Avila: Hotels and accommodations

The Valle de Iruelas Nature Reserve is a protected natural area and has been included as a nature reserve in the network of protected natural areas of Castile and León. It protects the habitats of the cinereous vulture and the Spanish imperial eagle. At the same time, the Valle de Iruelas is classified both as a Special Protection Area for Birds (ZEPA) and as a Site of Community Importance within the Natura 2000 network.

You are planning to book a hotel in Ávila and would like to get an overview of the nature, culture and trails in advance.

Nature

The Valle de Iruelas features a mountain landscape extending from the Embalse del Burguillo at an altitude of 730 metres to Cerro de La Escusa at 1,950 metres. The hiking options in the province of Ávila also include a variety of routes: the province offers easy trails suitable for children and accessible to people with reduced mobility, as well as challenging mountain trails. Hiking is considered one of the most important natural and tourist attractions in the province of Ávila. This also includes the ascent to Laguna Grande de Gredos.

Culture

Ávila was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 and is considered a medieval city where Jews, Mudéjars and Christians lived together. The Catedral de San Salvador features medieval architecture and may have been the first Gothic cathedral in Castile. It is considered a fortress cathedral because its apse forms the strongest tower of the city walls.

The Real Monasterio de Santo Tomás is a Gothic monastery complex founded in 1480. The complex mainly consists of a single-nave church with a Latin cross floor plan and three cloisters: the Cloister of Silence, the Novitiate Cloister and the Royal Cloister. The Museo Oriental in the Real Monasterio de Santo Tomás has eleven rooms containing works from Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines and China.

Access to the parapet walk of the Murallas de Ávila is possible via the Casa de las Carnicerías, the Puerta del Alcázar or the Puente Adaja. A fully accessible section of the Murallas de Ávila can also be reached via the Puerta del Puente. The Centro de Recepción de Visitantes lends wheelchairs for city visits for a maximum of one day.

History

The historic interpretation centre of the Valle del Tiétar is now located in the Castillo de La Adrada. The castle was rebuilt after falling into disrepair in the 19th century. The Castillo de los Duques de Alburquerque consists of two square structures with semicircular towers at the corners and preserves remnants of columns, walls and staircases inside.

The Museo López Berrón de Arte y Etnografía includes a visit to a restored old farmhouse with a ground floor, courtyard and agricultural equipment. Everyday objects and tools used by previous generations are on display there.

Trails and landscape

The province of Ávila includes a more mountainous area in the centre and north, as well as a milder southern region where the Valle del Tiétar is located. The Ruta de los Castillos from La Adrada to Mombeltrán can be completed in one day.

The Camino de Santiago in La Moraña begins in Ávila and can be travelled by car in one day; a weekend break is recommended for walking the route. The Ruta Teresiana de los Caminos y Posadas passes through municipalities in Alto Tiétar and the Alberche-Pinares comarca and connects them with the Camino de Santiago de Levante. The GR180 through the Valle del Tiétar follows traditional paths with preserved bridges, walls and paved sections.

Cuisine

Traditional cuisine in the province of Ávila includes Judías del Barco, Carne de Ávila and Yemas de Ávila. Many wineries in the Vino de Cebreros area offer tours as well as wine tourism and gastronomy experiences.

Other destinations: Umbrías, Soria, Salamanca, León, Burgos, Segovia.

To the higher-level travel overview: Castile and León.