Why Toledo should be on your Spanish itinerary

Why Toledo should be on your Spanish itinerary.

I didn’t initially like Toledo.

We had checked into our hotel, dumped our bags and gone for our first walk around town. The streets were narrow and winding. Google maps kept leading me the wrong way. And unlike other historic centers in Spain, cars circulated through the center requiring us to duck among doorways to let them pass.

You’ll find pedestrian-friendly streets when you finally get your bearings. Calle Comercio is the main drag, taking you from Plaza Zocodover to Toledo’s magnificent Cathedral (Santa Iglesia Catedral Primada de Toledo).

Hotel Recommendations: We stayed one night at the Parador de Toledo (Across the river from Toledo. See the views below). We then stayed a couple of nights in Toledo itself in the very good (and very affordable) Barrio Rey.

But it didn’t take long for us to be impressed by the city.

Toledo is a famous city (and a UNESCO World Heritage Site) dating back to the Romans. It is known as the “city of the three cultures”, a place where Christians, Muslims and Jews lived side by side. Toledo was also the capital of the Spanish Empire until 1560 when the Royal Court moved to Madrid.

Along with the history comes some incredible attractions. Toledo’s Cathedral is one of Spain’s most beautiful cathedrals (maybe the most beautiful?). The Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes is gorgeous. There are old mosques, synagogues, and palaces. The city is surrounded by huge medieval walls (some dating to the Moors) and imposing gates. Over the Tagus River, connecting the city to the steep cliffs on the other side, are several fortified bridges. There’s tons to see and it’s all impressive (we spent 2 full days. We wish we had planned for one more day).

In this post I’ll go into detail on what to see in Toledo. I’ll also give you some money-saving tips.

Toledo Cathedral (often referred to as “Catedral Primada”)

We’ve seen most of the top Cathedrals in Spain. I think Catedral Primada might be the most beautiful we’ve seen to date. Its beauty is compounded by the fact that it was built starting in 1226, a few hundred years prior to the construction of many of the other Cathedrals on the list of top Cathedrals.

It is a huge Cathedral: 120 meters (394 feet) in length, 59 meters (194 feet) wide, 44.5 (146 feet) meters high. It has paintings by Spain’s most famous painters at the time, people like Velázquez, Goya and El Greco (Toledo’s most famous painter).

The Altar and choir are magnificent. But the standout piece for me is “El Transparante”, a baroque cave-like recess in the dome of the Cathedral.

More here on Toledo Cathedral.

Want to save money? The cathedral is free between 8 am and 9:30 am. The entrance is at “Puerta de la Reloj”. We had the Cathedral almost all to ourselves. Otherwise, the cathedral will cost you 10 Euros when it official opens at 10 am.

Toledo’s Tourist Bracelet

Note: I’m going to list 7 highlights below. All, including the Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes, can be visited using what is called the Tourist Bracelet (Pulsera Turistica). It’ll cost you 10 Euros. You can buy it at any of the 7 sites that I’m going to list below. Or you can pre-buy it on the official website. It is absolutely worth buying as you’ll see below.

Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes

After the Cathedral, this is the 2^nd most famous highlight of Toledo.

The Monastery was built to celebrate 2 things: the birth of the son of Ferdinand and Isabella (known as the Catholic Monarchs) and the victory over the Portuguese at the Battle of Toro (which paved the way towards the unity of Spain). It was built with the intention of being the mausoleum of Ferdinand and Isabella (they eventually chose Granada as their burial place after its reconquest in 1492).

The monastery was built in a style called Elizabethan Gothic, also called Toledo Gothic. The Church is beautiful, with ornate reliefs on the side walls. It also has lower and upper cloisters overlooking a small garden in the middle.

Note: included with the Tourist Bracelet.

Puente San Martin (St. Martin’s Bridge)

The next place you should visit after the monastery is this bridge. St. Martin’s bridge is about 5 minutes down the hill.

Built by the Catholics in the 14^th century, the bridge connected the city to the Western side of the Tagus river. It has two large gates on either side of the bridge which protected it from being breached. With a span of about 40 meters (131 feet) it was one of the longest bridges in the world at the time.

Visiting the bridge is free. It’s very impressive and you get lots of great views.

Note : this bridge is a complement to the bridge on the other side of the old city, Puente de Alcántara, which gave access to the East.

Sinagoga de Santa María La Blanca

This synagogue dates back to 1180. From the outside it honestly looks dreary…and then you walk in and see a gorgeous interior full of mudejar-style arches, beams and a beautiful wooden ceiling. It actually looks more like a mosque than it does a synagogue.

After 211 years of service as a synagogue, the building was expropriated from the Jews in 1391 during the pogroms of the 14th century. It became a catholic Church. Today it functions only as a museum.

Note: included with the Tourist Bracelet.

Iglesia del Salvador

It looks like a non-descript little church. But it has tons of history as well as some archaeological ruins.

Iglesia del Salvador was built in 1159 over a mosque. Prior to that, a Visigoth church stood here and you’ll find an incredibly ornate Visigoth Pilaster (column) still standing which experts say dates back to the 6^th or 7^th century. On top of it all, you can go through a little tunnel in the church and find yourself in a courtyard where they’re excavating Roman ruins.

Note: included with the Tourist Bracelet.

Church of Santo Tomé

Within the church of Santo Tomé is the 1586 painting by ‘El Greco’ named “El entierro del Senor de Orgaz” (“the Burial of the Count of Orgaz’). El Greco was a Greek painter who moved to Toledo in 1577, becoming the city’s most famous painter (there’s a museum dedicated to him not far away). This painting is one of his best.

Note: included with the Tourist Bracelet.

Iglesia de los Jesuitas (San Ildefonso)

An impressive 18^th century baroque church – but the highlight here is climbing to the roof for the absolute best views in Toledo.

Note: included with the Tourist Bracelet.

Ermita “Mezquita” del Cristo de la Luz

This former mosque (built in 999 AD) is the oldest surviving Islamic building in Toledo.

At the time it was built it was one of 10 mosques in the city. When the Catholic Monarchs conquered Toledo in 1085, the mosque was converted into a church.

The site sits on elevated grounds looking out over the Northern end of the city. You’ll see lots of gates and walls including the Puerta del Sol which has an entrance from the grounds of the mosque.

Note: included with the Tourist Bracelet.

Real Colegio Doncellas Nobles

The last of the 7 highlights included in the Tourist Bracelet.

A former girls school, it was founded by the archbishop of Toledo and Cardinal Juan Martínez Silíceo in 1551. Its mission was the education of young women to be good mothers.

It is an opulent building which now has a church and chapel where the main hall of the school existed. I mentioned Cardinal Juan Martínez Silíceo above – you’ll see his crypt in the church.

Note: included with the Tourist Bracelet.

More Highlights in Toledo

You’ve probably seen this famous view of Toledo.

It is taken from just above the Mirador del Valle lookout on the South side of the city at the Parador of Toledo (located about 100 feet above the viewpoint). The Parador is a good place to stay is you want some luxury. We stayed here a night and it was a highlight of our time in Toledo. Even if you don’t stay overnight, it’s worth visiting and having a drink on the terrace overlooking the city. More on the Parador de Toledo.

Back in the city…

Gates and Walls. See the Puerta del Sol (mentioned above in my description of Ermita “Mezquita” del Cristo de la Luz). It is located on the north side of the city. Continue down the road to Puerta de Bisagra which was built in the 10^th century by the Moors. It was the main gate to the city. You’ll see the walls of the city branching off in both directions from here.

Note: across from the Puerta de Bisagra is a Tourist Information office. They’re fantastically helpful in there. Fewer people make it here so you’ll get all your questions answered.

I mentioned up top the Puente San Martin (San Martin Bridge). Make sure to see to also see Puente de Alcántara (Alcantara bridge) on the Eastern side of town. Unfortunately we ran out of time…

The Alcazar de Toledo is the huge square building and houses a war museum. There’s a café in the building, on the top floor, which is supposed to have great views.

The Museo del Greco (El Greco Museum) is dedicated to Toledo’s most famous painter. If you love art it’s the place to go.

The train station in Toledo, built in Moorish style, is beautiful. Have your camera ready when you get off the train.

Something to experience in Toledo: Marzipan!! Toledo is known for it and you’ll find stores with the sign Marzipan all over the city. But the most concentrated area in around la Juderia, more specifically around the church of Santo Tomé.

Practical Information on Toledo

Accommodation: We stayed a few nights at Barrio Rey hotel which was excellent value and well located. A slightly pricier option is Casa Palacio Rincón de la Catedral (as the name suggests, right next to the Cathedral). If you want a special experience try to Parador de Toledo as I previously mentioned.

Getting there: Toledo is a 30 minute train ride from Madrid Atocha station. From the train station you can take a bus (about 20 min) to Toledo’s main square (Plaza Zocodover).

Tours: If you don´t have 3 days like we did, you can take a day trip from Madrid with a tour. This Toledo Full Day Trip is recommended.

Word of warning: Toledo gets busy on weekends (because of its proximity to Madrid). Try to plan your visit during the week.

Why Toledo should be on your Spanish itinerary