Ávila

Ávila is a UNESCO World Heritage city 23 km from Robledillo. You can visit the city walls, the cathedral, the Basilica of San Vicente and many palaces and churches.

The city of Ávila is 23 km from Robledillo and is the main sight we recommend. It has hundreds of interesting places to visit, including the walls, the cathedral, churches of every style, palaces, convents and monasteries. The city is surrounded by walls about 2.5 km long, with 9 gates between impressive towers, the most important being the “Cimorro”, the fortified apse of the cathedral. You can now walk up onto the walls and enjoy a view over the whole city.

Main monuments in Ávila

• City walls: With a circuit of 2.5 km, its round towers, battlements and great defensive gates, such as the Alcázar and San Vicente gates, the wall is the symbol of Ávila and defines its character. Today you can walk a good part of the wall walk, in two sections separated by the cathedral’s Cimorro.
• Cathedral: Ávila Cathedral is joined to the city wall by its spectacular fortified apse, the Cimorro. The altarpiece by Berruguete and the tomb of El Tostado are its most valuable treasures.

• Basilica of San Vicente:An outstanding example of Spanish Romanesque. Its layout follows the Latin basilicas: a Latin-cross plan with three naves, a lantern tower, triforium, three apses, a portico, two towers and a crypt. The whole façade and its surroundings are of great artistic value. Inside, the three-nave Latin-cross plan stands out, with Greek-cross pillars topped by half-columns. The crypt has three chapels, under the three apses of the church; they are essentially Romanesque and hold the finest capitals in the building.
• Convent of Santa Teresa: The convent stands on the house where Saint Teresa was born. The museum in its crypt is the best guide to following in her footsteps around Ávila.

• Church of San Pedro: Facing the Alcázar gate, its beautiful doorways and façades are matched inside by a large art collection and the tombs of Esteban Domingo and Blasco Jimeno, founders of Ávila’s noble families. The lion-guarded portico is another highlight.

There are also many more churches, palaces and museums to visit.

More must-sees

• Los Cuatro Postes: the viewpoint across the river Adaja, with the best view of the walled city; also worth it at night.
• The wall walk: you can walk part of the rampart path, along the walls and towers.
• Monastery of Santo Tomás: outside the walls, with the tomb of Prince John, son of the Catholic Monarchs.

Tips for your visit

• Ávila is about 25 minutes from Robledillo. Go early, park outside the walls and explore the centre on foot.
• Try the yemas de Santa Teresa (egg-yolk sweets) and the chuletón steak: more in what to eat in Ávila.
• If your visit coincides with Easter Week or the Medieval Days in September, the city is transformed: see the festivals.

Photo credits

• Ávila city walls lit up at night: Volsukae · CC BY-SA 3.0 es · Wikimedia Commons
• Towers of the Ávila walls lit up at night: Javier Perez Montes · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
• Walls and towers of Ávila: Manuel M. Vicente from Spain · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
• Basilica of San Vicente, Ávila: Selbymay · CC BY-SA 3.0 es · Wikimedia Commons
• Church of San Pedro, Plaza de Santa Teresa, Ávila: velomartinez · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
• Church of the Convent of Santa Teresa, Ávila: AdriPozuelo · CC BY-SA 3.0 es · Wikimedia Commons
• Cenotaph of the martyr saints in the Basilica of San Vicente: Ángel M. Felicísimo from Mérida, España · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
• Gate in the Ávila walls at dusk: AdriPozuelo · CC BY-SA 3.0 es · Wikimedia Commons
• Main altarpiece of Ávila Cathedral: José Luis Filpo Cabana · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
• Apostles’ Door of Ávila Cathedral: José Luis Filpo Cabana · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
• Ávila and its walls from outside the city: 23Agata · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons