Autonomous Community Castile La Mancha: Toledo spring trip

Puente de Alcántara

 

I had visited Toledo over ten years ago (time flies!) and returned with my brother, this time playing the role of guide for a noob in Spain, oh how the turn tables turn.

We took the Ave high speed train from Madrid which made the trip a speedy 45 minutes. The train station in Toledo is an attraction in itself and a short walk into the heart of the city via the Puente de Alcántara. 

One of the first things I realized is how much the temperature affects the experience, especially given the hilly nature of the city. Although the city is small, part of the charm is aimlessly wandering through the labyrinth of streets. However, this can lead to some tired legs and sweaty backs if the temperature is too high. Adding to this challenge is that the historical center is so dense that it has basically no green space or parks and thus it's difficult to find a shady spot to relax. Of course most people do not come to Toledo for the parks and it is possible to minimize the walking by being dropped in the city center and then having a guide lead you to the most efficient circuit. 

The Alacazar was unfortunately closed that day but an unexpected highlight of mine was the Museo de Santa Cruz. It's an unassuming building with a unique collection of small pieces of art. The building itself is peaceful and cool and the two floors have simple though impressive art pieces. 

There is a wrist band/pass that visitors can purchase that allows access to a bunch of different popular sites. At the time of writing it was 12 euros and is a good value as most of the sites are 3-4 euros for single entry. 

I did enjoy the trip to Toledo though for most people it for sure be done in a day trip from Madrid. The Ave is super fast but even a bus is only two hours from Madrid so one wouldn't be crazy to check it out. 

It was really interesting for me because I remember being enamored by the charming city when I first visited but now having visited many other similar cities in Spain I still appreciated it but felt it was a little too touristy and crowded. Cities like Morella and Segovia have a similar feel with a kind of gran via that runs through the heart of the town but I liked their feel a little more than Toledo. I totally understand why people come to visit and would absolutely recommend it for people that might only have a day trip out of Madrid. It's also a relatively easy place to get by if your Spanish is poor with far more international tourists than the aforementioned cities that I mentioned.

Castillo de San Pedro

Rio Duratón

Castillo de San Pedro is located above the quaint village of San Miguel de Bernuy. The castle itself is nothing spectacular and the information placard was sunburned to the point it was illegible. However, the views over the river Rio Duratón were beautiful from all directions. There is a nice view from the castle looking over the town but if you take a short walk in the opposite direction you'll be greeted with an impressive canyon. We were treated with a large group of Griffon Vultures that were nesting on the cliffs and soaring by. 

The castle is completely unmarked from the road but the road is clearly marked from satellite images. 

The actual castle.

Castillo de Torregalindo

Remaining tower

Torregalindo hosts a small castlilo that is easily accessible with a beautiful panorama of wine country. The castle is in almost complete disrepair and the area was full of grass and wildflowers when we went up there. It was a little difficult to walk around but it added to the excitement of exploring an ancient ruin. There was one small information placard that we read and a short path leading up the main castle, a decent sized remnant of a wall, and then the remnant of what I presume was a torre.

It was a nice albeit short walk around the premises and we likely would have explored more at the base if there were open footpaths. A small highlight was the presence of nesting Red-billed Choughs which kept squawking at us and flying off their perch gliding gently on the updraft of the wind hitting the castle walls. They tend to have a buoyant and acrobatic flight and it appeared as if they were showing off riding the wind.

The castle was very close to the main road and a worthy stop if you're interested in the less renovated type of castles.

Castillo de Haza

 

Castle tower and remaining wall

 

The Castillo de Haza packs a lot of information and experience into a small tower. Like most castles in the region the surrounding landscape is beautiful and the strategic location of the castle provides a 360 panorama. It is visible from the main road and easily accessible though to actually enter the castle you need to follow the steps below and you will be provided a keycode to open the door. 

Once inside the automatic lights help to illuminate the first floor which provides some contextual information. There is an extremely well done movie that can be played giving a short history of the area. You can then climb to the viewing platform that gives fantastic views. 

There is not a ton to do in and around the castle but it's certainly worth the stop. It can be a quick visit with a rewarding view and the historical information that it provides is relevant to other castles in the area, some of which may only have a single placard with sparse information. 

Accessing the castle is free but not necessarily straightforward. Use this QR code (located at the entrance of the castle) to receive a code to open the castle door.

Staircases were well preserved

Torre de Hoyales de Roa

 

Visible from the main road BU-121, the Torre de Hoyales de Roa is absolutely worth stopping off to visit. Although it may first appear to be only a singular wall with a few remnants of adjoining wall, the wall retains the outline of windows on three stories and an informative placard sketches out the different floors and uses of the tower. It's about as interesting and informative as a one four story wall could be and the surrounding landscape is quintessential Castilla ya Leon with rolling hills, vineyards, and fields of wheat.

Castillo de Peñafiel

 

View out towards the town

View from the other side

The Peñafiel Castle is located in the charming town of Peñafiel and it takes an interesting approach to castle tourism by combining the castle with a wine tour and tasting. The castle itself is massive and shaped like a boat and a large part of it has been turned into a wine museum. 

It was mandatory to take a guided tour and for a few euros more you could add on a wine tasting.  The tours are at irregular times only being conducted when a sufficient number of tourists have gathered. We ended up waiting about a half hour but it turned out to be a perfect amount of time for us to check out the wine museum. It had a ton of interesting information which would likely be even more interesting if my Spanish was better. The coolest feature however, did not require any fluency in the language. There was a "smell" area with neat little contraptions that held concentrates with various odors. There were covers on the explanation placards so you could challenge yourself if you wanted. 

I am normally not a huge fan of guided tours, especially for a castle, but the tour guide was very knowledgeable and provided concise and interesting explanations. There were about 30 people in our group but it didn't feel crowded although some of the ascents through narrow stairways resulted in a queue. The castle is in great shape, mainly due to never have been attacked, and there has been significant investment in the restoration that results in noticeable shine to the place. It was a different kind of castle experience and I'm always happy to see new approaches to castle tourism. Pairing the castle with a wine museum in the heart of wine country is a good idea and I hope it catches on.

Smell stations. Twisting the handles results in air being fanned upward.

Silla de Felipe II

A view from the steps

A short hike from Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is the Silla de Felipe II.Is the "Silla de Felipe II", a vantage point with huge granite boulders with steps carved out. The most common belief is that Philip II used it as a view point to check up on construction of his huge palace but it was later suggested by academics that it was a pre-Roman site used for animal sacrifice and the like.

Luckily today it is used only for picnic spots and scenic views. There are a few walking paths that lead up to the site and this time of year there are a variety of wildflowers. Ample picnic tables dot the trail and I can imagine that it's a wonderful spot for everyone, from families to solo folks walking their dog. One can even take their vehicle directly up to the top and there is a small bar (closed when we were there) though it has bathroom facilities that appeared to be open. 

I will add this place to a list of day trips around Madrid. Beautiful views and a scenic site to enjoy a bocata, what more does one need?

A relatively lush backdrop this time of year

Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial

The monastery

The Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial (Monasterio y Sitio de El Escorial en Madrid), or more colloquially known as simply, "El Escorial", is a historical residence of the King of Spin located in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial about 45 kilometres (28 mi) northwest of the Spanish capital Madrid. It was constructed between 1563 and 1584 by order of King Philip II and is the largest Renaissance building in the world. As it's a gigantic building no longer exclusively used for the royals, it now functions as a monastery, basilica, royal palace, pantheon, library, museum, university, school, and hospital. You might think that sounds like a lot but it's truly an impressive and massive building. 

I did not actually go inside for the formal tour but I highly recommend checking out the rear of the building from the outside. You enter into an unassuming doorway into a small open air room but there is a path that leads to the backgardens. There is a stunning rose wall and views over the pool and gardens. The building itself is not my architectural cup of tea but the sheer size of it is a little breathtaking and imposing, something which I did not initially expect.

Rear vista

Impressive rose wall

Intricate gardens with mountains in the back