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75°F / 24°C
(Passing Clouds. Mild.)
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Tour 1: Outside Toledo's City Walls
Our walk, which will take about an hour and a quarter, begins along the left bank of the Tagus (Tajo) River. Along the way you can clearly see the characteristic earthy colour of the buildings in Toledo's Historical Quarter. You will also appreciate the majesty of the old city walls that tell of medieval battles, monarchs and legends across the centuries.
Let's begin by crossing the river across the beautiful San Martín Bridge. From here, you can see San Juan de los Reyes Monastery, proudly reaching up to the sky. After crossing the bridge, turn left and go down the steps leading to the river. They will lead under an ancient arch to the mythical Baño de la Cava tower. Retracing our steps, we go back up the steps, turn left and walk uphill to admire the magnificent Puerta del Cambrón gateway, the impressive entrance to Toledo. Continuing in the same direction, with the city wall to the right, we walk along the tree-lined Paseo de Recadero and reach the Puerta de Alfonso VI gate, just after the Hostal del Cardenal. With its touch of Becquerian romanticism it is very inviting, but we will resist the temptation to enter and continue instead along the outside of the wall to reach the massive and imperial Puerta de Bisagra (Hinged Gate), which we will go through. As soon as we do so, we find ourselves in front of the Iglesia de Santiago el Mayor church.
Leaving it to our right, we continue uphill along the road to the grandiose Puerta del Sol gateway. If we had felt like it, we could have taken some steps on the right-hand side of the road leading to the Puerta de Valmardón a few metres before this. But we will go to the Puerta del Sol, cross under it, and continue up the street. Reaching the Plaza de Zocodover, we pass under the Arco de la Sangre (Arch of Blood) to go down once more towards the river. Going down Cervantes Street we pass the beautiful Santa Cruz Museum. A little further down we turn and find ourselves by the Concepción Convent. Turning to the right, we go to the end of the square then turn left and go down some steps. A few metres more and there are some more steps to go down. They lead to the Puerta de Doce Caños gate that takes us back to past eras with Ommiad Caliphs and 11th century kingdoms. Going through it leads to the majestic Alcántara Bridge from where we can see the solid structure of San Servando Castle.
We have now finished our walk, but there is lots more to see.
Tour 2: The Jewish Quarter
Though it may be a bit of a cliché these days, the Jewish Quarter is an integral part of Toledo's Historical Quarter. The Jewish Quarter, which disappeared as such in 1492 as a result of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, is a window into the past. The Jewish people left their mark on Spain, and especially on this city.
Without a doubt, it is the eastern part of the Jewish Quarter that attracts most tourists. It starts in the Paseo de San Cristóbal boulevard, from where you can see unique buildings like the Tránsito Synagogue, El Greco's House and Museum, and other Mudejar-style buildings. Taking the Travesía de los Descalzos, you reach the Plaza del Conde where the Fuensalida Palace is located. Built by the first Fuensalida Count, Don Pedro López de Ayala, it is today the seat of the Regional Government. In the square you can also visit the Iglesia de Santo Tomé church, where one of El Greco's most famous paintings resides, "El Entierro del Conde de Orgaz" (The Burial of the Count of Orgaz).
Opposite the church is the street, San Juan de Dios, once inhabited by rich Jewish families during the Middle Ages. About half-way along, on the left, is Samuel Leví street that leads to El Greco's House and Museum. Samuel Leví will also take you to the popular Paseo del Tránsito, one of the few parts of the Old Quarter with gardens. From here, you have pleasant views of the Tajo River and Toledo country houses. You will also find the Tránsito Synagogue in this street. On the right is Reyes Católicos street, the nerve centre of the Jewish Quarter in ancient times. Continuing along Reyes Católicos you will come to the Santa María la Blanca Synagogue, and then San Juan de los Reyes square that contains a Monastery of the same name. Just before the Monastery, is Angel street, the main access between the Jewish Quarter and the rest of the city. This street leads to Santo Tomé street, and then to Plaza de El Salvador, Trinidad street, and Taller del Moro street, and finally back to our starting point, the Paseo de San Cristóbal.
This circular tour is a wonderful way to get a feel for Toledo's Jewish Quarter, though the individual monuments are worth visiting at length.
Tour 3: Vicinity of the Tagus (Tajo) River
If you would like to take a break from the busy narrow streets of the Historical Quarter, we recommend a visit around the Tagus River area, along the Carretera del Valle road. You can reach this by car via the Carretera de la Cornisa road. From this same road, there are lovely views along the banks of the Tagus, where you can see the remains of old windmills like those of Daicán.
The Carretera del Valle takes us to the Ermita de la Virgen del Valle (Shrine of the Virgin of the Valley), a place revered by Toledo citizens and visited on the first of May during the celebrations of the romería in her honour. Above the shrine, between the crags that mark the hillside, is a great rock known as the Piedra del Rey Moro (Stone of the Moorish King) because of its strange shape. A little lower down, on the left-hand side of the road, there is a little pathway leading to a small boat that serves as transportation across the river, due to a lack of bridges here. Down here is the Cerro del Bú (Bú Hill), the site of archaeological digs where you can see the remains of fortifications.
The Carretera del Valle descends towards the Valle de la Degollada, a spot you can access via a bridge built in the 1930s. Before reaching the Roman Puente de Alcántara (Alcántara Bridge), you can see the remains of the Acueducto Romano (Roman Aqueduct). At the end of the bridge is the Castillo de San Servando (San Servando Castle), and immediately after that the Academia de Infantería (Infantry Academy), built in the Cerros de San Blas. After the Puente de Alcántara, the Paseo de la Rosa begins. It is one of the most important entrances into Toledo. You can see the Fuente de Cabrahigos (Cabrahigos Fountain) opposite the Estación de Ferrocarril (Railway Station).
Leaving the station, and taking the road back towards the city, you reach Palacio de Galiana (Galiana Palace). To finish off our tour, drive through the Puerta de Bisagra, and on foot cross the Puente de Alcántara and from there go on up to the Plaza de Zocodover (Zocodover Square), the city's nerve centre.
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