Page 368 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

366  CENTR AL SP AIN

w Sierra de Gredos
Ávila. @ Navarrendonda. n
Navarrendonda, Calle del Río s/n, 920
34 80 01. ∑ gredosturismo.com
This great mountain range, west
of Madrid, has abundant wild life,
especially ibex and birds of
prey. Some parts have been
developed to cater for week-
enders who come skiing, fishing,
hunting or hiking. Tourism here The Toros de Guisando near El Tiemblo in the Sierra de Gredos
isn’t a recent phenomenon –
Spain’s first parador opened El Tiemblo, in the east, stand to Salamanca. Built in the
in Gredos in 1928. Despite the Toros de Guisando, four 11th century, the walls are over
this, there are many traditional stone statues resembling bulls, 2 km (1 mile) long. They are
vil lages off the beaten track. believed to be of Celt iberian punctuated by 88 sturdy turrets,
The slopes on the south side origin (see pp52–3). on which storks can be seen
of the range, extending into nesting in season. The ground
Extremadura, are fertile and falls away very steeply from the
sheltered, with pinewoods, e Ávila walls on three sides, making
and apple and olive trees. The Ávila. * 59,000. £ @ n Avenida the city practically impregnable.
northern slopes, in contrast, de Madrid 39, 920 35 40 00. Walls: The east side, however, is
have a covering of scrub and Open Tue–Sun (also Mon in relatively flat, and there-
a scattering of granite boulders. summer). & ( Fri. _ San fore had to
A single main road, the N502, Segundo (2 May); Sta Teresa (15 be fortified
crosses the centre of the range Oct). ∑ avilaturismo.com more heavily.
via the Puerto del Pico, a pass The oldest sections
at 1,352 m (4,435 ft), lead ing to At 1,131 m (3,710 ft) of the wall are here.
Arenas de San Pedro, the largest above sea level, Ávila They are guarded by
town of the Sierra de Gredos. de los Caballeros (“of the the most impressive of
On this road is the castle of Knights”) is the highest the city’s nine gate ways,
Mombeltrán, built at the end provincial capital in Spain. the Puerta de San
of the 14th century. In winter access roads can Vicente. The apse of the
Near Ramacastañas, south of be blocked with snow. cathedral also forms part
the town of Arenas de San The centre of the city is of the walls. The cathedral’s
Pedro, are the limestone cav erns encircled by the finest- war-like (and unfinished)
of the Cuevas del Águila. preserved medieval walls ex terior, decorated with
The sierra’s highest summit, in Europe. The walls are Tuna in Ávila beasts and scaly wild
the Pico Almanzor (2,592 m/ open to visitors (except men, is an unusual
8,500 ft) dominates the west. Monday and in low season). design. The interior is a mixture
Around it lies the Reserva One of the best views of of Romanesque and Gothic styles
Nacional de Gredos, pro tecting the walls is from Los Cuatro using an unusual mottled red
the mountain’s wildlife. Near Postes (Four Posts) on the road and white stone. Finer points

The superbly preserved 11th-century walls, punctuated with 88 cylindrical towers, which encircle Ávila
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp569–70 and pp594–5

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