Heart of Spain
Historic cities and fairytale castles
The heart of Spain is steeped in a rich history and is home to the vibrant capital city of Madrid. The regions of Castilla La Mancha and Castilla y Leon, surrounding Madrid, and Extremadura in the west, are the historic heart of Spain.
Heart of Central Spain - Overview:
Fascinating medieval cities, castles, palaces and beautiful rolling countryside make the heart of Spain ideal for touring holidays. Down through Castilla runs the ancient Silver Route coming from Gijon on the north coast through Leon, Salamanca and Caceres to Seville. This was the battleground between the Moors and Christians in the Middle Ages and magnificent Gothic cathedrals and hundreds of old fairytale castles are a legacy of this period. We offer an excellent choice of hand picked hotels in the historic cities of Toledo, Segovia, Salamanca, Avila, Cuenca, Burgos and Leon.
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Heart of Spain - Castilla y Leon:
Castilla y Leon is not only the largest region of Spain, but the largest region of all of the European Union. The elevated plains are bordered by the Sistema Iberico mountain ranges to the east, Cordillera Central to the south, Cordillera Cantabrica to the north and by the Duero river towards Portugal.
Castilla y Leon came together in 1983, when the regions of Castilla la Vieja and Leon were united. Both played an integral part in Spanish medieval history, and the area's importance during that period is still evident in many cathedrals, monasteries, castles and fortified towns, many of which are perfectly preserved.
Apart from its great monumental patrimony, Castilla y Leon has miles of natural parks with oak woods and cork forests. Gastronomy features excellent meat, in particular lamb, and vegetables such as the famous creamy beans of Avila.
Heart of Central Spain - Castilla La Mancha:
Castilla la Mancha is located at the very centre of the Iberian peninsula. This region is quite large in size and is located south of Madrid. It occupies what was the southern part of the ancient kingdom of Castille, including the area known as La Mancha, universally famous as the setting for Miguel de Cervantes great novel 'Don Quijote de la Mancha'.
With nearly 80,000 sq.km surrounding the natural area of La Mancha, this region will surprise visitors with its unusual variety of landscapes; from the flat plateau of copper coloured fields and windmill fields to the abrupt beauty of its parks where wild boars, bears and other animal species live in a privileged environment.
The five provinces of Castile la Mancha are: Toledo, Cuenca, Ciudad Real, Albacete and Guadalajara. Of major interest to the visitor are the monumental cities and towns of great historical importance. Interesting sight-seeing routes include the Ruta de los Pueblos Negros (Route of the Black Villages), taking their name from the use of slate in their traditional architecture; the Route of the Saffron Fields, Route of the Castles, and Route of Don Quijote, named after Cervante's legendary Man from La Mancha.
Traditional Castilla La Mancha gastronomy is simple but tasteful, with stews, game, sausages and the famous Manchego cheese. The region's excellent wines are a perfect accompaniment. Although each province has its characteristic dishes and products, some like the famous 'queso manchego' and the 'Valdepenas' wines in Ciudad real, Mentrida, Yepes, Quintanar, Malpca de Tajo (in Toledo) and the wines of 'La Mancha' are of significant importance inside this area.
Heart of Central Spain - Extremadura:
Extremadura is a lovely wild region in the south west of Spain bordering with Portugal further west, with the Sierra Morena and Andalucia to the south and the Sierra de Gata and Gredos to the north. The area is a great attraction for nature lovers. It is an autonomous region divided into two provinces, Caceres and Badajoz, and is as yet largely unknown to the foreign tourist.
Extremadura has lovely varied countryside, from the mountains in the north, the fertile valleys of Jerte and La Vera with beautiful cherry blossom in Spring, and the more arid areas to the south with olive tree plantations, herds of Iberian pigs, sheep and goats roaming everywhere. The area has 5 natural parks with unique flora and fauna, a rich history from the pre-historic Roman, Arabic, Jewish and Medieval eras is reflected in its ancient towns, and many of the explorers and conquerors of the New World such as Pizarro the conquistador of Peru came from this area.
Heart of Central Spain - Madrid:
The capital city since the 17th Century, Madrid was built in the geographical centre of Spain. Founded by the Moors in the 9th Century, Madrid is one of Europe's largest cities. It is a modern, active city offering innumerable attractions to the visitor. The city is home to many beautiful old buildings and squares and magnificent collections of art in its galleries, its parks, museums and tapas bars.
Those in search of retail therapy will not be disappointed, as here you can explore a vast array of shops in Madrid's main shopping area just a short stroll away from Plaza Mayor. This whole area bustles with activity and it is where you will find the largest concentration of Madrid's famous tapas bars and street cafes - an ideal opportunity to sample Spanish and international cuisine after a long day shopping and sight seeing.
In addition to its museums, galleries, international restaurants, bars and vast array of shops, the vibrant capital city of Madrid is also home to the Royal Palace and Retiro Park. These offer the perfect surroundings in which to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy a quiet stroll through the grounds. Madrid is also conveniently situated for day trips to Segovia and Toledo. These cities can be visited independently by regular train services, which take about an hour and a half, or by organised coach excursions.
Heart of Central Spain - Getting there:
There is a good choice of daily scheduled flights to Madrid from London and some provincial airports. Madrid can be linked to other Spanish cities by using Iberia internal flights or the rail network. The high speed AVE train links Madrid with Seville, Barcelona and Valencia in the south east.
Heart of Central Spain - Our holiday accommodation and service:
Travel with secretdestinations.com holidays and enjoy delightful, privileged holiday destinations in the historic heart of Central Spain - including Castilla la Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Extremadura and Madrid. From privately owned houses, charming cottages, villas and apartments to villas with pools, luxury spa hotels and a full range of fabulous Paradores; all hand picked in beautiful rural and historic locations for an authentic taste of unspoiled secret Central Spain.
So, if you're looking for an activity or nature holiday, walking, cycling, trekking or bird watching; a spot of rural tourism soaking up the traditional Spanish culture and heritage with historic sightseeing; exploring fairytale castles, beautiful countryside and fascinating villages, rural towns and historic cities; following the historic pilgrims routes or silver route; sampling hearty rural Spanish fayre or simply enjoying a shopping trip or city break in Madrid, Spain's capital city; call our holiday team today.
Many of our clients enjoy touring holidays through central Spain, to experience the unique areas of Castilla la Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Extremadura and Madrid in one holiday. We are therefore very happy to arrange itineraries for you staying in a selection of different Parador hotels along your chosen route. We can also assist you with flights to Madrid and other areas of central Spain, ferry travel, holiday car hire and travel insurance.
