In early August 2026, our family went on a week-long roadtrip in Spain to see the total solar eclipse. From Lisbon, we traveled through the provinces of Segovia and Salamanca. On our way back to Lisbon, we spent a day in the city of Caceres in Extremadura.
This roadtrip took us to some well known parts of Spain, like Segovia and Salamanca, but we also explored lesser-known areas. We were surprised by the beautiful scenery of this part of Spain, where we swam in natural swimming pools, explored mountain towns and went kayaking on lazy rivers. It was a pleasant surprise, and we would love to go back to this areas and explore more! Many of these destinations are more easily accessible from Madrid, making them great destinations if you visit Spain’s capital.
If you are interested in doing a similar trip, I’m sharing the details of our trip on this post.
Salamanca
Our first stop in Spain was Salamanca, which is about a 3-hour drive from Lisbon. Located in the autonomous community of Castilla y Leon, Salamanca is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This designation is due to its exceptionally preserved historic center. The city center is like an architectural museum, integrating Roman, Gothic, Moorish, Renaissance, and Baroque styles seamlessly. Anywhere you walk, there is some amazing building or monument waiting for you!
What To Do And See In Salamanca
There’s a lot to do in Salamanca! You could start by going for a walk across the Roman Bridge. The Roman Bridge of Salamanca spans across the Torres River and dates back to the 1st century CE. This bridge was part of the Roman Vía de la Plata, an old roman road, and still a popular hiking trail. If you cross the bridge to the opposite side of the city you will get the most stunning view of the Salamanca skyline.
You should also visit the Cathedral of Salamanca. This unique complex consists of two interconnected churches built over different eras. The Old Cathedral (Catedral Vieja), founded in the 12th century, is a Romanesque and Gothic structure famous for its Byzantine-style ribbed dome (Torre del Gallo) and a stunning 53-panel altarpiece. We all enjoyed entering the side chapel, with its uneven floor and cool wall paintings, so don’t miss that!
Directly attached to it is the New Cathedral (Catedral Nueva), constructed between 1513 and 1733. This cathedra stands as one of Spain’s largest churches and showcases a blend of Late Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture. A popular modern highlight is its ornate northern facade, where an astronaut carving was added by artisans during a 1992 restoration. This cathedral is so tall and impressive! It was one of those places were you feel small right away. Such an amazing architectural creation!
You can visit the University of Salamanca. The university was founded in 1218 by King Alfonso IX. It is the oldest university in Spain and one of the oldest operational higher education institutions in Europe. Its historic headquarters features an intricate 16th-century facade carved from local golden sandstone. It serves as a prime example of Spanish Renaissance architecture. Carved hidden among the elaborate reliefs of the facade is a tiny stone frog sitting atop a skull. According to a long-standing superstition, students who spot the frog unassisted are guaranteed to pass their exams and graduate successfully. I couldn’t find it without help, but fortunately I’m not planning on taking exams any time soon!
I didn’t include a photo of it here so I don’t spoil the fun. Instead this is a photo of the carvings outside the main entrance to the Cathedral instead.
Spend time in the Plaza Mayor. This plaza is an 18th-century Spanish Baroque public square. It is a large and beautiful plaza that serves as the center of the old town. We visited the Plaza Mayor in the late afternoon and it was buzzing with people. This is a great place to have a drink/snack before dinner. It is an excellent place to people watch as well.
While out exploring the University you can take a break and enjoy El Cielo de Salamanca. This 15th-century ceiling fresco, was painted between 1480 and 1493 for the University’s old library. It served as an early visual teaching aid for astronomy. Only one-third of the mural is now preserved in the Escuelas Menores museum (free to visit). The fresco depicts a highly detailed celestial map, showcasing constellations, zodiac signs, planets, and personification of the four winds. This stop was a welcomed break from the heat too!
Overall, we didn’t have a specific plan for our time in Salamanca. We knew what places we wanted to see and we simply wandered around town and slowly found all of them. There is so much to see and do, and historic places are around every corner!
Segovia
Segovia originated as an Iberian hill settlement around 700 BCE. It was captured by the Romans in 80 BCE, ruled by the Moorish people between 714-1088 CE, after which it went back to the Christians during the reconquest. Segovia became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. The city’s main architectural highlights include a 1st-century Roman Aqueduct, the Alcázar de Segovia, and the Segovia Cathedral.
We spent a half day exploring Segovia and felt that was enough to check out all of the main highlights. Like most towns and cities in Spain, the old town is mostly car-free, making it ideal for exploring on foot. Like with Salamanca, walking around Segovia is like walking in an open-air museum. Since we arrived by car, we parked here and set off to explore.
What To Do In Segovia
One of Segovia’s most popular site is the Alcazar de Segovia, a medieval stone fortress that served as a royal palace and inspired modern fairy-tale castle designs. Some people say it served as inspiration for the Disney castle (!). The earliest written references to the castle date back to the 12th century. The castle is perched on a rocky promontory, which I imagine made it impossible to breach!
Nowadays, the castle houses a museum and military collection. Our son absolutely loved visiting the armory and seeing the swords and armors. The interiors were nicely preserved, giving an insight into how the royals lived here. The upper terrace was also a beautiful spot to admire the castle towers, and the surrounding landscape. Definitely a must see in Segovia!
Another must-see is the Segovia Cathedral, officially the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción y de San Frutos. This 16th-century masterpiece is recognized as the last major Gothic cathedral built in Spain. This cathedral is also know as the “Lady of the Cathedrals” because of its height and beautiful proportions. Some highlights for us included its tall tower, 16th-century stained-glass windows, Gothic cloister, the many chapels and interesting religious art. Our kids found El Árbol de la Vida (The Tree of Life) painting particularly engaging
If you park in the lot I recommended for Segovia, then the Aqueduct of Segovia will be the first thing you’ll see when you come out of the lot. The Romans built the aqueduct in the late 1st or early 2nd century AD to bring water from springs in the Sierra de Guadarrama to the city. This two-teared aqueduct was built with around 24,000 mortarless granite blocks. At about 728 meters long, it reaches nearly 29 meters high at its tallest point. It really is a sight worth seeing!
Now, if you know our family, you’ll know we have a fascination with the Order of the Knights Templar. Joe and I visited some of their temples while walking on the Camino de Santiago, and that picked our interest. Here in Portugal we have visited Tomar, which was the seat of the Order for a long time, and we all loved it! So, when we learned there was a Knights Templar’s temple in Segovia, we all knew we had to visit it!
The Iglesia de la Vera Cruz was built around 1208, and it’s attributed to the Knights Templar, although the connection has not been definitively established. Its circular layout was inspired by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem (just like the one in Tomar!). This church is located outside the historic center on a hill overlooking the city. You can also see it from the Alcazar during your visit. If you visit, make sure you climb to the top of the bell tower for a wonderful view of the Alcazar de Segovia!
Segovia Countryside
After spending most of the day in Segovia, we drove to the Municipality of Cantalejo, to the town of Valdesimonte to meet with friends for the eclipse. The drive was lovely, and we drove past many fields of blooming sunflowers, which was extra nice!
The highlight of our time in Valdesimonte was seeing the eclipse, of course. We booked a lovely home on the edge of the town, and it turned out to have an unobstructed view of the setting sun. It was ideal for viewing the late evening eclipse.
To see the eclipse we just had to step outside the house and join the other townspeople in watching the celestial show! It was truly amazing to experience!
What To Do Around Valdesimonte
One of the most fun activities we did while in Valdesimonte was kayaking in the Río Duratón. We booked kayaks ahead of time with Canoas Duratón and we had a wonderful experience! This kayaking trip takes you up river through a canyon where you can spot Griffin Vultures soaring above your head, or perched on the cliffside. The route ends at a beach with a couple of chiringuitos (snack and drink spots) where you can grab a beverage and a snack. We went to El Rincon del Pibe and enjoyed the drinks and the food they served us. While we had a refreshment, the kids enjoyed splashing around in the river.
We enjoyed the the kayaking trip so much, we went back for a second time! Kayaks are available for 1, 2 or 3 people, and they provide you with a large container (similar to a bear box) to dryly store your valuables in the kayak. Also, you can stop along the way in many spots to jump into the river to cool off. This was definitely a highlight of our time in this area.
We also spent one morning exploring Pedraza, an old medieval town just a 20-minute drive from Valdesimonte. Pedraza has been a Historic-Artistic Site since 1951, and the town’s Plaza Mayor is said to be one of the most beautiful squares in Castilla y Leon. The Plaza Mayor is a well-preserved medieval square surrounded by stone houses and former noble residences. They were all a bit crooked, which added to their charm.
Pedraza is a walled medieval town with cobbled streets and emblazoned houses. The town is known for its medieval buildings, including Pedraza Castle, which displays works by Basque painter Ignacio Zuloaga. In fact, Zuloaga acquired and restored the castle in 1925/26, and used part of it as a studio. We very much enjoyed visiting the castle and learning about the history. It definitely was unique, starting with the pool that was put in place by Zuloaga during his time living there!
Other main sights in Pedraza include the Puerta de la Villa, the only surviving entrance through the town’s medieval walls. The Cárcel de la Villa, a former medieval prison dating from the 13th century, has preserved cells and underground areas and now operates as a small museum. The prison was closed when we visited.
Overall, Pedraza was super fun to visit. It is tiny, so you can walk around it in a morning and you will not be disappointed!
The day we left Valdesimonte to go to our next destination, we made a stop at Castillo de Coca. Just an hour from Valdesimonte, this 15th century castle is considered to be one of the best examples of Spanish Mudejar brickwork. This style incorporates Moorish Muslim design and construction with Gothic architecture. The castle tour follows a set route that takes you up all towers and back down, stopping in different rooms, including the old dungeon (our kids’ favorite room!). The hours for the castle are limited so make sure you check them before visiting. At the end of our visit, we ate a tapas lunch at La Muralla restaurant and it was delicious!
Also, on our way into Valdesimonte we drove past Castillo de Turegano. This medieval castle looked amazing from the outside! We read that it was erected in the built site of an Arabic fortress, which was built on top of a Celtic structure. To visit you must schedule a tour in advance by calling them. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get there on this trip, but maybe next time.
Parque natural de Las Batuecas – Sierra de Francia
The Parque Natural de Las Batuecas–Sierra de Francia is a protected mountainous area in southern Salamanca province. It covers around 32,000 hectares of forests, valleys, gorges and rocky peaks, and it was the biggest surprise of our trip! We stayed in Valdelageve, a tiny mountain village on the edge of the park, which made a convenient base for exploring the surrounding area. There is so much to do in this area! There’s a lot of hiking trails, historic villages, swimming holes, and more! When we weren’t exploring outside, we spent time enjoying the gorgeous view of the mountains from the comfort of our terrace, or swimming in the pool.
What To Do In Sierra de Francia
One of the towns we explored on this part of our roadtrip was Montemayor del Rio. This small historic village is surrounded by forest and the Río Cuerpo de Hombre. We learned that this is a great base for hiking, with lots of routes departing from the village. The village’s main landmark, however, is the restored Castillo de San Vicente. This medieval fortress has a moat, barbican, keep and defensive walls surrounding it. You can only visit the castle on a guided tour. The guided visits start at 11:30 13:00 and 17:00 and you can simply register at the ticket office a few minutes before each time.
The castle also houses the Restaurante Castillo de Montemayor, a restaurant recognized by the MICHELIN Guide Spain 2026 for its contemporary interpretation of Castilian cuisine using local ingredients such as chestnuts and regional meats. You need a reservation to eat there, and we didn’t manage to snag one. Instead, we ate tapas at the restaurant’s adjoining cafe and bar, and it was absolutely delicious! Also, all these tapas were just 10.50 Euros!
After visiting the castle and grabbing lunch, we headed out to explore more of the town. The town is super cute to walk around! Some points of interest we saw were the Plaza Mayor, the surviving tower from the old medieval wall, and the Puente Romano.
The bridge was part of an old historic route and connected Montemayor with the surrounding countryside. After you cross the bridge there’s a small stone house for the bridge keeper. Past the stone house, there is a cross that let pilgrims know the town was safe to go into. There’s also a natural swimming pool right by the bridge that looked perfect for young children.
Another spot you can’t miss if you are visiting this area in Spain is Meandro Del Melero. This winding, horseshoe-shaped bend formed by the Alagón River where the provinces of Caceres and Salamanca meet has to be one of the most striking and captivating panoramas in this part of Spain. There is a small parking lot at the upper overlook, and from there you can walk to the overlook below. There are two paths to get there: one with stairs, and one that is wheelchair accessible. From here you can also go on different hikes in the area. Because we visited in mid August, the water levels were low.
After visiting Meandro Del Melero, we drove down to the town of Riomalo de Abajo. This small village is in Cáceres province in Extremadura, right across the border with Salamanca. You actually drive past it when heading up to the Meandro Del Melero overlook. Other than being a great base for hiking in the surrounding countryside, or visiting the Meandro, this village has a wonderful natural swimming pool! We stopped there in the late morning and there was only one other person there. The water was clean and clear. There were even some fish swimming in it. It was just the perfect spot to stop for a cool down after walking in the August heat.
Cáceres
From Valdelageve, we had a 5-hour drive back to Lisbon, so we decided to split it up and make a couple of stops along the way. Our first stop, about two hours into our drive, was the city of Cáceres in Extremadura.
Cáceres is a historic city known for its exceptionally well-preserved medieval and Renaissance old town. The Ciudad Monumental de Cáceres, enclosed by medieval walls, contains Roman remains, Islamic architecture, Gothic churches and Renaissance palaces, reflecting the city’s Roman, Moorish, Jewish and Christian history. The old town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 and is one of Spain’s most important historic urban areas. As a fun side note, Cáceres was also a filming location for Game of Thrones!
In total, we spent approximately 2 hours exploring this city. Some of the main sights we saw included the Plaza Mayor, the Torre de Yerba, the Arco de la Estrella, the co-Cathedral of Cáceres, the Iglesia de San Francisco Javier, and the Museo de Cáceres y Aljibe. We could’ve easily spent a day or two exploring Cáceres and wouldn’t have ran out of things to do there. This city is certainly packed with sights and history, and we are already planning to go back!
After Cáceres we drove an hour into Portugal, to the town of Campo Maior to check out their Festas do Povo, also known as Festas das Flores. This celebration transforms the town’s streets with millions of handmade paper flowers. The tradition dates to the late 19th century, involves months of work by local residents, and was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2021. We were super lucky to be going past Campo Maior on the last day of the festival, which was taking place after an 11-year break! Visiting the festival was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that left us all in awe!
After walking around the festival for a couple of hours, enduring 37 degrees Centigrades, we drove the last two hours back to Lisbon.
Practical Information
The main thing to keep in mind when traveling to Spain is their meal schedule. Lunch is usually between 1-3pm, and most restaurant kitchens close around 4pm, which can be challenging in some cases. Fortunately, most restaurants have ready-made food, such as tapas, that you can order at any time.
Dinner in Spain usually starts around 9-10pm. Fortunately, many restaurants will serve food earlier than that in the more touristy places.
Overall, this trip to Spain was a great success! We found lovely off-the-beaten track destinations we had never heard of before. This is proof that it really pays off to explore lesser known places.
We are a family of four who moved to Portugal in July 2024. Our family loves exploring our new home country, and enjoy sharing our adventures with others. To learn more about our adventures in Portugal, click here. To read about other destinations, visit our Places section or select a destination from the drop down menu.
