest. The 13th-century treats on this peaceful
Gothic Real Colegiata de countryside circuit
departing from Logroño.

Bay of Biscay Dax #\
FRANCE

Ribadesella Santander Santoña Bermeo San Irún
#\ Sebastián ^# #]
#\ #\ Torrelavega ^# Parque #\ #\ #\
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#] Castro Azpeitia Puerto

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Riaño Reinosa
\#
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la Reina
#Aguilar ^#2 Pamplona
Río Ebro Vitoria #^
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·/ # ##\Guardo 4
#\ Estella #\5
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A67 Viana
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SPAIN 29 Northern Spain Pilgrimage is the 12th-century Cap- bulls tear through the Calle Cuesta de Santo Domingo
illa de Sancti Spiritus. streets at dawn causing 47; adult/student/child €2/1/
chaos as they go (and free, free Sat afternoon &
If you need some exer- alcohol-fueled revel- Sun; h9.30am-2pm & 5-7pm
cise there’s lots of good lers cause chaos for the Tue-Sat, 11am-2pm Sun),
walking around here. remainder of the day – whose highlights include
and night), Pamplona huge Roman mosaics.
The Drive » It’s basically is a quiet and low-key The Catedral (www.cat-
city at any other time of edraldepamplona.com; Calle
47km (one hour) downhill all the year. Animal rights Dormitalería; adult/child €5/3;
the way from Roncesvalles to groups oppose bullrun- h10.30am-7pm Mon-Sat)
Pamplona. It’s a pretty drive ning as a cruel tradition is late-medieval Gothic
through mountainscapes, and increasing left- with a neoclassical fa-
forests and gentle farmland. wing influence in local cade. The cathedral tour
The N135 road passes through government has called is a highlight and takes
innumerable hamlets and the future of Pamplona’s you up to the top of the
villages painted in the red and bullrun into question. bell tower, into the pretty
white Basque colours and Pamplona’s history cloisters and a museum
centred on old stone churches, stretches back to Roman with religious treasures,
many of which are crammed times, and is best traced a Roman-era house and
with religious treasures. in the city’s fantastic finishes all surreal with a
Museo de Navarra (www. room full of Virgins!
2 Pamplona
cfnavarra.es/cultura/museo; 5 4 p412
Renowned across the
world for the Sanfer-
mines festival, when

WHAT IS THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO?

The Camino de Santiago (Way of St James) originated as a medieval pilgrimage and
ever since people have taken up the challenge of the Camino and walked to Santiago
de Compostela. It all began back in the 9th century when a remarkable event occurred
in the poor Iberian hinterlands: following a shining star, Pelayo, a religious hermit,
unearthed the tomb of the apostle James the Greater (or, in Spanish, Santiago). The
news was confirmed by the local bishop, the Asturian king and later the pope.

Compostela became the most important destination for Christians after Rome
and Jerusalem. Its popularity increased with an 11th-century papal decree granting
it Holy Year status: pilgrims could receive a plenary indulgence – a full remission of
your life’s sins – during a Holy Year. These occur when Santiago’s feast day (25 July)
falls on a Sunday: if you’ve been naughty then you’ll need to wait until 2021 for the
next one – but driving there doesn’t count...

The 11th and 12th centuries marked the heyday of the pilgrimage. The
Reformation was devastating for Catholic pilgrimages and by the 19th century the
Camino had nearly died out. In its startling late-20th-century reanimation, which
continues today, it’s most popular as a personal and spiritual journey of discovery,
rather than one primarily motivated by religion.

Today the most popular of the several caminos (paths) to Santiago de
Compostela is the Camino Francés, which spans 783km of Spain’s north and
attracts walkers of all backgrounds and ages from across the world. It’s the Council
of Europe’s first Cultural Itinerary and a Unesco World Heritage site but, for pilgrims,
it’s a pilgrimage equal to visiting Jerusalem, and by finishing it you’re guaranteed a
healthy chunk of time off purgatory.

402

The Drive » Leave Pamplona TOP TIP: SPAIN 29 Northern Spain Pilgrimage
FUENTE DE VINO
on the A12 westbound and after
about 10 minutes turn off at exit Even the most adamant nonwalker might wish they’d
9, onto the more driver-friendly donned hiking boots when they get to the Monasterio
NA1110. Drive through Astraín de Irache near Estella and find the Fuente de Vino
and continue along this peaceful (Spring of Wine), just behind the Bodega de Irache.
country road for 10 minutes to Yes, it really is a spring of wine and yes, you really can
Legarda, then to Muruzábal and, drink some for free – though only if you’re a pilgrim
finally, 2km southeast to Santa walking, not driving! – to Santiago.
María de Eunate.
with the ghosts of a mul- visitors are continuing
3 Santa María titude of pilgrims. Their that same plodding tradi-
de Eunate first stop here is at the tion. There’s an attractive
late-Romanesque Iglesia old quarter and a couple
Surrounded by cornfields del Crucifijo, erected by of notable churches, in-
and brushed by wildflow- the Knights Templar and cluding the 12th-century
ers, the near perfect still containing one of the
octaganal Romanesque finest Gothic crucifixes in Iglesia de San Pedro de
chapel of Santa María existence. la Rúa. It’s cloisters are a
de Eunate (h10am-2pm fine example of Roman-
& 4-7.30pm Tue-Sun) is one The Drive » The fastest esque sculptural work.
of the most picturesque Across the river and over-
chapels along the whole way between Puente la Reina looking the town is the
Camino. Dating from and Estella is on the A12 (20 Iglesia de San Miguel,
around the 12th century minutes, 22km), but the more with a fine Romanesque
its origins – and the rea- enjoyable drive is along the north door. Close to
son why it’s located in slower, more rural, NA1110, for Estella are a couple of
the middle of nowhere – which you should allow about interesting monasteries:
are something of a half an hour. You’ll probably spy the Monasterio de Irache
mystery. a few Camino pilgrims trudging (h10am-1.15pm & 4-7pm
along. Wed-Sun, closed 1-17 Jan) and
The Drive » From the chapel
5 Estella Monasterio de Iranzu
it’s just a 5km drive along the (www.monasterio-iranzu.com;
NA6064 to gorgeous Puente Estella (Basque: Lizarra) admission €2.50; h10am-2pm
la Reina. was known as ‘La Bella’ & 4-8pm).
in medieval times be-
4 Puente la Reina cause of the splendour of The Drive » It’s a 40km (50
its monuments and build-
The chief calling card of ings, and though the minute) drive from Estella to
Puente la Reina (Basque: old dear has lost some Viana. When you leave Estella
Gares), 22km southwest of its beauty to modern take the A12 westward and turn
of Pamplona on the A12, suburbs, it’s not without onto the NA1110 at junction 58.
is the spectacular six- charms. During the 11th Follow the NA1110 through the
arched medieval bridge century Estella became a sleepy towns of Los Arcos, Sansol
that dominates the main reception point for and Torres del Ro. In hillside
western end of town, but the growing flood of pil- Torres you’ll find a remarkably
Puente la Reina rewards grims along the Camino intact eight-sided Romanesque
on many other levels. A de Santiago. Today most chapel, the Iglesia del Santo
key stop on the Camino Sepulcro.
de Santiago, the town’s
pretty streets throng

403

JUERGEN RICHTER / LOOK-FOTO / GETTY IMAGES ©

JOSÉ ANTONIO MORENO / GETTY IMAGES © WHY THIS IS A
GREAT TRIP
STUART BUTLER,
AUTHOR

This is a drive on an epic scale.
The Camino de Santiago has been
drawing people to northern Spain
for a millennia, and although religion
plays no part in it for me I still
consider the Camino the ultimate
way of seeing northern Spain. Drive
it. Cycle it. Walk it. Just do it!

Top: Puente la Reina bridge
Left: Camino de Santiago
Right: Pilgrims near Burgos

SPAIN 29 Northern Spain Pilgrimage6 Viana

DANIEL ACEVEDO / GETTY IMAGES © Overlooked by many
nonpilgrim tourists,
Viana, the last town in
Navarra, started life as a
garrison town defending
the kingdom of Navarra
from Castilla. Today,
the old part of the town,
which sits atop a hill, is
still largely walled and
is an interesting place
to wander about for a
couple of hours. The
Iglesia de Santa María
and Iglesia de San Pedro
are the chief attrac-
tions. Work started on
Santa María in the 13th
century and it is one
of the more impressive
religious structures on
this eastern end of the
Camino. The Iglesia de
San Pedro is today a ruin
that hosts concerts and
weddings. The former
bull ring is today a plaza
in the middle of town,
where children booting
footballs are considerably
more common than bulls.

The Drive » It’s 10km and

20 minutes from Viana to
Logroño. The first half of the
drive is through open, big-sky
countryside; the last part
through the city suburbs.
There’s a large carpark
underneath the main plaza by
the old town.

7 Logroño

Logroño, capital of
La Rioja and Spain’s
wine-growing region
par excellence, doesn’t
feel the need to be loud
and brash. Instead it’s a

405

SPAIN 29 Northern Spain Pilgrimage stately town with a heart Domingo de la Calzada, the most eccentric feature is
of tree-studded squares, Camino walking trail virtually the white rooster and hen
narrow streets, hidden traces the route of the fast, and that forage in a glass-
corners and a monumen- dull, A12 motorway. There’s fronted cage opposite the
tally good selection of really not much reason for you entrance to the crypt.
pintxos (Basque tapas) to veer off the motorway (none Their presence celebrates
bars. All up, this is the of the quieter, smaller roads a long-standing legend,
sort of place that you really follow the Camino). the Miracle of the Roost-
cannot help but feel con- er, which tells of a young
tented in – and it’s not TRIP HIGHLIGHT man who was unfairly
just the wine. The superb executed only to recover
Museo de la Rioja (Plaza 8 Santo Domingo miraculously, while the
San Agustin 23; h10am-2pm & de la Calzada broiled cock and hen on
4-9pm Tue-Sat, 10am-2pm Sun) the plate of his judge sud-
in the centre of Logroño Santo Domingo is small- denly leapt up.
takes you on a wild romp town Spain at its very
through Riojan his- best. A large number of The Drive » From Santo
tory and culture – from the inhabitants continue
the days when dinner to live in the partially Domingo to Burgos it’s just
was killed with arrows walled old quarter, a 57km and 50 minutes. Again
to re-creations of the labyrinth of medieval you’re sort of stuck with using
kitchens that many a streets where the past the A12.
Spanish granny grew up is alive and the sense of
using. The other major community is strong. TRIP HIGHLIGHT
attraction is the Catedral The Catedral de Santo
Domingo de la Calzada 9 Burgos
de Santa María de la (www.catedralsantodomingo.
Redonda (Calle de Portales; es; Plaza del Santo 4; adult/ On the surface, conserva-
h8am-1pm & 6-8.45pm Mon- student/child €4/3/free; tive Burgos seems to em-
Sat, 9am-2pm & 6.30-8.45pm h10am-8.30pm Mon-Fri, body all the stereot­ ypes
Sun), which started life as 9am-7.10pm Sat, 9am-12.20pm of a north-central Span-
a Gothic church before & 1.45-7.10pm Sun Apr-Oct, ish town, with sombre
maturing into a full- shorter hours Nov-Mar) and grey-stone architecture,
blown cathedral in the its attached museum glit- the fortifying cuisine
16th century. ter with the gold that at- of the high meseta
tests to the great wealth (plateau) and a climate of
5 4 p412, p435 the Camino has bestowed extremes. But Burgos is
on otherwise backwater a city that rewards. The
The Drive » For the short towns. The cathedral’s historic centre is aus-
terely elegant, guarded
45km (35 minute) hop to Santo by monumental gates and
with the cathedral as its
TOP TIP: centrepiece. This Unesco
PILGRIM HOSTELS World Heritage–listed
Catedral is a master-
In towns and villages all along the Camino you will piece that originally
see very cheap pilgrim hostels. These are only for started life as a modest
pilgrims travelling to Santiago by foot or bicycle (and Romanesque church, but
able to prove it). As a driver you will be reliant on over time became one
normal hotel-style accommodation. of the most impressive
cathedrals in a land of
impressive cathedrals.
For more on the Catedral

406

WHO WAS ST JAMES THE APOSTLE? SPAIN 29 Northern Spain Pilgrimage

St James, or James the Greater, was one of the 12 disciples of Jesus. He may even
have been the first disciple. He was also the first to be martyred by King Herod in AD
44. So, if St James was living in the Holy Lands 2000 years ago, an obvious question
persists: what were the remains of St James doing in northwest Spain a thousand
years later? The accepted story (and we’re not standing by its authenticity)
suggests that two of St James’s own disciples secreted his remains onto a stone
boat which then set sail across the Mediterranean and passed into the Atlantic to
moor at present-day Padrón (Galicia). Continuing inland for 17km, the disciples
buried his body in a forest named Liibredon (present-day Santiago de Compostela).
All was then forgotten until a thousand years later, when a religious hermit found
the remains.

and the other stellar b Frómista Benedictine centre by
attractions of Burgos, see the 12th century. The
p422. The main (and some Mudéjar-influenced brick
would say only) reason Romanesque churches
5 4 p412, p425 for stopping here is the merit a visit.
The Drive » It’s 58km (45 village’s exceptional
Romanesque church, the The Drive » The 59km (50
minutes) from Burgos to little Iglesia de San Martín
castle-topped Castrojeriz. Take (admission €1; h9.30am-2pm minute) stretch from Sahagún
the A12 out of town to junction & 4.30-8pm). Dating from to León along the A231 and
32 and turn off northwest along 1066 and restored in the N601 isn’t one of the more
the minor BU400. early 20th century, this memorable driving moments of
harmoniously propor- this route. Still, you have to feel
a Castrojeriz tioned church is one of for those walking the Camino as
the premier Romanesque they’re virtually walking along
With it’s mix of old and churches in rural Spain, beside you (some pilgrims
new buildings huddled adorned with a veritable bus between Burgos and León
around the base of a hill menagerie of human because so much of the route is
that’s topped with what’s and zoomorphic figures next to the motorway).
left of a crumbling castle, just below the eaves. The
Castrojeriz is your typi- capitals within are also TRIP HIGHLIGHT
cal small meseta town. richly decorated.
It’s worth a climb up to d León
the castle if only for the The Drive » From Frómista to
views. The town’s church, León is a wonderful city,
Iglesia de San Juan, is Sahagún is 59km (45 minutes) combining stunning his-
worth a look as well. via the P980 to Carrión de los torical architecture with
Condes, where the Camino an irresistible energy. Its
The Drive » From Castrojeriz basically starts following the standout attraction is the
major A231 road. 13th-century Catedral
it’s only 30km (35 minutes) (%987 87 57 70; www.
along the BU403 and P432 c Sahagún catedraldeleon.org; adult/
to Frómista. The scenery is concession/child under 12yr
classic meseta and if you’re Despite appearances, Sa- €5/4/free; h9.30am-1.30pm
lucky you’ll catch a glimpse of hagún was an immensely & 4-8pm Mon-Sat, 9.30am-
such evocotive sights as a flock powerful and wealthy 2.30pm & 5-8pm Sun), one
of sheep being led over the of the most beautiful
alternately burning or freezing cathedrals in Spain.
plateau by a shepherd. Whether spotlit by night

407

BRAIS SEARA / GETTY IMAGES ©or bathed in glorious after colourful motif of
sunshine, the cathedral, biblical scenes drench the
SPAIN 29 Northern Spain Pilgrimage arguably Spain’s premier vaults and arches of this
Gothic masterpiece, extraordinary hall.
exudes a glorious, almost spirit of the Camino can
luminous quality. The 5 4 p413 be strongly felt.
show-stopping facade has The Drive » Taking the N120
a radiant rose window, The Drive » Continue along
three richly sculpted from León to Astorga will keep
doorways and two mus- you on the route of the Camino. the LE142 towards Ponferrada
cular towers. After going It’s a 50km (one hour) drive. (one hour 20 minutes; 53km).
through the main en- There’s also the much faster The road runs pretty much
trance, lorded over by the AP71 motorway, but what’s the beside the Camino and you’ll
scene of the Last Supper, point in coming all this way to pass through a string of
an extraordinary gallery drive on a road like that?! attractive stone villages, most
of vidrieras (stained- of which have churches topped
glass windows) awaits. e Astorga with storks nests. It’s worth
Even older than León’s stopping in Rabanal del Camino
cathedral, the Real On a map of Spain, with its 18th-century Ermita del
Astorga comes across Bendito Cristo de la Vera Cruz (a
Basílica de San Isidoro as rather insignificant, hermitage).
(h7.30am-11pm) provides but this medium-sized
a stunning Romanesque town has history and
counterpoint to the attractions totally out of
former’s Gothic strains, proportion to its provin-
with extraordinary cial status today.
frescoes in the attached
Panteón, the main high- The Drive » It’s just a 7km
light. Fernando I and
Doña Sancha founded the (15 minute) drive from Astorga
church in 1063 to house to Castrillo de los Polvazares
the remains of the saint, along the rural LE142. Note that
as well as the remains of nonresidents are not allowed
themselves and 21 other to drive into Castrillo de los
early Leónese and Castil- Polvazares, so park up in one of
ian monarchs. The main the parking areas on the edge of
basilica is a hotchpotch the village.
of styles, but the two
main portals on the f Castrillo de los
southern facade are pure Polvazares
Romanesque. Attached
to the Real Basílica de One of the prettiest vil-
San Isidoro, Panteón lages along the Camino – if
Real (admission €5; a little twee – is Castrillo
h10am-1.30pm & 4-6.30pm de los Polvazares. It con-
Mon-Sat, 10am-1.30pm Sun) sists of little but one main
houses the remain- cobbled street, a small
ing sarcophagi, which church and an array of
rest with quiet dignity well-preserved 18th-
beneath a canopy of some century stone houses. If
of the finest Romanesque you can be here before or
frescoes in Spain. Motif after all the tour buses
have left then it’s an
absolute delight of a place
and one in which the

408

Ponferrada Castillo Templario’s imposing entrance

g Ponferrada Templario (adult/concession Renaissance Basílica
€4/2, Wed free; h10am-2pm de Nuestra Señora de
Ponferrada is not the la Encina (%987 41 19 78;
region’s most enticing & 4.30-8.30pm Tue-Sat, 10am- h9am-2pm & 4.30-8.30pm),
town, but its castle and 2pm Sun) rise high over up the hill past the
remnants of the old town Río Sil, and the square, tourist office, is the most
centre (around the stone crenelated towers ooze impressive, especially
clock tower) make it romance and history. The its 17th-century painted
worth a brief stop. Built castle has a lonely and wood altarpiece from
by the Knights Templar impregnable air, and is the school of Gregorio
in the 13th century, the a striking landmark in Fernández.
walls of the fortress- Ponferrada’s otherwise
monastery Castillo bleak urban landscape. The Drive » Take the NVI

Among Ponferrada’s from Ponferrada to Villafranca
churches, the Gothic- del Bierzo (23km, 25 minutes),

409

SPAIN 29 Northern Spain Pilgrimage which runs almost right next to The Drive » The Camino, The Drive » Between Samos
both the A6 motorway and the
Camino. and the driving road, leaves and Santiago de Compostela
Villafranca del Bierzo and starts (136km 2½ hours on the LU633
h Villafranca to wind uphill before entering and N547) there’s a whole load
del Bierzo Galicia at tiny O Cebreiro, which of attractive little villages (Sarria,
at 1300m is the highest point Portomarín and Melide) – there’s
Villafranca del Bierzo on the whole Camino. From here not a lot to see at each, but it’s
has a very well preserved continue to Samos. Total drive worth an amble around any
old core and a number of length is 90km (two hours) of them. Once in Santiago de
interesting churches and using the NVI, or reduce the Compostela dump the car and
other religious buildings. journey time a little by taking head to the cathedral.
Chief among the sights the neighbouring A6.
are the San Nicolás El TRIP HIGHLIGHT
Real, a 17th-century i Samos
convent with a baroque j Santiago de
altarpiece, and the Samos is built around Compostela
12th-century Iglesia de the very fine Benedictine
Santiago. The northern Mosteiro de Samos (www. This, then, is it. The end
doorway of this church abadiadesamos.com; tours of The Way. And what a
is called the ‘door of for- €3; htours every 30min spectacular finish. Santi-
giveness’. Pilgrims who 10am-12.30pm Mon-Sat, 12.45- ago de Compostela, with
were sick, or otherwise 1.30pm Sun, 4.30-6.30pm its granite buildings and
unable, to carry onto daily). This monastery has frequent drizzle, is one of
Santiago de Compostela two beautiful big clois- the most attractive cities
were granted the same ters (one Gothic, with in Spain. It goes without
Godly favours as if they’d distinctly unmonastic saying that your first
made it all the way. Greek nymphs adorning port of call should be the
its fountain; the other Catedral de Santiago
neoclassical and filled de Compostela (www.
with roses). catedraldesantiago.es; Praza
do Obradoiro; h7am-8.30pm),
DETOUR: which soars above the
CABO FISTERRA city centre in a splendid
jumble of moss-covered
Start: j Santiago de Compostela spires and statues. Built
piecemeal over several
In popular imagination Cabo Fisterra (86km, 1½ centuries, its beauty is
hours; take the AC441) is not just the western edge a mix of the original
of Spain (it’s not, that honour goes to Cabo da Nave, Romanesque structure
5km north), but in the days way before sat-nav it (built between 1075 and
was considered the very end of the world. This has 1211) and later Gothic
long made it a popular extension to the Camino de and baroque flourishes.
Santiago. People today may not come here to ponder The tomb of Santiago
what might lie beyond the western horizon, but beneath the main altar
they do come with equal awe to watch the setting is a magnet for all who
sun and admire the views from beside the powerful come to the cathedral.
lighthouse that sits at the edge of these high cliffs. The artistic high point is
Fisterra itself is a fishing port with a picturesque the Pórtico de la Gloria
harbour, and a tourist destination growing ever more inside the west entrance,
popular among Camino pilgrims. featuring 200 masterly
Romanesque sculptures.
After you’ve given thanks

410

SPAIN 29 Northern Spain Pilgrimage

BRIAN LAWRENCE / GETTY IMAGES ©

Santiago de Compostela The city’s magnificent Catedral

for a safe journey head to traffic- and cafe-free and a symbol of the crown’s
the Museo da Catedral, has a unique atmosphere. power in this ecclesiasti-
which spreads over At its northern end, the cal city. Today it’s a hotel,
four floors and includes Renaissance Hostal dos but its four courtyards
the cathedral’s large, Reis Católicos (p413) and some other areas are
16th-century Gothic/ was built in the early open to visitors.
plateresque cloister. The 16th century by order of
Grand Praza do Obra- the Catholic Monarchs, 5 4 p413
doiro, in front of the ca- Isabel and Fernando, as
thedral’s west facade, is a refuge for pilgrims and

411

Eating & Sleeping

Pamplona 2 4 Hotel Boutique Hotel €€€

SPAIN 29 Northern Spain Pilgrimage Calle Mayor

5 Bar-Restaurante Gaucho Pintxos € (%941 23 23 68; www.hotelcallemayor.com;

(Travesía Espóz y Mina 7; pintxos €2-3; Calle Marqués de San Nicolás 71; r incl breakfast
h7am-3pm & 6.30-11pm) This bustling bar
serves multi-award-winning pintxos that, €120-160; paW) This delicious hotel is the
despite some serious competition, many a
local will tell you are the finest in the city – place to stay in Logroño. It has huge rooms
and we agree! Try the ones made of sea
urchins or the crispy spinach and prawn with cheeky touches such as modern lamps
caramel creations.
atop ancient columns, it’s bathed in light

and simply oozes class. The staff are highly

efficient.

4 Palacio Burgos 9

Guendulain Historic Hotel €€€ 5 El Huerto

(%948 22 55 22; www.palacioguendulain. de Roque Contemporary Castilian €€

com; Calle Zapatería 53; s/d incl breakfast (www.elhuertoderoque.com; Calle de Santa
Águeda 10; mains €10-12, menú del día €15;
from €132/143; p aW) To call this hrestaurant 1-4pm Tue-Sat, gastrobar
8pm-2am Thu-Sat; v) Come here for an
stunning hotel, inside the converted former inexpensive lunch with plenty of choice of
dishes. The emphasis is on fresh market and
home of the viceroy of New Granada, ecological produce with typical plates including
vegetable spring rolls with a sweet and sour
sumptuous is an understatement. On arrival, sauce, and crab in a Thai green curry sauce.
The atmosphere throughout is boho-rustic
you’re greeted by a museum-piece 17th- with original tiles, wooden furniture and edgy
artwork.
century carriage and a collection of classic

cars being guarded beside the viceroy’s

private chapel. The rooms contain Princess

and the Pea–soft beds, enormous showers

and regal armchairs.

Logroño 7

5 La Cocina de Ramon Spanish €€€ 4 Hotel Norte Historic Hotel €€

(%941 28 98 08; www.lacocinaderamon.es; y Londres
Calle de Portales 30; menús €28-37; h1-4pm &
8-11pm Tue-Sat, 1-4pm Sun) It looks unassuming (%947 26 41 25; www.hotelnorteylondres.com;
from the outside, but Ramon’s mixture of high-
quality, locally grown market-fresh produce Plaza de Alonso Martínez 10; s/d €66/100;
and tried-and-tested family recipes gives this
place a lot of fans. But it’s not just the food that piW) Set in a former 16th-century palace
makes it so popular: the service is outstanding,
and Ramon likes to come and explain the dishes and with understated period charm, this fine
to each and every guest.
hotel promises spacious rooms with antique

furnishings, polished wooden floors and pretty

balconies; those on the 4th floor are more

modern. The bathrooms are exceptionally

large, the service exceptionally efficient.

412

León d Santiago de Compostela j

5 Delirios Contemporary Castilian €€ 5 O Curro Contemporary Galician €€

(%987 23 76 99; www.restaurantedelirios. da Parra
com; Calle Ave Maria 2; mains €12-20; h1.30-
3.30pm & 9-11.30pm Tue-Sat, 1.30-3.30pm (www.ocurrodaparra.com; Rúa do Curro da Parra
Sun) One of the city’s more adventurous
dining options where innovative combinations 7; mains €17-23, tapas €4-8; h1.30-3.30pm &
such as tuna tataki with orange and ginger,
and brie and foie gras with coconut hit the 8.30-11.30pm Tue-Sat, 1.30-3.30pm Sun) With
mark virtually every time. Those with more
conservative taste buds can opt for dishes a neat little stone-walled dining room upstairs
such as steak with parsnip chips, while
the chocolate mousse with passionfruit is and a narrow tapas and wine bar below, O Curro
designed to put a satisfied waddle in every
diner’s step. Reservations recommended. da Parra serves up a broad range of thoughtfully SPAIN 29 Northern Spain Pilgrimage

created, market-fresh fare. You might go for

pork cheeks with apple purée and spinach – or

just ask what the fish and seafood of the day

are. On weekday lunchtimes there’s a good-

value €12 menú mercado (market menu).

4 La Posada Regia Historic Hotel €€ 4 Hotel Costa Vella Boutique Hotel €€

(%987 21 31 73; www.regialeon.com; Calle de (%981 56 95 30; www.costavella.com; Rúa
Regidores 9-11; s/d incl breakfast from €54/59; da Porta da Pena 17; s €59, d €81-97; aW)
aW) This place has the feel of a casa rural Tranquil, thoughtfully designed rooms – some
(village accommodation) despite being in with typically Galician galerías (glassed-in
the city centre. The secret is a 14th-century balconies) – a friendly welcome and a lovely
building, magnificently restored (wooden garden cafe make this old stone house a
beams, exposed brick and understated antique wonderful option, and the €6 breakfast is
furniture), with individually styled rooms and substantial. Even if you don’t stay, it’s an ideal
supremely comfortable beds and bathrooms. spot for breakfast or coffee. Book ahead from
As with anywhere in the Barri Gótic, weekend May to September.
nights can be noisy.
4 Parador Hostal
4 Hostal de Historic Hotel €€€
dos Reis Católicos Historic Hotel €€€
San Marcos
(%981 58 22 00; www.parador.es; Praza
(%987 23 73 00; www.parador.es; Plaza de San do Obradoiro 1; r incl breakfast from €205;
paiW) Opened in 1509 as a pilgrims’
Marcos 7; d incl breakfast from €134; aiW) hostel, and with a claim to be the world’s oldest
hotel, this palatial parador just steps from the
Despite the confusing ‘hostal’ in the name, cathedral is Santiago’s top hotel, with regal (if
rather staid) rooms. If you’re not staying, stop
León’s sumptuous parador (state-owned in for a look round (hnoon-2pm & 4-6pm
Sun-Fri; admission €3) and coffee and cakes at
hotel) is one of the finest hotels in Spain. With the elegant cafe.

palatial rooms fit for royalty and filled with

old-world luxury and decor, this is one of the

Parador chain’s flagship properties and as you’d

expect, the service and attention to detail are

faultless. It also houses the Convento de
San Marcos.

413

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

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IMAGEBROKER / ALAMY ©

Historic

30Castilla y León

This journey through Spain’s Castilian heartlands takes in some
of the country’s most beguiling historic cities and larger towns
with numerous time-worn pueblos (villages) en route.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

671 km 631 km 7 DAYS
Covarrubias Burgos 782 KM / 486 MILES
One of Spain's most Arguably Spain's
beautiful villages foremost Gothic GREAT FOR…
cathedral
B

Valladolid ##9 mK# Soria BEST TIME TO GO
#1#0
# Spring (March to
# Aranda May) and Autumn
de Duero (September and
October) to avoid
##4 ##2 extreme heat and cold.

Salamanca lL I ESSENTIAL
Golden sandstone PHOTO
architecture without _# MADRID
peer Plaza Mayor,
254 km Segovia Salamanca, floodlit at
Salamanca Plaza Mayor Disney castle, Roman night.
aqueduct and lively
streets K BEST FOR
92 km CULTURE

Irresistible Salamanca
street life against a
glorious architectural
backdrop.

415

30 Historic Castilla y
León

From Segovia to Soria, the towns of Castilla y León rank among Spain’s most
appealing historic centres. Architecture may be central to their attraction,
but these are no museum pieces. Instead, the relentless energy of life lived
Spanish-style courses through the streets, all set against a backdrop of
grand cathedrals and animating stately squares. Out in the countryside
postcard-perfect villages complement the clamour of city life.

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ies – the Prado, Thyssen dance, among them the
and Reina Sofía – all Roman Acueducto, the
1 Madrid clustered close to one of fairytale Alcázar (%921 SPAIN 30 HISTORIC CASTILLA Y LEÓN
the city’s main boule- 46 07 59; www.alcazardese-
Madrid is the most Span- vards and a short walk
ish of all Spanish cities. from the Parque del Buen govia.com; Plaza de la Reina
Its food culture, drawn Retiro, one of the loveli-
from the best the country est and most expansive Victoria Eugenia; adult/conces-
has to offer, makes it one monumental parks in
of Europe’s more under- Europe. In short, this sion/child under 6yr €5/3/free,
rated culinary capitals, is a city that rewards
while its nightlife and those who linger and love tower €2, EU citizens free 3rd
its irresistible joie de all things Spanish. To
vivre exist like some explore Madrid on foot, Tue of month; h10am-6pm
Spanish stereotype see p440.
given form. But there Oct-Mar, 10am-7pm Apr-Sep;
is more to Madrid than The Drive » Getting out of c), which is said to have
just nonstop colour and inspired Walt Disney,
movement. This is one Madrid can be a challenge, and Romanesque gems
of the premier art cities with a complicated system such as the Catedral
on the continent, with of numbered motorways (%921 46 22 05; Plaza Mayor;
three world-class galler- radiating out from the city. Drive
north along the Paseo de la adult/concession €3/2, Sun
GF29 Río Ebro:L:og:r#^o:ño: Castellana, turn west along the
#\ M50 ring road, then take the A6, morning free, tower €5;
FG31 Náje:ra : : : direction A Coruña. Of the two
: : : : :#\ main roads to Segovia from the h9.30am-5.30pm Oct-Mar,
A6, the N603 is the prettier. 9.30am-6.30pm Apr-Sep) or
Hontoria #\ the Iglesia de San Martín
del TRIP HIGHLIGHT (hbefore & after Mass). This
Pinar Navaleno mK is also one of the most
2 Segovia dynamic towns in the
\# \# #1]#1 Soria country, a winning mix
Unesco World Heritage– of local students and in-
0¸N234 listed Segovia is a stun- ternational visitors filling
ning confluence of every- the city’s bars and public
Calatañazor thing that’s good about spaces with an agree-
\# the beautiful towns of able crescendo of noise.
Castilla. There are his- To cap it all, the setting
\# Río Due ro toric landmarks in abun- is simply superb – a city
Gormaz strung out along a ridge,
LINK its warm terracotta and
YOUR sandstone hues arrayed
TRIP against a backdrop of
Castilla’s rolling hills and
the often-snowcapped

\# Almazán

Atienza\# Imón Medinaceli

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v Roving La Rioja t Northern Spain
Wine Region Pilgrimage
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:: Río Hen
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countryside drive, just an and a half hours north from
:: hour and a half north from Soria.
:

: ]#:Guadalajara Soria.

: Priego

#] : \#

\# 417

Pastrana

SPAIN 30 HISTORIC CASTILLA Y LEÓN Sierra de Guadarrama. €5/free; h10am-8pm Tue- the sandstone Basílica
There are many vantage Sun; c) can be climbed – de San Vicente (Plaza de
points to take in the full a 300m stretch that can San Vicente; admission €2;
effect, but our favourite be accessed from just h10am-6.30pm Mon-Sat,
can be found anywhere inside the Puerta del 4-6pm Sun).
in the gardens near the Alcázar, and a longer
entrance to the Alcázar. 1300m stretch that runs 4 p424
the length of the old The Drive » The N501 runs
5 4 p424 city’s northern perimeter.
The Drive » It’s 66km The best views are those northwest of Ávila to Salamanca,
at night from Los Cuatro in the process traversing the
from Segovia to Ávila along Postes, a short distance pancake-flat high meseta
the N110. The road runs northwest of the city. (plateau) of central Spain and
southwest, parallel to the Sierra Ávila is also the home covering 96km en route.
de Guadarrama, with some city of Santa Teresa, with
excellent views en route. At the Convento de Santa TRIP HIGHLIGHT
around the halfway mark, you’ll Teresa (%920 21 10 30;
cross the A6 motorway. Plaza de la Santa; h8.45am- 4 Salamanca

3 Ávila 1.30pm & 3.30-9pm Tue-Sun) Salamanca is a special
as its centrepiece. Other place: its perfect mix
Ávila’s old city, sur- important religious of eye-catching archi-
rounded by imposing high points include the tecture and animated
12th-century murallas streets make it one of our
(walls) comprising eight Catedral del Salvador favourite cities in Spain.
monumental gates, 88 (Plaza de la Catedral; admission The city is at its best as
watchtowers and more day turns the corner into
than 2500 turrets, is one €4; h10am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, night.
of the best-preserved
medieval-walled cities 10am-8pm Sat, noon-6.30pm 5 4 p424
in Spain. Two sections of Sun), the Monasterio de The Drive » The N630 runs
the Murallas (muralladeav- Santo Tomás (www.mon-
ila.com; adult/child under 12yr asteriosantotomas.com; Plaza due north from Salamanca to
Zamora (67km), a relatively
de Granada 1; admission €4; quiet road by Spanish standards
h10am-1pm & 4-8pm) and

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE:
FROG-SPOTTING IN SALAMANCA

Arguably a lot more interesting than trainspotting (and you don’t have to wear an
anorak and drink tea from a thermos flask), a compulsory task facing all visitors to
Salamanca is to search out the frog sculpted into the facade of the Universidad
Civil (Calle de los Libreros; adult/concession €4/2, Mon morning free; h9.30am-1.30pm &
4-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 10am-1.30pm Sun). Once pointed out, it’s easily enough seen, but the
uninitiated can spend considerable time searching. Why bother? Well, they say that
those who detect it without help can be assured of good luck and even marriage
within a year. Some hopeful students see a guaranteed examination’s victory in it. If
you believe all this, stop reading now. If you need help, look at the busts of Fernando
and Isabel. From there, turn your gaze to the largest column on the extreme right of
the front. Slightly above the level of the busts is a series of skulls, atop the leftmost
of which sits our little amphibious friend (or what’s left of his eroded self).

418

DETOUR: SPAIN 30 HISTORIC CASTILLA Y LEÓN
PUEBLA DE SANABRIA

Start: 5 Zamora

Northwest of Zamora, close to the Portuguese border, this captivating village is a
tangle of medieval alleyways that unfold around a 15th-century castle and trickle
down the hill. This is one of Spain’s loveliest hamlets and it’s well worth the detour,
or even stopping overnight: the quiet cobblestone lanes make it feel like you’ve
stepped back centuries. Wandering the village is alone worth the trip here but a
few attractions are worth tracking down. Crowning the village’s high point and
dominating its skyline for kilometres around, the Castillo (adult/child under 12yr €3/
free; h11am-2pm & 4-8pm Mon-Sat, 4-7pm Sun; pc) has some interesting displays on
local history, flora and fauna and superb views from the ramparts. Also at the top of
the village, the striking Plaza Mayor is surrounded by some fine historical buildings.
The 17th-century ayuntamiento (town hall) has a lovely arched facade and faces
across the square to Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Azogue (admission free;
h11am-2pm & 4-8pm Sat & Sun), a pretty village church which was first built in the 12th
century. If you’re staying the night, the Posada Real La Cartería (%980 62 03 12;
www.lacarteria.com; Calle de Rúa 16; r from €81; aiW) captures the essence of Puebla
de Sanabria’s medieval appeal with both rooms and a restaurant.

and one that follows the explore this subdued en- 6 Toro
contours of the rolling hill core to the monumental
country of Castilla y León’s west. splendour of Salamanca. With a name that
Zamora is also one of couldn’t be more Spanish
5 Zamora the best places to be and a stirring history
during Semana Santa, that overshadows its
If you’re arriving by with haunting proces- present, Toro is your
road, first appearances sions of hooded penitents archetypal Castilian
can be deceiving and, parading through the town. It was here that
as in so many Spanish streets. Whatever time Fernando and Isabel
towns, your introduction of year you’re here, cemented their primacy
to provincial Zamora is don’t miss the Museo de in Christian Spain at the
likely to be nondescript Semana Santa (%980 53 Battle of Toro in 1476.
apartment blocks. But 22 95; semanasantadezamora. The town sits on a rise
persevere as the casco com; Plaza de Santa María La high above the north
historico (old town) is Nueva; adult/child €4/1.50; bank of Río Duero and
hauntingly beauti- h10am-2pm & 5-8pm Tue-Sat, has a charming historic
ful, with sumptuous 10am-2pm Sun). centre with half-timbered
medieval monuments houses and Romanesque
that have earned Zamora 5 4 p424 churches. The high
the popular sobriquet point, literally, is the
‘Romanesque Museum’. The Drive » The A11 tracks 12th-century Colegiata
Much of the old town
is closed to motorised east of Zamora – not far out Santa María La Mayor
transport and walking along the sweeping plains that (Plaza de la Colegiata; admis-
is easily the best way to bake in summer, take the turn- sion €2; h10.30am-2pm &
off to Toro. 5.30-7.30pm Tue-Sun), which

419

FRANZ MARC FREI / LOOK-FOTO / GETTY IMAGES ©

MARÍA GALÁN / GETTY IMAGES © WHY THIS IS A
GREAT TRIP
ANTHONY HAM,
AUTHOR

The towns north and west of Madrid
are windows on the Spanish soul,
each with their own distinctive
appeal. Segovia, Ávila, Salamanca,
Zamora and Burgos are all
Spanish classics, dynamic cities
with extraordinary architectural
backdrops. Throw in some
captivating, beautiful villages along
the way and you’ve captured the
essence of this remarkable country
in just a week.

Top: Tordesillas reflected in the Río Duero
Left: Diners in Covarrubias
Right: Ávila’s fortified murallas (walls)

SPAIN 30 HISTORIC CASTILLA Y LEÓNrises above the town and
boasts the magnificent
MATTEO COLOMBO / GETTY IMAGES © Romanesque-Gothic Pór-
tico de la Majestad.

The Drive » Return to the

main east–west road that
passes to the north of Toro (the
A11, then E82), and continue
east to Tordesillas.

7 Tordesillas

Commanding a rise on
the northern flank of Río
Duero, this pretty little
town has a historical sig-
nificance that belies its
size. Originally a Roman
settlement, it later played
a major role in world
history when, in 1494,
Isabel and Fernando, the
Catholic Monarchs, sat
down with Portugal here
to hammer out a treaty
determining who got
what in Latin America.
Portugal got Brazil and
much of the rest went to
Spain. Explaining it all
is the excellent Museo
del Tratado del Tordesil-
las (%983 77 10 67; Calle de
Casas del Tratado; h10am-
1.30pm & 5-7.30pm Tue-Sat,
10am-2pm Sun). Not far
away, the heart of town is
formed by the delightful
porticoed and cobbled
Plaza Mayor, its mustard-
yellow paintwork offset
by dark-brown woodwork
and black grilles.

The Drive » From Tordesillas,

E80 sweeps northeast, skirts
the southern fringe of Valladolid
and then continues east as the
N122, through the vineyards of
the Ribera del Duero wine region
all the way into Peñafiel.

421

SPAIN 30 HISTORIC CASTILLA Y LEÓN 8 Peñafiel for lunch – try the roast lamb at The Drive » Take the E5
Asador Casa Brigant on Plaza
Peñafiel is the gateway Mayor. Sated, return to the south of Burgos but almost
to the Ribera del Duero E5 and take it all the way into immediately after leaving the
wine region and it’s an Burgos. city’s southern outskirts, take
appealing small town in the N234 turnoff and follow the
its own right. At ground TRIP HIGHLIGHT signs over gently undulating hills
level, Plaza del Coso and through green valleys to the
is one of Spain’s most 9 Burgos walled village of Covarrubias.
stunningly picturesque
plazas. This rectangular Dominated by its Unesco TRIP HIGHLIGHT
15th-century ‘square’ World Heritage–listed
was one of the first to be cathedral but with plenty a Covarrubias
laid out for this purpose more to turn the head,
and is considered one Burgos is one of Castilla Inhabiting a broad valley
of the most important y León’s most captivating in eastern Castilla y León
forerunners to the plazas towns. The extraordinary and spread out along
mayores (main squares) Gothic Catedral (%947 20 the shady banks of Río
across Spain. It’s still 47 12; www.catedraldeburgos. Arlanza with a gorgeous
used for bullfights on es; Plaza del Rey Fernando; riverside aspect, Covarru-
ceremonial occasions, adult/child under 14yr incl mul- bias is only a short step
and it’s watched over by tilingual audioguide €6/1.50; removed from the Middle
distinctive half-wooden h10am-6pm) is one of Ages. Once you pass
facades. But no mat- Spain’s glittering jewels beneath the formidable
ter where you are in of religious architecture stone archways that mark
Peñafiel, your eyes will be and looms large over the the village’s entrances,
drawn to the Castillo de city and skyline. Inside Covarrubias takes visi-
Peñafiel (Museo Provincial is the last place of El Cid tors within its intimate
del Vino; Peñafiel; castle €3, and there are numerous embrace with tightly
incl museum €7, audioguides extravagant chapels, a huddled and distinctive,
€2; h11am-2.30pm & 4.30- gilded staircase and a arcaded half-timbered
8.30pm Tue-Sun), one of splendid altar. Some of houses opening out onto
Spain’s longest and nar- the best cathedral views cobblestone squares. Sim-
rowest castles (the walls are from up the hill at ply wandering around
and towers stretch over the lookout, just below the village is the main
200m but are little more the 9th-century Castillo pastime, and don’t miss
than 20m across). Within de Burgos. Elsewhere in the charming riverside
the castle’s crenulated town, two monasteries – pathways or outdoor
walls is the state-of-the- the Cartuja de Miraflores tables that spill out onto
art Museo Provincial (%947 25 25 86; h10.15am- the squares. Otherwise,
del Vino, the local wine 3pm & 4-6pm Mon, Tue & Thu- the main attraction is the
museum that tells a Sat, 11am-3pm & 4-6pm Sun) Colegiata de San Cosme
comprehensive story of and the Monasterio de y Damián (admission €2.50;
the region’s wines. las Huelgas (%947 20 16 h10.30am-2pm & 4-7pm Mon
30; www.monasteriodelashuel- & Wed-Sat, 4.30-6pm Sun),
4 p425 gas.org; guided tours €7, Wed which has the evocative
free; h10am-1pm & 4-5.30pm atmosphere of a mini ca-
The Drive » The N122 Tue-Sat, 10.30am‑2pm Sun) – thedral and Spain’s oldest
are worth seeking out, still-functioning church
continues east of Peñafiel. At while the city’s eating organ; note also the
Aranda del Duero, turn north scene is excellent. gloriously ostentatious
along the E5 and make for altar, fronted by several
Lerma, an ideal place to stop 5 4 p412, p425 Roman stone tombs, plus
that of Fernán González,

422

the 10th-century founder DETOUR: SPAIN 30 HISTORIC CASTILLA Y LEÓN
of Castilla. Don’t miss the SANTO DOMINGO
graceful cloisters and the DE SILOS
sacristia with its vibrant
15th-century paintings Start: a Covarrubias
by Van Eyck and tryptic
Adoracion de los Magis. Nestled in the rolling hills just off the Burgos–Soria
(N234) road, this tranquil, pretty village is built
The Drive » The N234 winds around a monastery with an unusual claim to fame:
monks from here made the British pop charts in
southwest of Covarrubias the mid-1990s with recordings of Gregorian chants.
through increasingly contoured Notable for its pleasingly unadorned Romanesque
country all the way to Soria. sanctuary dominated by a multidomed ceiling, the
Along the way there are signs church (h6am-2pm & 4.30-10pm, chant 6am, 7.30am,
to medieval churches and 9am, 1.45pm, 4pm, 7pm & 9.30pm) is where you can hear
hermitages marking many the monks chant. The monastery, one of the most
minor roads that lead off into famous in central Spain, is known for its stunning
the trees. In no time at all cloister (admission €3.50; h10am-1pm & 4.30-6pm Tue-
you’ll see the turn-off to Santo Sat, 4.30-6pm Sun), a two-storey treasure chest of some
Domingo de Silos. of Spain’s most imaginative Romanesque art. Don’t
miss the unusually twisted column on the cloister’s
b Soria western side. For sweeping views over the town, pass
under the Arco de San Juan and climb the grassy hill
Small-town Soria is to the south to the Ermita del Camino y Via Crucis.
one of Spain’s smaller
provincial capitals. Set north is the beautiful interlaced arches in the
on Río Duero in the Romanesque Iglesia de partially ruined cloister.
heart of backwoods Santo Domingo (Calle A lovely riverside walk
Castilian countryside, de Santo Tomé Hospicio; south for 2.3km will take
it has an appealing and h7am-9pm), with a small you past the 13th-century
compact old centre, and but exquisitely sculpted church of the former
a sprinkling of stunning portal of reddish stone Knights Templar, the
monuments. The narrow that seems to glow at Monasterio de San Polo
streets of the town centre sunset. Down the hill by (not open to the public),
on Plaza Mayor, with its the river east of the town and on to the fascinat-
attractive Renaissance- centre, the 12th-century ing, baroque Ermita de
era ayuntamiento and San Saturio (Paseo de San
the Iglesia de Santa Monasterio de San Juan Saturio; h10.30am-2pm &
María la Mayor, with its de Duero (Camino Monte de 4.30-7.30pm Tue-Sun).
unadorned Romanesque las Ánimas; admission €0.60,
facade and gilt-edged 5 4 p425
interior. A block north is Sat & Sun free; h10am-2pm
the majestic, sandstone,
16th-century Palacio & 5-8pm Tue-Sat, 10am-2pm
de los Condes Gomara Sun) has many gracefully
(Calle de Aguirre). Further

423

/ GETTY IMAGES ©Eating & Sleeping

SPAIN 30 HISTORIC CASTILLA Y LEÓNSegovia 2 Salamanca 4

5 Restaurante Sephardic €€ 5 Mesón Cervantes Castilian €€

El Fogón Sefardí (www.mesoncervantes.com; Plaza Mayor 15;

(%921 46 62 50; www.lacasamudejar.com; Calle menú del día €13.50, mains €10-22; h10am-

de Isabel la Católica 8; mains €15-25, tapas from midnight) Although there are outdoor tables

€2.50; h1.30-4.30pm & 5.30-11.30pm) Located on the square, the dark wooden beams and

within the Hospedería La Gran Casa Mudéjar, atmospheric buzz of the Spanish crowd on the

this is one of the most original places in town. 1st floor should be experienced at least once;

Sephardic and Jewish cuisine is served either on if you snaffle a window table in the evening,

the intimate patio or in the splendid dining hall you’ve hit the jackpot. The food’s a mix of platos

with original, 15th-century Mudéjar flourishes. combinados (meat-and-three-veg dishes),

The theme in the bar is equally diverse. Stop salads and raciones (large tapas servings).

here for a taste of the award-winning tapas. 4 Microtel

Reservations recommended. Placentinos Boutique Hotel €€

4 Hospedería La Gran Historic Hotel €€ (%923 28 15 31; www.microtelplacentinos.

Casa Mudéjar com; Calle de Placentinos 9; s/d incl breakfast

(%921 46 62 50; www.lacasamudejar.com; Calle Sun-Thu €57/73, Fri & Sat €88/100; aW) One

de Isabel la Católica 8; r from €80; aiW) of Salamanca’s most charming boutique hotels,

Spread over two buildings, this place has been Microtel Placentinos is tucked away on a quiet

magnificently renovated, blending genuine street and has rooms with stone walls and wooden

15th-century Mudéjar carved wooden ceilings beams. The service is faultless, and the overall

in some rooms with modern amenities. In the atmosphere is one of intimacy and discretion. All

newer wing, the rooms on the top floors have rooms have a hydromassage shower or tub and

fine mountain views out over the rooftops of there’s a summer-only outside whirpool spa.

Segovia’s old Jewish quarter. Adding to the

appeal, there’s a small spa and the restaurant Zamora 5

comes highly recommended.

Ávila 3 5 El Rincón

4 Hotel El Rastro Historic Hotel € de Antonio Contemporary Castilian €€€

(%920 35 22 25; www.elrastroavila.com; Calle (%980 53 53 70; www.elrincondeantonio.
com; Rúa de los Francos 6; mains €19.50-26,
Cepedas; s/d €35/55; aW) This atmospheric set menus €11-65; h1.30-4pm & 8.30-11.30pm
Mon-Sat, 1.30-4.30pm Sun) A fine place offering
hotel occupies a former 16th-century palace tapas in the bar, as well as sit-down meals
in a classy, softly lit dining area. Amid the
with original stone, exposed brickwork and a range of tasting menus there’s one consisting
of four tapas for €11, including a glass of
natural earth-toned colour scheme exuding wine. In the restaurant, dishes are classic
with a contemporary twist, such as Galician
a calm understated elegance. Each room has scallops served in onion leaves. Reservations
recommended.
a different form, but most have high ceilings

and plenty of space. Note that the owners also

run a marginally cheaper, same-name hostal

(budget hotel) around the corner.

424

4 Parador Condes Historic Hotel €€€ 4 Hotel La Puebla Boutique Hotel €€

de Alba y Aliste (%947 20 00 11; www.hotellapuebla.com;
Calle de la Puebla 20; r from €95; aiW)
(%980 51 44 97; www.parador.es; Plaza Viriato This boutique hotel adds a touch of style to
the Burgos hotel scene. The rooms aren’t
5; r €100-168; aiWs) Set in a sumptuous huge and most don’t have views but they’re
softly lit, beautifully designed and supremely
15th-century palace, this is modern luxury with comfortable. Extra perks include bikes and
a pillow menu, while, on the downside, some
myriad period touches (mostly in the public readers have complained about the level of
street noise.
areas). There’s a swimming pool and, unlike

many paradores (luxurious state-owned hotels),

it’s right in the heart of town. On the downside,

there is very limited parking available (just eight

places). The restaurant (menú del día €33) is SPAIN 30 HISTORIC CASTILLA Y LEÓN
predictabe parador quality.

Peñafiel 8 Soria b

4 Hotel Convento Historic Hotel €€ 5 Baluarte Contemporary Castilian €€

Las Claras (%975 21 36 58; www.baluarte.info; Caballeros
14; mains €12-25, menú degustación €47;
(%983 87 81 68; www.hotelconventolasclaras. h1.45-3.45pm & 9-11pm Tue-Sat, 1.30-
3.30pm Sun) Oscar Garcia is one of Spain’s
com; Plaza de los Comuneros 1; s €80-105, d most exciting new chefs and this venture in
Soria appropriately showcases his culinary
€95-150; aWs) This cool, classy hotel is talents. Dishes are based on classic Castilian
ingredients but treated with just enough foam
an unexpected find in little Peñafiel. A former and drizzle to ensure that they are both exciting
and satisfying, without being too pretentious.
convent, the rooms are luxurious and there’s Reservations essential.

a full spa available with thermal baths and 4 Hotel Soria Plaza Mayor Hotel €€

treatments. There’s also an excellent restaurant (%975 24 08 64; www.hotelsoriaplazamayor.
com; Plaza Mayor 10; s/d/ste €65/72/91; ai)
with, as you’d expect, a carefully chosen wine This hotel has terrific rooms, each with its own
style of decor, overlooking either Plaza Mayor or
list. Lighter meals are available in the cafeteria. a quiet side street. There are so many balconies
that even some bathrooms have their own. The
Burgos 9 suites are very comfortable.

5 Cervecería Morito Tapas € CaptionCaptionCaptionCaption

(Calle Sombrerería 27; tapas €3, raciones €5-7;

h12.30-3.30pm & 7-11.30pm) Cervecería

Morito is the undisputed king of Burgos tapas

bars and it’s always crowded, deservedly so. A

typical order is alpargata (lashings of cured ham

with bread, tomato and olive oil) or the pincho

de morcilla (small tapa of local blood sausage).

The presentation is surprising nouvelle,

especially the visual feast of salads.

425

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

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JOAN GIL / ALAMY © #

Roving La Rioja

31Wine Region

Learn all about the gift of the grape on this quiet road trip through
vine-studded countryside. Along the way you can visit wine
museums and bodegas and admire stunning architecture.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS 2–4 DAYS
140 KM / 97 MILES
98 km 1 km
Dinastía Vivanco Logroño GREAT FOR…
Obtain wine-fuelled Delve into the fabulous
knowledge in this culinary scene of this HB
space-age museum understated city
BEST TIME TO GO
Haro ##8
September and
# J%##1 October when the
grapes are being
##6 Laguardia harvested.
Spin back the wheels of
Nájera # time in this wine-soaked I ESSENTIAL
fortress town PHOTO
# 105km
Waving at the camera
San Millán from in front of the
de Cogolla Hotel Marqués de
Riscal.
Elciego Hotel Marqués de Riscal
K BEST FOR
FOODIES

Logroño has some of
the best tapas in Spain.

427

31 Roving La Rioja
Wine Region

La Rioja is home to the best wines in Spain and on this short and sweet road
trip along unhurried back roads you’ll enjoy gorgeous vine-striped countryside
and asleep-at-noon villages of honey-coloured stone. But the real interest is
reserved for food and drink: cutting-edge museums, bodega tours and some
of the best tapas in Spain will make this drive an essential for any foodie.

Río Ebro 0¸N124

Briñas
#\

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#\
#\ Bodegas Ysios
0¸N232 #Haro H#
5\# San Vicente
Casalarreine#\ #\ de la
# Sonsierra #p434 Laguardia
6#\ #\8

Briones Viana

# 0¸ GF#\7 : :
¸0LR111 ¸0N232 :: : : : : #\
:
63 km to #Nájera \#2 :Elcie:go : :A124 : : :
:
FG‚30 ¸0LR113 :: 29

·/A12 GF29 :::::::
#4#\
: : : : : L:ogroño
Santo
Domingo #: : : : : ^#1: :
de la Calzada ·/A12

::::::

J%Nava:rrete: : : : : :
\#
::::::

¸0LR204 :::::::

::::::

:::::::

0¸: : : : : :

: : : : N111: : :

::::::

#San Millán #\3#\ :::::::

de Cogolla

e# 0 10 km
0 5 miles

TRIP HIGHLIGHT related activities. For have been recognised by SPAIN 31 Roving La Rioja Wine Region
more on things to see and Unesco as World Herit-
1 Logroño do in Logroño, see p405. age sites.

Small and low-key 4 p412, p435 The Monasterio de
Logroño is the capital of The Drive » It’s only a short Yuso (%941 37 30 49; www.
La Rioja. The city doesn’t monasteriodeyuso.org; adult/
receive all that many drive of 28km (25 minutes) child €6/2; h10am-1.30pm &
tourists and there aren’t from Logroño to Nájera along 4-6.30pm Tue-Sun) contains
all that many things to the N232, which transforms into numerous treasures in
see and do, but there is the A12 motorway around the its museum. You can only
a monumentally good halfway point. visit as part of a guided
selection of tapas bars. In tour. Tours last 50 min-
fact, Logroño is quickly 2 Nájera utes and run every half-
gaining a culinary repu- hour or so. In August it’s
tation to rival anywhere The main attraction of also open on Mondays.
in Spain. this otherwise unexciting
town, which lies on the A short distance away
Based in the small Camino de Santiago, is is the Monasterio de
village of Fuenmayor (10 the Gothic Monasterio Suso (%941 37 30 82; admis-
minutes west of Logroño), de Santa María la Real sion €4; h9.30am-1.30pm &
Rioja Trek (%941 58 73 54; (admission €3; h10am-1pm & 3.30-6.30pm Tue-Sun). It’s
www.riojatrek.com; wine experi- 4-7pm Tue-Sat, 10am-12.30pm believed that in the 13th
ence €28 per person) offers & 4-6pm Sun), in particular century a monk named
three-hour wine ‘experi- its fragile-looking, early- Gonzalo de Berceo wrote
ences’ where you visit a 16th-century cloisters. the first Castilian words
vineyard and bodega and The monastery was here. Again, it can only
participate in the process built in 1032, but was be visited on a guided
of actually making wine significantly rebuilt in tour. Tickets, which must
yourself. It also offers the 15th-century. be bought in advance,
family-friendly wine- can be reserved by phone
The Drive » The dry and can be picked up at
LINK the Monasterio de Yuso.
YOUR landscapes around Nájera
TRIP become greener and more The Drive » It’s a 23km
rolling as you head southwest
t Northern Spain along the LR113 and LR205 for (20 minute) drive along the
Pilgrimage 18km (20 minutes) to San Millán delightfully quiet LR204 to
de Cogolla. In the far distance Santo Domingo de la Calzada.
Drive alongside pilgrims mountains, which are snow- The scenery is a mix of vast
on the road to Santiago capped in winter, rise up. sunburnt fields, red tinged soils,
de Compostela. You can vineyards and patches of forest.
join ‘the Way’ in Logroño. 3 San Millán de
Cogolla 4 Santo Domingo
u Historic de la Calzada
Castilla y León The hamlet of San Millán
de Cogolla is home to two The small, walled old
A quick skip south to remarkable monaster- town of Santo Domingo
Soria will let you do this ies, which between them is the kind of place
captivating inland tour in helped give birth to where you can be certain
reverse. the Castilian (Spanish) that the baker knows
language. On account of all his customers by
their linguistic heritage name and that everyone
and artistic beauty, they will turn up for María’s

429

SPAIN 31 Roving La Rioja Wine Region christening. Santiago- The Drive » The LR111 goes There are plenty of
bound pilgrims have wine bodegas in the vi-
long been a part of the in an almost ruler-straight cinity of the town, some
fabric of this town, and line across fields of crops of which are open to visi-
that tradition continues and under a big sky to the tors (almost always with
to this day, with most workaday town of Haro (20km, advance reservation).
visitors being foot-weary 20 minutes). One of the more recep-
pilgrims. All this helps tive to visitors is the Bo-
to make Santo Domingo 5 Haro degas Muga (%941 30 60
one of the most enjoy- 60; www.bodegasmuga.com;
able places in La Rioja. Despite its fame in the
The biggest attraction wine world, there’s not Barrio de la Estación; winery
in town, aside from the much of a heady bouquet tour €10), which is just
very worthwhile pursuit to Haro, the capital of La after the railway bridge
of just strolling the Rioja’s wine-producing on the way out of town.
streets and lounging in region. But the town has It gives daily guided
the main old-town plaza, a cheerful pace and the tours (except Sunday) in
is a visit to the cathe- compact old quarter, Spanish, and tastings.
dral. See p406 for more. leading off Plaza de la Although technically you
Paz, has some intriguing should book in advance
4p435 alleyways with bars and in high season, you can
wine shops aplenty. often just turn up and

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE:
TAPAS IN LOGROÑO

Make no mistake about it: Logroño is a foodie’s delight. There are a number of very
good restaurants, and then there are the tapas (which here are sometimes called
by their Basque name of pintxos). Few cities have such a dense concentration of
excellent tapas bars. Most of the action takes place on Calle Laurel and Calle de San
Juan. Tapas cost around €2 to €4, and most of the bars are open from about 8pm
through to midnight, except on Mondays. The following are some of our favourites.

Torrecilla (Calle Laurel 15; pintxos from €2) OK, we’re going to stick our necks out here
and say that this place serves the best pintxos in town. Go for the pyramid of jamón
(cured ham) or the miniburgers (which come with mini bottles of ketchup!). In fact,
what the heck, go for anything. It’s all good!

Bar Soriano (Travesía de Laurel 2; pintxos from €2) The smell of frying food will suck you
into this bar, which has been serving up the same delicious mushroom tapa, topped
with a shrimp, for more than 30 years.

La Taberna de Baco (Calle de San Agustín 10; pintxos from €2) This place has a cracking
list of around 40 different pintxos, including bombitas (potatoes stuffed with
mushrooms) and a delightful mess of toast with pate, apple, goat cheese and
caramel.

La Fontana (Calle Laurel 16; pintxos from €2) Another stellar pintxo bar with a
welcoming atmosphere. This one’s speciality is sepia fontana. And when you order
this what emerges from the kitchen? A pile of egg, mushroom, aubergine and foie
gras. The octopus isn’t bad either.

430

THE WEALTH OF THE GRAPE SPAIN 31 Roving La Rioja Wine Region

La Rioja, and the surrounding areas of Navarra and the Basque province of Álava,
is Spain’s best-regarded wine-producing region. La Rioja itself is further divided
into three separate wine-producing areas: Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja and Rioja Alavesa.
The principal grape of Rioja is the tempranillo. The first taste of a tempranillo is of
leather and cherries and the wine lingers on the tongue.

The Riojans have had a long love affair with wine. There’s evidence that both the
Phoenicians and the Celtiberians produced and drank wine here and the earliest
written evidence of grape cultivation in La Rioja dates to 873. Today, some 250
million litres of wine bursts forth from the grapes of La Rioja annually. Almost all
of this (around 85%) is red wine, though some quality whites and rosés are also
produced. The Riojan love of wine is so great that in the town of Haro they even have
a fiesta devoted to wine. It culminates with a messy ‘wine battle’ in which thousands
of litres of wine gets chucked around, turning everyone’s clothes red in the process.
This takes place on 29 June.

How to find a good bottle? Spanish wine is subject to a complicated system of
classification, similar to the ones used in France and Italy. La Rioja is the only wine
region in Spain classed as Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOC), the highest
grade and a guarantee that any wine labelled as such was produced according to
strict regional standards. The best wines are often marked with the designation
‘Crianza’ (aged for a year in an oak barrel), ‘Reserva’ (aged for two years, at least
one of which is in an oak barrel) and ‘Gran Reserva’ (aged for two years in an oak
barrel and three years in the bottle).

latch on to the back of de la Cultura del Vino; www. some wine tasting, and
a tour. dinastiavivanco.com; adult/ by booking in advance,
child €8/free; h11am-6pm you can join a tour of the
The Drive » Briones is almost Tue-Fri & Sun, 10am-8pm Sat winery (€20 including
Jul-Aug, shorter hours rest of museum entry; in Span-
within walking distance of year). Over several floors ish only).
Haro. It’s just 9km away (10 you will learn all about
minutes) along the N124. the history and culture The Drive » It’s 19km (25
of wine and the various
TRIP HIGHLIGHT processes that go into its minutes) along the N232 to
production. All of this is Elciego. The scenery, which is
6 Briones done through interesting made up of endless vineyards,
displays brought to life will delight anyone who enjoys
One man’s dream has with computer technol- wide open spaces. In the
put the small, obscenely ogy. The treasures on distance are strange sheer-
quaint village of Briones display include Picasso- faced table-topped mountains.
firmly on the Spanish designed wine jugs;
wine and tourism Roman and Byzantine 7 Elciego
map. The sunset-gold mosaics; gold-draped,
village crawls gently wine-inspired religious When the owner of the
up a hillside and offers artifacts; and the world’s Bodegas Marqués de
commanding views over largest collection of Riscal, in the village
the surrounding vine- corkscrews. At the end of Elciego, decided
carpeted plains. It’s on of the tour you can enjoy he wanted to create
these plains where you something special, he
will find the fantastic didn’t hold back. The
Dinastía Vivanco (Museo

431

STOCKPHOTOASTUR / GETTY IMAGES ©

HEMIS / ALAMY © WHY THIS IS A
GREAT TRIP
STUART BUTLER,
AUTHOR

How can anyone not love an area
sloshing in wine?! Well, for me, wine
is only a part of my love for this
region. The light and huge skies is
what draws me here. It’s so very
different to the often grey and damp
north coast where I live. It feels so,
well, Spanish!

Top: La Rioja vineyards
Left: Bodegas Palacio cellar, Laguardia
Right: Hotel Marqués de Riscal, Elciego

SPAIN 31 Roving La Rioja Wine Regionresult is the spectacular
Frank Gehry–designed
TIM GRAHAM / GETTY IMAGES © Hotel Marqués de Riscal.
Costing around €85
million, the building is
a flamboyant wave of
multicoloured titanium
sheets that stands in
utter contrast to the
village behind. It’s like
a rainbow-flavoured
Guggenheim museum
(not surprisingly, per-
haps, as that was also
designed by Gehry).
Casual visitors are not
really welcome to look
around the hotel, but
there is an excellent
wine shop and interest-
ing wine tours (%945 18
08 88; www.marquesderiscal.
com; tour €11) take place
– there’s at least one
English-language tour
a day.

4p435
The Drive » It’s only 15

minutes (9km) along the A3210
from Elciego to wonderful
Laguardia, which rises up off
the otherwise flat, vine-striped
countryside.

TRIP HIGHLIGHT

8 Laguardia

It’s easy to spin back the
wheels of time in the
medieval fortress town
of Laguardia, or the
‘Guard of Navarra’ as it
was once appropriately
known, sitting proudly
on its rocky hilltop. As
well as memories of
long-lost yesterdays, the
town further entices
visitors with its wine-
producing present.

433

Bodegas Palacio (%945 DETOUR:
60 01 51; www.bodegas- BODEGAS YSIOS
palacio.com; Carretera de
Elciego; tour €5; htours Start: 8 Laguardia (p433)
11am & 1pm Mon & Sat, Just a couple of kilometres to the north of Laguardia
4.30pm Tue-Fri, 1.30pm is the Bodegas Ysios (%941 27 99 00; www.ysios.com;
Sun, closed afternoons Jul Camino de la Hoya, Laguardia; per person €10; htours
& Aug) is only 1km from 10.30am, 1pm & 3pm Mon-Fri, 10.30am & 1pm Sat & Sun,
Laguardia on the Elciego advance booking required). Architecturally it’s one of the
road; reservations are most gob-smacking bodegas in Spain. Designed by
not essential but are a Santiago Calatrava as a ‘temple dedicated to wine’,
good idea (especially it’s wavelike roof made of aluminium and cedar
out of season). Also just wood matches the flow of the rocky mountains
outside Laguardia is the behind it. Daily tours of the bodega are an excellent
introduction to wine production.
CARLOS SANCHEZ PEREYRA / GETTY IMAGES ©Centro Temático del
Vino Villa Lucia (%945 guided tour only and The Drive » From Laguardia
SPAIN 31 Roving La Rioja Wine Region60 00 32; www.villa-lucia.finish with a 4D film and
com; Carretera de Logroño; wine tasting. it’s a short 18km (20 minutes)
museum €11; h11am-6.30pm down the A124 back to Logroño
Tue-Fri, 10.15am-6.30pm 54p435 and the start of this tour.
Sat, 11am-12.30pm Sun), a
wine museum and shop.
Museum visits are by

Bodegas Ysios

434

Eating & Sleeping

Logroño 1 Elciego 7

4 Hotel Marqués Design Hotel €€ 4 Hotel Marqués Design Hotel €€€

de Vallejo de Riscal

(%941 24 83 33; www.hotelmarquesdevallejo. (%945 18 08 80; www.hotel-marquesderiscal.

com; Calle del Marqués de Vallejo 8; s/d from com; Calle Torrea 1; r from €310; paW) When

€50/75; paW) From the driftwood art to the owner of Elciego’s Bodegas Marqués de Riscal SPAIN 31 Roving La Rioja Wine Region

cow skins, beach pebbles and photographic decided he wanted to create something special,

flashlights it’s clear that a lot of thought and he didn’t hold back. The result is the spectacular

effort has gone into the design of this stylish, Frank Gehry–designed Hotel Marqués de Riscal.

modern and very well-priced hotel. Costing around €85 million, the building is a wave

of multicoloured titanium sheets that stand in

Santo Domingo de la Calzada 4 utter contrast to the village behind.

4 Hostal R Pedro Hotel € Laguardia 8

(%941 34 11 60; www.hostalpedroprimero. 5 Restaurante Amelibia Spanish €€

es; Calle San Roque 9; s/d €48/59; W) This (%945 62 12 07; www.restauranteamelibia.com;
Barbacana 14; menú del día €17; h1-3.30pm
carefully renovated townhouse, which has Sun-Mon & Wed-Thu, 1-3.30pm & 9-10.30pm Fri &
Sat) This classy restaurant is one of Laguardia’s
terracotta-coloured rooms with wooden roof highlights: stare out the windows at a view over
the scorched plains and mountain ridges while
beams and entirely modern bathrooms, is a dining on sublime traditional Spanish cuisine.

terrific deal.

4 Parador Historic Hotel €€

Santo Domingo

(%941 34 03 00; www.parador.es; Plaza del 4 Posada Mayor

Santo 3; r from €105; pW) The Parador Santo de Migueloa Historic Hotel €€

Domingo is the antithesis of the town’s general

air of piety. Occupying a 12th-century former (%945 600 187; www.mayordemigueloa.com;

hospital, opposite the cathedral, this palatial Calle Mayor 20; s/d incl breakfast €99/105; aW)

hotel offers anything but a frugal medieval-like For the ultimate in gracious La Rioja living, this

existence. The in-house restaurant is reliably old mansion-hotel with its rickety rooms full

good. of polished wood is irresistible. The in-house

4 Parador Santo Domingo restaurant (menus from €24), which is open to
nonguests, is recommended and offers original
Bernado de Fresneda Hotel €€
twists on local cuisine. Under the hotel is a small

(%941 34 11 50; www.parador.es; Plaza de San wine bodega (guided visits for non-guests €5).

Francisco 1; r from €90; pW) Just on the edge 4 Castillo el Collado Historic Hotel €€€

of the old town is the Parador Santo Domingo (%945 62 12 00; www.hotelcollado.com; Paseo
el Collado 1; d €125-185; W) Like a whimsical
Bernado de Fresneda, which occupies a former Disney dream castle, this place, which from the
outside is all sturdy turrets and pretty flower
convent and pilgrim hostel, although quite gardens, is a truly unique place to stay. The
half-dozen rooms are all different but combine
honestly, with its divine beds and rooms that quirky style with luxury living. The open-to-all
restaurant (menus from €25) is also excellent.
gush luxury, you probably wouldn’t describe it

as a ‘hostel’ anymore.

435

NEED TO ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
KNOW
Climate
CURRENCY
# GSaOnMtiaayg–oSdeepCompostela
Euro (€) BGaOrcyeealorn-raound

LANGUAGE #

Spanish (Castilian). Also Madrid
Catalan, Basque and GO Mar–May, Sep & Oct
Galician.
#
VISAS
Valencia
Generally not required for # GO year-round
stays of up to 90 days (not
at all for members of EU Seville
or Schengen countries). # GO Oct–Apr
Some nationalities need a
Schengen visa. Dry climate
Warm to hot summers, cold winters
FUEL Mild to hot summers, cold winters
Cold climate
Petrol stations (usually
open 24 hours) can be When to Go
found along major highways. High Season (Jun–Aug, public holidays)
Expect to pay €1.35 to €1.80 »»Accommodation books out and prices increase by up to 50%.
per litre. »»Low season in parts of inland Spain.
»»Expect warm, dry and sunny weather; more humid in coastal
RENTAL CARS
areas.
Auto Jardim (www.
autojardim.com) Shoulder (Mar–May, Sep & Oct)
»»A good time to travel: mild, clear weather and fewer crowds.
Hertz (www.hertz.com) »»Local festivals can send prices soaring.
Low Season (Nov–Feb)
Holiday Autos (www. »»Cold in central Spain; rain in the north and northwest.
holidayautos.com) »»Mild temperatures in Andalucía and the Mediterranean coast.
»»This is high season in ski resorts.
Pepecar (www.pepecar.com) »»Many hotels are closed in beach areas but elsewhere prices

IMPORTANT NUMBERS plummet.

Europe-wide emergencies
(%112)

International access code
(%00)
Country code (%34)

436

Daily Costs Price categories indicate the El Prat Airport
Budget: Less than €80 cost of a main course: (Barcelona)
»»Dorm bed: €20–30
»»Double room in hostal (budget € less than €10 Rental cars Major car-rental
€€ €10–20 agencies have concessions at
hotel): €55–65 (more in Madrid €€€ more than arrival terminals.
and Barcelona) Buses Cost €5.90 and run
€20 every five to 10 minutes from
»»Self-catering and lunch menú 6.10am to 1.05am; it’s 30 to 40
Sleeping minutes to the centre.
del día (daily set menu): €10–15 Trains Cost €4.10 and run
Casas Rurales Comfy village every 30 minutes from 5.42amto
»»Use museum and gallery ‘free houses or farmhouses for hire in 11.38pm; it takes 25 to 30
the countryside. minutes to reach the centre.
admission’ afternoons Taxis Cost €25 to €30 and
Hostales Simple guesthouses reach the centre in 30 minutes.
Midrange: €80-175 that have ensuite rooms.
»»Double room in midrange Mobile Phones (Cell
Paradores State funded Phones)
hotel: €65–140 lodging often in castles, ex-
monasteries or old mansions. Local SIM cards are widely
»»Lunch and/or dinner in local available and can be used in
Pensión Inexpensive, extremely European and Australian mobile
restaurant: €20–40 basic guesthouses,often with phones, but are not compatible
shared bathrooms. with many North American or
»»Car rental: per day from €25 Japanese systems.
Price categories indicate the
Top End: More than €175 cost of a double room with Internet Access
»»Double room in top-end hotel: private bathroom in high season:
Wi-fi is available in most lodgings
€140 and up (€200 in Madrid, € BARCELONA ELSEWHERE and cafes (and is usually free).
Barcelona and the Balearics) €€ Internet cafes are rare.
€€€ & MADRID less than
»»Fine dining for lunch and €65 Money
less than €65–140
dinner: €150–250 €75 The most convenient way to
more bring your money is in the form
»»Double room in parador €75– than of a debit or credit card, with
200 €140 some extra cash in case of an
(luxurious state-owned hotel): emergency.
€120–200 more Many credit and debit cards can
than be used for withdrawing money
Eating €200 from cajeros automáticos
(ATMs) that display the
Tapas Bar Tapas and Arriving in Spain relevant symbols such as Visa,
drinks;open longer hours than Barajas Airport (Madrid) MasterCard, Cirrus etc. There is
restaurants. usually a charge (around 1.5%
Taberna Rustic place serving Rental cars Major car-rental to 2%) on ATM cash withdrawals
tapas and raciones (large tapas). agencies have desks in the abroad.
Panadería Bakery; good for airport at arrival terminals.
pastries and coffee. 437
Vinoteca Wine bar where you Metro & buses Cost around
order by the glass. €5 and run every five to 10
Cervecería Beerhall; the place minutes from 6.05am to 1.30am;
to go for snacks and draft beer 30 to 40 minutes to the centre.
(cerveza).
Marisqueira Eatery Taxis Cost €30 and reach the
specialising in seafood. centre in 20 minutes.

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Language

The pronunciation of most Spanish sounds is very similar to that of their English counter-
parts. If you read our coloured pronunciation guides as if they were English, you’ll be under-
stood. Note that kh is a throaty sound (like the ‘ch’ in the Scottish loch), r is strongly rolled, ly
is pronounced as the ‘lli’ in ‘million’ and ny as the ‘ni’ in ‘onion’. You may also notice that the
‘lisped’ th sound is pronounced as s in Andalucia. In our pronunciation guides stressed syl-
lables are indicated with italics.

SPANISH BASICS Can you please write it down?
¿Puede escribirlo, pwe·de es·kree·beer·lo
por favor? por fa·vor
Hello. Hola. o·la

Goodbye. Adiós. a·dyos Can you show me (on the map)?
¿Me lo puede indicar me lo pwe·de een·dee·kar
How are you? ¿Qué tal? ke tal (en el mapa)? (en el ma·pa)

Fine, thanks. Bien, gracias. byen gra·syas

Excuse me. Perdón. per·don

Sorry. Lo siento. lo syen·to EMERGENCIES

Yes. Sí. see Help! ¡Socorro! so·ko·ro

No. No. no I’m lost. es·toy per·dee·do/a (m/f)
Estoy perdido/a.
Please. Por favor. por fa·vor

Thank you. Gracias. gra·syas ON THE ROAD

You’re De nada. de na·da I’d like to Quisiera kee·sye·ra
welcome. hire a … alquilar … al·kee·lar …

My name is … me lya·mo … 4WD un todo- oon to·do·
Me llamo … terreno te·re·no

What’s your name? bicycle una oo·na
¿Cómo se llama Usted? ko·mo se lya·ma oo·ste (pol) bicicleta bee·see·kle·ta
¿Cómo te llamas? ko·mo te lya·mas (inf)

Do you speak English? car un coche oon ko·che
¿Habla inglés? a·bla een·gles (pol)
¿Hablas inglés? a·blas een·gles (inf) motorcycle una moto oo·na mo·to

I don’t understand. no en·tyen·do
No entiendo.
Want More?
DIRECTIONS
For in-depth language information
Where’s …? don·de es·ta … and handy phrases, check out Lonely
¿Dónde está …? Planet’s Spanish Phrasebook. You’ll
find them at shop.lonelyplanet.com.
What’s the address?
¿Cuál es la dirección? kwal es la dee·rek·syon

438

windscreen petrol
parabrisas m gasolina f
pa·ra·bree·sas ga·so·lee·na

battery
batería f
ba·ta·ree·a
engine
motor m
mo·tor

headlight tyre
faro m rueda f
fa·ro rwe·da

child seat asiento de a·syen·to de I had an accident. e te·nee·do oon
seguridad se·goo·ree·da He tenido un ak·thee·den·te
para niños pa·ra nee·nyos accidente.
ga·so·le·o
diesel gasóleo kas·ko I need a mechanic.
me·ka·nee·ko
helmet casco ga·so·lee·na Necesito un/una ne·the·see·to oon/oo·na
ga·so·lee·ne·ra mecánico/a. m/f me·ka·nee·ko/a
mechanic mecánico
Are there cycling paths?
petrol gasolina ¿Hay carril bicicleta? ai ka·reel bee·thee·kle·ta

service station gasolinera Is there bicycle parking?

¿Hay aparcamiento ai a·par·ka·myen·to
de bicicletas? de bee·thee·kle·tas
How much is it per day/hour?
¿Cuánto cuesta por kwan·to kwes·ta por
día/hora? dee·a/o·ra

Is this the road to …?
¿Se va a … por esta se va a … por es·ta
carretera? ka·re·te·ra Signs

(How long) Can I park here? Stop Stop
¿(Por cuánto tiempo) (por kwan·to tyem·po)
Puedo aparcar aquí? pwe·do a·par·kar a·kee Ceda el Paso Give Way

The car has broken down (at …). Prohibido No Entry
El coche se ha averiado el ko·che se a a·ve·rya·do
(en …). (en …) Acceso Entrance

I have a flat tyre. Peaje Toll
Tengo un pinchazo. ten·go oon peen·cha·tho
Dirección Única One Way
I’ve run out of petrol.
Me he quedado sin me e ke·da·do seen Vía Acceso Freeway Exit

gasolina. ga·so·lee·na Aparcamiento ParkingA

Where’s a petrol station? Prohibido Aparcar No Parking
¿Dónde hay una don·de ai oo·na
gasolinera? ga·so·lee·ne·ra

439

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

STRETCH Plaza Mayor
YOUR LEGS
MADRID So many Madrid stories begin in
Madrid’s grand central square. Since
Start/Finish: Plaza Mayor it was laid out in 1619, the Plaza Mayor
Distance: 3.8km has seen everything from bullfights to
Duration: Two to three hours the trials of the Spanish Inquisition.
These days the grandeur of the plaza
Madrid’s compact and historic owes much to the warm colours of the
centre is ideal for exploring on uniformly ochre apartments, with 237
foot. So much of Madrid life occurs wrought-iron balconies offset by the ex-
on the streets and in its glorious quisite frescoes of the 17th-century Real
plazas, and it all takes place Casa de la Panadería (Royal Bakery).
against a spectacular backdrop of
architecture, stately and grand. The Walk » Walk down Calle de Postas off the

Take this walk on Trip plaza’s northeastern corner, cross the endlessly
busy Plaza de la Puerta del Sol, then continue east
u along Carrera de San Jerónimo. At elegant Plaza
de Canalejas, turn right.

Plaza de Santa Ana

There are few more iconic Madrid
squares than Plaza de Santa Ana, a
local favourite since Joseph Bonaparte
carved it out of this crowded inner-city
neighbourhood in 1810. Surrounded by
classic Madrid architecture of pastel
shades and wrought-iron balconies, the
plaza presides over the Barrio de las Le-
tras and the outdoor tables are among
the most sought-after in the city.

The Walk » Walking west, cross Plaza del Ángel,

walk along Calle de la Bolsa, cross Calle de Toledo
and make for Calle de la Cava Baja, a glorious,
medieval street lined with tapas bars. Keep Iglesia
de San Andrés on your right, and stroll down the
hill to Plaza de la Paja.

Plaza de la Paja

Delightful Plaza de la Paja (Straw Sq)
slopes down into the tangle of lanes that
once made up Madrid’s Muslim quarter.
In the 12th and 13th centuries the city’s
main market occupied the square and
it retains a palpable medieval air, and
at times can feel like a Castilian village
square. Delic (%91 364 54 50; www.delic.es;
Costanilla de San Andrés 14; h11am-2am Sun &
Tue-Thu, 11am-2.30am Fri & Sat; mLa Latina),
with tables on the square, is brilliant for
a mojito, while the Jardín del Príncipe
Anglona (Plaza de la Paja; h10am-10pm
Apr-Oct, 10am-6.30pm Nov-Mar; mLa Latina),

440

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LA LATINA C de Ruda Plaza de e# C Tres Pec es
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EL RASTRO 0 0.1 miles
0

a walled 18th-century garden, is a cient monarchs. Local legend holds that
peaceful oasis in the heart of this most these royals get down off their pedestals
clamorous of cities. at night to stretch their legs.

The Walk » Take any lanes heading west The Walk » Return south along Calle de Bailén,

through La Morería, the old Muslim quarter, to then turn left (east) up Calle Mayor. After passing
Calle de Bailén. Turn right, cross the Viaduct (with the intimate Plaza de la Villa on your right,
fine views on either side), pass the cathedral and Mercado de San Miguel appears, also on your right
continue on to Plaza de Oriente. as you climb the hill.

Plaza de Oriente Mercado de San Miguel

Cinematic in scope, Plaza de Oriente is One of Madrid’s oldest and most beauti-
grand and graceful. It’s watched over by ful markets, the Mercado de San Miguel
the Palacio Real (%91 454 88 00; www.patri- (www.mercadodesanmiguel.es; Plaza de San
monionacional.es; Calle de Bailén; adult/conces- Miguel; tapas from €1; h10am-midnight Sun-
Wed, 10am-2am Thu-Sat; mSol) is now one
sion €11/6, guide/audioguide €4/4, EU citizens free of the city’s most exciting gastronomic
spaces. Within the early-20th-century
last two hours Mon-Thu; h10am-8pm Apr-Sep, glass walls, all manner of stalls serve up
10am-6pm Oct-Mar; mÓpera) and the Teatro tapas, from fishy pintxos (Basque tapas)
Real (%91 516 06 96; www.teatro-real.com; Plaza atop mini toasts to jamón (cured ham)
de Oriente; 50min guided tour adult/child under 7yr or other cured meats from Salamanca,
€8/free; h10.30am-1pm; mÓpera) – Madrid’s cheeses, pickled goodies and fine wines.
opera house – by sophisticated cafes,
and apartments that cost the equivalent The Walk » To get back to where you started,
of a royal salary. At the centre of the
plaza is an equestrian statue of Felipe IV leave the market, walk down Calle de la Cava de
designed by Velázquez, and nearby are San Miguel, turn left and climb the stairs through
some 20 marble statues, mostly of an- the Arco de los Cuchilleros to the Plaza Mayor.

441

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

STRETCH Parc de la Ciutadella
YOUR LEGS
BARCELONA The handsomely landscaped Parc de
la Ciutadella is a local favourite for
Start: Parc de la Ciutadella a leisurely promenade. Start in the
Finish: Casa Batlló northeast corner, and descend past the
Distance: 3.5km monumental Cascada (waterfall), then
Duration: Three hours stroll south across the park, passing
a small lake and Catalonia’s regional
Packed with historic treasures parliament.
and jaw-dropping architecture,
Barcelona is a wanderer’s delight. The Walk » With your back to the park, cross
This stroll takes you through
atmospheric medieval lanes and Passeig de Picasso and walk along restaurant-
along elegant boulevards, leading lined Passeig del Born. According to legend,
you past Gothic cathedrals, lively jousting matches were once held here.
tapas bars and picturesque plazas.
Basílica de
Take this walk on Trips Santa Maria del Mar

r Nothing prepares you for the singular
beauty of Basílica de Santa Maria del
442 Mar (%93 310 23 90; Plaça de Santa Maria
del Mar; h9am-1.30pm & 4.30-8.30pm, from
10.30am Sun; mJaume I). Barcelona’s most
stirring Gothic structure, the 14th-
century church was built in just 59
years. In contrast to the tight warren
of neighbouring streets, a real sense
of light and space pervades the entire
sanctuary of the church.

The Walk » Leave via the main entrance and

follow Carrer de l’Argenteria up to busy Via
Laietana. Turn left onto Baixada de la Llibreteria,
then right onto Carrer de la Freneria. After a few
blocks, you’ll see the massive cathedral on your
left.

La Catedral

For centuries the spiritual heart of
Barcelona, La Catedral (%93 342 82 62;
www.catedralbcn.org; Plaça de la Seu; admission
free, special visit €6, choir admission €2.80;
h8am-12.45pm & 5.15-7.30pm Mon-Sat, special
visit 1-5pm Mon-Sat, 2-5pm Sun & holidays;
mJaume I) is at once lavish and sombre,
anchoring the city in its past. Begun in
the late 13th century and not completed
until six centuries later, the cathedral
is Barcelona’s history rendered in stone.

The Walk » Turn left out of the main entrance

and left again down Carrer del Bispe. Just before
reaching Plaça Sant Jaume, turn right onto Carrer
del Call. Follow this narrow lane a few blocks, then
turn left onto Carrer d’en Quintana. After two
blocks, you’ll reach the plaza.

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w
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w
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4Plaça Reial
The Walk » Get back on La Rambla and
One of the most photogenic squares in continue north. You’ll soon reach the spacious
Barcelona, the Plaça Reial is not to be Plaça de Catalunya. Walk diagonally across thisw
missed. Numerous eateries, bars and plaza, and turn left onto the grand boutique-lined
nightspots lie beneath the arcades of Passeig de Gràcia, and walk up four blocks to the
19th-century neoclassical buildings, with architectural treasures looming just past Carrer
a buzz of activity at all hours. The lamp del Consell de Cent.

posts by the central fountain are Antoni Casa Batlló
Gaudí’s first known works in the city.
Even Gaudí outdid himself with this
fantastical apartment block (%93
The Walk » Exit the square onto famous 216 03 06; www.casabatllo.es; Passeig de

La Rambla, a bustling boulevard with a wide Gràcia 43; adult/concessions/child under
pedestrian-filled strip in the middle. Walk north a
few blocks until you see the large cast-iron market 7yr €21.50/€18.50/free; h9am-9pm daily;
off to your left.
mPasseig de Gràcia): an astonishing con-
fection of rippling balconies, optical
Mercat de la Boqueria illusions and twisted chimney pots
along Barcelona’s grandest boulevard.
This temple of temptation is one of The facade, sprinkled with bits of blue,
Europe’s greatest permanent produce mauve and green tiles and studded
fairs (%93 318 25 84; www.boqueria.info; La with wave-shaped window frames and
Rambla 91; h8am-8.30pm Mon-Sat, closed balconies, rises to an uneven blue-tiled
roof with a solitary tower.
Sun; mLiceu). Step inside for a seemingly
endless bounty of glistening fruits and The Walk » Since it’s a long walk back to the
vegetables, smoked meats, pungent
cheeses and chocolate truffles. In the start, hop on the metro and head to Arc de Trionf
back, a handful of popular tapas bars station, a short stroll from Parc de la Ciutadella.
serve up delectable morsels.

443



Portugal

PORTUGAL’S MIX OF THE MEDIEVAL AND
THE MARITIME makes it a superb place to
visit. A turbulent history involving the Moors,
Spain and Napoleon has left the interior
scattered with walled medieval towns topped
by castles, while the pounding Atlantic has
sculpted a coast of glorious sand beaches.

The nation’s days of exploration and seafaring
have created an introspective yet open culture
with wide-ranging artistic influences. The
eating and drinking scene here is a highlight,
with several wine regions, and restaurants that
are redolent with aromas of grilling pork or the
freshest of fish.

Comparatively short distances mean that
you get full value for road trips here: less time
behind the wheel means you can take more
time to absorb the atmosphere.

Douro Valley Vineyards along the Douro River

SIMON DANNHAUER/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

San
Cosme
A Coruña Avilés Gijón
#\
#^ ]# ]#
: #\

Portugal Santiago de Ovied:o ^# Villaviciosa
C:ompo#^stela
#^ San Parque Nacional
\# Antolín de los Picos
Lugo : de Europa
Monforte\#:Sarria de Ibias

de Lemos : León
Pontevedra #^ #\ Ponfe:rrada:\# : : ]# : : :

Vigo ]# ^# : Astorga#\ Sahag:ún

Río Miño Ourense :: : : \# : :

N:aPta:urrqaulede : :
Montesinho
Viana do :: Pal:encia:
Castelo ^# #\
#\ : #]

Braga Benavente: ::
:: Valladolid:

#^ Chaves Miranda do
Douro
Vila Nova de Famalic\#\#ão #\ Vila Real \# Za:m]#:or:aT:ord:es:il\#la:s ^# :
Porto #^ :
#^ #\ Vila Nova
de Foz Côa
GF32 #\ :::::

São João \# Peso
de Madeira
da Regua ]# Salamanca

Aveiro #^ ^#Viseu Guarda

ATOLCAENATNIC Gouveia ]# ^# #\ Ciudad Ávila \#
Parque Rodrigo
Natural da
Coimbra #^ Serra da Estrela \#

Fundão #\ Bejar

Pombal \# PORTUGAL Plasencia Nav:almoral
\# :
^# Castelo d:\#e la Mata
Leiria #^ #\ Fátima Branco
SPAIN :
Caldas da Rainha

Peniche \# #\ #\ Abrantes Cáceres #] #\ Trujillo #\
Santarem
#^ Portalegre ^# La Nava de
Torres Vedras #\ Ricomalillo

:

LISBON Estremoz Elvas : Mé:rida : Don :
#\
Cascais \# #_ #\ Montijo #\ #] #^ #\ Benito
Barreiro #\ Badaj:oz : :
:::: Almadén
Setúbal ^# #^ Evora \#

#\

Alcácer #\ \# Zafra Peñarroya-
do Sal Pueblonuevo

Sines #\ Vila NovaBeja ^# #\ \#

Moura \# Monesterio

#\de Milfontes Parque Natural Córdoba
Sierra Norte
de Sevilla ^#

GF33 Bollullos Montilla

Par del Seville Écija #\ #\
#\
Silves Huelva Condado ^#:
\# Osuna
^# #\ \# \#

\# #\ #\ : : Arahal
El Rocío #\ :
Sagres #\ Lagos #^: Tavira

Albufeira F:aro Parque N:atural: Arcos de la \#
de Doñana Frontera
Antequera
Chipiona \#
#]

Cádiz #^ Parque Málaga ^#
Natural del
#\
Estrecho
Marbella

Barbate \# #^ Gibraltar
Tarifa\#
e# 0 200 km
0 100 miles Tangier \#

MOROCCO

PAWEL KAZMIERCZAK/SHUTTERSTOCK © DON'T
MISS

Surfing

Portugal is one of
Europe’s surfing
hotspots: despite the
Mediterranean vibe,
this is the Atlantic, and
those are serious waves

on Trip x

Carrapateira Praia do Amado Wine Tasting

Often undererrated,
Portugal’s wines are
among the region’s
great pleasures. Visit
wineries and taste wines

wand ports on Trip

w Douro Valley Vineyard Trails 5–7 Days Hiking
Heartbreakingly beautiful river valley laced
with vines producing sensational ports and reds. Jump out of the car for
(p449) some picturesque hill

x Alentejo & Algarve Beaches 4–6 Days walking on Trips wx
Some of the world’s great beaches and towns with
Moorish heritage. (p459)

447

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

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