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Traveling is funny. My first year in Spain, I wanted to spend my time traveling out of the country. I excitedly checked off places such as Portugal, Scotland and the Czech Republic. However as I now pass my two years in Spain mark, I’m also realizing that I need to see more of the country I live in. So I decided to spend 48 hours in Salamanca several weeks ago.
Where is Salamanca?
Salamanca is a city about an hour or two North of Madrid. Like my Spanish home of Granada, it’s also a big university city. It’s full of old architecture and adorable streets. In some ways, it reminded me of Granada. In other ways (namely how people spoke Spanish), I very much knew that I was no longer in Andalucía. It is said that Castellano (a fancy name for the Spanish language) was born in Salamanca. If you’re just starting out with Spanish, the Spanish spoken in Salamanca is quite clear and easier to understand.
How did I get there?
I talk a lot about Blablacar on here. It’s this awesome ride-sharing app where you can find rides all over the place (except the US … we really need Blablacar in the US). A lot of people ask if it’s like Uber. Not quite. The people on Blablacar don’t actually work for Blablacar. They’re just normal people who are already traveling from point a to b. That’s how the idea happened. Everyday people make journeys from this place to that with empty seats in their cars. Why not let them earn a little extra money and make traveling more comfortable for everyone else? Yes, it is getting in the car with a stranger. However I’ve done it over 30 times and have never had a problem.
I found a Blablacar from Segovia to Salamanca and then one Salamanca to Madrid when I was headed back to Granada. My driver from Segovia to Salamanca was very friendly and we had great conversation. I always get lots of Spanish practice in Blablacars. My driver from Salamanca to Madrid was less chatty, but it was still a nice ride.
If ride-sharing sounds intimidating and you’d prefer a different mode of transportation, there are also buses and trains. Be warned that I found it difficult to find a train or bus that went directly from Segovia or Salamanca. They all seemed to re-route me through Madrid. However if you’re coming from Madrid, it should be easy. I use the app GoEuro when I’m booking transportation in Europe. It compares buses, trains, flights and Blablacars. I often times don’t know the bus and train companies in other countries, so this app has been a lifesaver.
Where I stayed
I decided to save money and stayed in a hostel. One thing that I like to do on multiple-city trips is splurge for one night and save on the rest. You sprinkle a little “treat yourself” (as Donna from Parks and Rec would say) throughout your journey. So in Segovia I splurged on a night at the Hotel Real. However in Salamanca, I saved some money at Roomin Hostel.
This was basically the only photo I took of my hostel. I was out and about exploring the city most days. I also wasn’t writing one of my hostel reviews. I stayed in a private room for two nights. It was only 19 euros for a private room when I stayed there, making my grand total only 38 euros. The dorms were only a few euros less, so I went with a private room. While I don’t mind the dorms, there’s something about your own space that is quite nice.
My stay at Roomin Hostel included breakfast each day. I always try to pick a hostel that includes breakfast as it can save lots of money. The breakfast was basic with cereal, fruit and toast. However Spain in general really doesn’t have a big breakfast culture, so I wasn’t expecting anything extravagant like scrambled eggs.
The only downside was that it wasn’t right in the center of the city. The walk to the cathedral was about 10 minutes. But it didn’t really bother me.
My 48 hours in Salamanca
The cathedral
Like most Spanish cities, Salamanca has a cathedral. It actually has two! There is an Old Cathedral and a New Cathedral. However they stand side by side and you pay one fee to visit both. The New Cathedral was built in a gothic style, which I love. It reminded me a lot of the Glasgow Cathedral in Scotland. I love cathedrals in general, so I knew that I had to include both cathedrals in my 48 hours in Salamanca.
I paid 5 euros to enter both cathedrals plus the cloister and chapterhouses. It came with an audioguide in English. You could ask for other languages as well.
Having a drink in Plaza Mayor
Salamanca has an amazing and beautiful Plaza Mayor. Granada does not have one, so this was cool to experience. I wonder if it’s more of a Northern Spain thing as Madrid has one too. I was walking through Plaza Mayor just as the sun was going down, so I decided to stop for a drink. Apparently everyone else had that same idea.
My glass of wine cost me around 3 euros. Not too horrible. I only drank one as I just wanted to enjoy the view and people watch. After a day of exploring, it was great just to sit and take it all in.
Explore the convents
This was probably my favorite thing to do in my 48 hours in Salamanca. There were two convents that were recommended to me. The first one I went to was the Convento de San Esteban. On my first full day in Salamanca, I took a nap. I was on vacation, so I figured why not? Then I just decided to explore and discovered that this convent was open until 8 p.m. in the summer! So I decided to go in.
The late afternoon/early evening was the perfect time to visit. I would highly recommend it! The lighting was absolutely perfect!
The second convent that I visited was the Convento de Las Dueñas. It’s run by some Catholic sisters who bake! You can also buy their baked treats! Since I was trying to save money and because I have a peanut allergy, I didn’t buy anything. I just opted to explore on my own.
Casa Lis
This was one neat experience. Casa Lis is basically this cool art deco house. It’s basically like this museum of cool figurines and such made out of metal and marble. I was not allowed to take any photos inside, so hence just the one photo I captured from the street. It was 4 Euros to enter. The cafe in the museum was also cool. I of course had a glass of wine there.
Huerto de Calixto y Melibea
This was recommended to me by my roommate. She studied Spanish literature in university and told me that there was a book written about this garden. It was beautiful.
Stroll across the Puente Romano (Roman Bridge)
I will be honest that this bridge wasn’t the most amazing bridge I’ve ever walked across. I mean, it was no tower bridge in London. However it’s still very much worth the trip. Why? Because it offers an amazing view of the city and cathedral. Once you cross the bridge, there are all kinds of walking/running trails. So those of you who like to run might enjoy an early morning jog down to the Puente Romano.
Scala Coeli
This was probably the best view from above. It’s basically a bell tower that you can climb up. There are a lot of stairs, but it’s worth it once you make it to the top!
That about wraps up my 48 hours in Salamanca. Have you traveled to Salamanca before? Would you like to?
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