The city in Western Spain is one of Europe’s most spectacular Renaissance cities, its golden buildings, constructed hundreds of years ago from buttery Villamayor sandstone, positively glow come sunset.
Salamanca is the capital of the province of Salamanca, in the Castile and Leon region. This is where the purest form of Spanish is spoken, and for this reason, thousands of students seek cheap flights to Salamanca each year. Salamanca’s educational credentials stretch back centuries however – to 1218. It is one of the original “university” cities in Europe, as renowned as Oxford, Bologna or Paris. The road to academic glory could be very short. Find the carving of a frog on the university’s 15th-century facade and success in studies is guaranteed.
The heart of Salamanca is the Plaza Mayor. A magnificent baroque square with arcades, tapas bars, cafes and restaurants. The best thing about it is that everyone uses the plaza – Salamancans, students and visitors – it is a bustling space morning, noon and, especially, night.
Castile-Leon’s climate has been described as “nine months winter, three months hell”. The winters are long, but not freezing. Minimum temperatures average about 6 degrees. The summers not as long as in the south of Spain. Average temperatures are 20-22 degrees.
Most travellers seek flights to Salamanca during the summer months, but its popularity as a centre of learning means that the city is buzzy year-round.
Peak Season:
Late-April to late-September is peak season, this is when most people take Salamanca flights to take advantage of the summer weather. Spring and autumn are also good times to visit. During these seasons temperatures are cooler than in the heat of summer.
Off Season:
Salamanca has long winters. November to March can be cold with temperatures dropping to about six degrees.
Salamanca is a great city for walking. Most of the monuments and places of interest are grouped close together.
Public transport is good. City buses connect the city with the outlying areas from early morning (7.15am) to late at night (11.45pm). There’s also a night bus that runs between midnight and 3am.
Taxis are available 24 hours a day either by flagging one down in the street, at a taxi rank or by using the radio taxi service.