Walking in Castillia Y Leon Spain

Bordering northern Portugal, the Cantabrian mountain range and the Basque Country the province of Castilla y Leon is one of the largest regions in Spain and the birth place of Castilian Spanish. It was in this region that the legendary El Cid lead the expulsion of the Moors from Spain during the Reconquista in 15th century and became known as the land of the castles.

The region's mountainous scenery provides visitors with some beautiful and dramatic scenery, as well as a chance to glimpse brown bears and the Iberian lynx in the natural habitat. Its varied habitat provides a wide mixture of walking opportunities both for the independent rambler and the more experienced walker and climber, The Sierra de Gredos on the provinces southern borders, between Avila and Salamanca, is a natural reserve and is one of Spain's most beautiful reserves. Rolling valleys nestle as the foot of the Cordillera Central mountain range with picturesque villages dotted about, giving the visitor to this region a wonderful insight in to rural Spain.

The climate of the region is quite varied with the northern areas having a more Atlantic climate with those areas nearer the mountains getting close to freezing in the winter.  Towards the south and in the area of the large plateau the summers are hot and dry but cooler than southern Spain in the autumn and winter.

Airports
There are no major airports in this region so you will have to fly into Madrid airport which is on its south easterly border or into the northern airports of Bilbao and Santander. For these northern airports you will have to allow sufficient driving time over the Pico's de Europa to get into Castilla y Leon region and also remember that during the winter months roads may be closed due to snow. It may be possible to get internal flights to Burgos, Leon, Valladolid or Salamanca you would need to check directly with the Spanish airlines.

• South of Region – Madrid (Salamanca 210km away)
• North Region – Bilbao (Burgos 158km or Valladolid 275km, but allow extra time for poor conditions over winter months)
• North Region - Santander (Leon 265km or Burgos 154km, allow extra time for crossing mountains in winter months)

The north of the region is crossed by the famous Caminos de Santiago (the Way of St. James) and is popular with pilgrims and walkers alike all enjoying the stunning countryside. The northern cities also offer a wealth of sites steeped in Spanish history.

Walking in Leon
Leon, the most northerly city, was the old capital of the province and the Basilica de San Humidor is one of the finest Gothic cathedrals and its crypt contains some extremely valuable Romanesque frescos. Other famous monuments are the San Marcos monastery from the time of Renaissance and a short drive away from the city you'll find Las Medullas the famous gold mines.

Walking Around Burgos & Palencia
The cathedral's at Burgos and Palencia are also well worth a visit and whilst in Palencia you can see the many fascinating artefacts found in Spain in the archaeological museum.