Two and a half hours northwest of Madrid, Salamanca is the perfect final stop on the way from Spain to Portugal, or a first stop if you’re traveling the other way around. Cold in winter and pleasantly warm in summer, Salamanca is a clean city, famous for its nightlife and even more famous for its university, and is very popular with foreigners for learning Spanish.
The closest airport is in Valladolid, although Madrid airport is not far away.
Visiting Salamanca
The best thing to do is visit Salamcan in the second week of September, as this is when Salamanca celebrates its great festival: the Virgen de la Vega. September is also the month when students return to Salamanca, bringing back the whole purpose of Salamanca. The winter months are very cold, so if you plan to visit from November to February, bring a jacket! All the main sights can be seen in one day, but it is such a pleasant city that it is worth at least two days.
For hotel reservations in Salamanca, see Hotels.com.
First impressions
As you approach the city, the most striking thing is how agricultural the land is. Entering the city by bus, the landscape is very grassy, with the New Cathedral (not that new, by the way, comparatively) appearing atop a grassy mound. It makes sense to head straight to the Cathedral and begin your exploration of the city with a walk to the Plaza Mayor, as these will be your two landmarks for your stay in Salamanca.
Starting from Plaza Anaya, with the New Cathedral behind you (and its carvings of astronauts and ice creams), you have the Civil University on your left (and on the other side, the famous Lucky Frog of Salamanca). When you go up c / Rua Mayor, you will have La Clerecia and the Casa de las Conchas on your left before reaching the Plaza Mayor. A few blocks from the Plaza Mayor, you will find a series of beautiful churches and old buildings.
Three things to do in Salamanca
First, marvel at how it all goes so well together, with the uniformly unbelievably beautiful sandstone architecture for something so consistent.
Next, look for Lucky Frog at the Civil University before turning the corner and looking for the astronaut and the ice cream cone at the New Cathedral.
Finally, learn Spanish at the University of Salamanca, one of the oldest in Europe (the sixth oldest in existence). The Spanish spoken in this area is one of the purest in the country.
Day trips from Salamanca
Ciudad Rodrigo, a fortress city built on top of a rocky rise, on the way to Portugal from Salamanca. Zamora, another walled city, is only an hour from Salamanca by bus.
Visit La Alberca anytime in the second half of the year to see the town’s pet pig roaming the streets. In January it will be raffled for charity purposes. Read more about Rifa del Marrano de San Antón .
Where to go after Salamanca? Head north to León and then to Galicia, southeast to Madrid or west to Portugal.
Distances to Salamanca
From Madrid, plan a trip of 206 km. It takes 2h30m by bus, train or car.
From Barcelona, plan a trip of 839 km, which is 11 hours by bus, 11 hours 15 minutes by train or 9 hours by car.
From Seville plan a trip of 462 km, which takes 7 hours by bus or 5 hours 45 minutes by car.
