Vuelta Espana dictated the itinerary of our visit to Spain and so we ended up in small Valsain near Segovia. We couldn’t help but take the opportunity to visit such a beautiful place as Segovia and its surroundings. We got to see some charming towns in the Castile and Leon region, so if you’re looking for inspiration, read on!
Segovia – Castile and Leon
Segovia is a beautiful medieval city with a towering cathedral above it and the imposing Alcazar castle, the entire old town is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. We recommend starting your tour from the Roman Aqueduct, which is located at the “entrance” to the old town. Then, along the streets, it is worth wandering to the main square, i.e. Plaza Mayor, dominated by the Gothic-style cathedral. If you turn left from the cathedral, you will find yourself in the Jewish Quarter. We also liked the Plaza Medina del Campo, from which you can shoot great photos.
The Alcazar de Segovia is a castle on the headland of the old town, a castle that looks like something out of a Disney fairy tale. A slim silhouette with small windows and soaring tower make the wow effect. In our opinion, the castle is best admired from a distance, and we managed to find a brilliant viewpoint to the west (and east), called Mirador del Alcázar y los dos Valles.
Segovia is famous for a dish called cochinillo, a piglet roasted whole on the grill. We were tempted by the El Bernardino restaurant and managed to get a table outside and the view is quite nice there. Both the cochinillo and the cordero lechal (roast lamb) were really delicious and we highly recommend going there for dinner!
Valsain – Castile and Leon
Valsain itself is not a stunning town, but a good base to explore Segovia and the surrounding area, as well as the many mountain trails that are in the area. There is really a lot to walk in in Valsain! There are longer and shorter routes, leading through the forest and more exposed. The only serious problem is the bulls on the route, through which Aneta had to change direction and modify the route several times. If you want to relax by the water, go to the Mirador Embalse de Valsaín river, where there is a small dam and you can bathe. Valsain is a great place to relax and disconnect yourself from excess stimuli.
La Granja de San Ildefonso – Castile and Leon
The town and palace of the same name are walkable from Valsain and there are no bulls on the way! The town of La Granja itself is a local, quiet place (until the crowds of tourists arrive), where on Sunday the locals storm the pubs and go out to family dinners. The La Granja Palace itself does not have an impressive interior or an overwhelming collection of art, but it has beautiful and really huge gardens! In these gardens, you can probably spend hours admiring the plants and fountains. Entry to the palace is 9 euros, but there are days when you can enter for free, you can read more here.
Embalse del Pontón Alto artificial lake – Castile and Leon
A bit from La Granja there is the artificial lake Embalse del Ponton Alto around which there is a walking route with beautiful views. On the way, you can see grazing horses that add a romantic touch to the landscape! We recommend it if you like walking.
Castillo de Coca – Castile and Leon
The town of Coca itself, known in antiquity as Cauca, is a rather lazy and peaceful place where we can sit with locals in a local bar and enjoy our morning coffee (or something stronger than many natives). The town under its ancient name Cauca has even appeared in the comics Asterix and Obelix! So why is it worth going there? Mainly due to the well-preserved Castillo de Coca castle, which was built in the 15th century. The castle is one of the best examples of the use of Mudejar brick (Mudejar were called Muslims who chose to stay in the Iberian Peninsula despite the Christian re-conquest), the castle combines Moorish design and construction with Gothic architecture.
Cuellar – Castile and Leon
Cuellar is the largest town, apart from Segovia, among those we have visited. While climbing the castle hill, we stopped at the traditional Bollería Helio patisserie to try their pastries and we highly recommend you visit this place! There are several other places of interest on the hill outside the castle, including the church de San Martin, as well as the remains of the Jewish Quarter.
The castle itself is well-preserved, and its construction began in the 11th century. The castle belonged to the Dukes of Alburquerque, who moved from there to Madrid to be closer to the manor house and used the castle for recreation. In 1938, a political prison was established in the castle, and later a sanatorium for prisoners suffering from tuberculosis. It served as a prison until 1966. In 1972, the Faculty of Fine Arts carried out an intensive renovation and transformed it into the seat of the Vocational School, which is still operating today.
Turegano – Castile and Leon
Turegano is a small town with a castle towering over it. We were most charmed by Plaza de España (Spanish Square) where a bull-related event likely took place a few days prior to our visit, as the locals were cleaning up the area.
Sepulveda – Castile and Leon
Sepulveda is a very picturesque town nestled between two hills. The view of Sepulveda impressed us the most. Some of the buildings in the Spanish Square reminded us a bit of Montepulciano in Italy. Sepulveda is a peaceful and sleepy town where we practically had the streets to ourselves. It’s worth climbing up to the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Peña for the views. And if you get hungry, be sure to stop for tapas at Bar La Queda. The bartender warned us about the huge portions, but we managed to handle four plates just fine.
Buitrago del Lozoya – Castile and Leon
We went there due to the town’s location just above the Lozoya river, the castle towering over it, and its wonderful viewpoint. Although the town is not in Castile and Leon, but in the Madrid area, it was more appropriate for us to mention it here in terms of the order of our tour. Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side, and we were not prepared to go to the viewpoint in the rain, so we settled for a few photos from the river level. However, if you have time and the weather is good, be sure to go up to the viewpoint, as the castle and the town look phenomenal from there!
