Zamora

Zamora has over 20 Romanesque churches concentrated in the old town, the highest density in Spain. The most notable include the Iglesia de San Pedro y San Ildefonso, the Iglesia de la Magdalena (with its exquisitely carved portal), and the Iglesia de Santiago del Burgo. Each has its own character and architectural details. Walking between them, through the narrow medieval streets, is a self-guided tour of 12th-century ecclesiastical architecture. You cannot see them all in an afternoon, but visi

The cathedral sits at the western edge of the old town, overlooking the Rio Duero. Its most distinctive feature is the dome, covered in fish-scale stone tiles and showing Byzantine influence that is unusual in western Spain. The interior is sober but elegant. The museum attached to the cathedral contains a notable collection of Flemish tapestries. From the cathedral grounds, the views across the river to the plain beyond are expansive and beautiful.

The Rio Duero runs below the old town, crossed by a medieval stone bridge (Puente de Piedra) that is one of the finest river crossings on the Via de la Plata. Walking along the river, either upstream or downstream from the bridge, offers views back up to the cathedral, the castle, and the city walls. The evening light on the stone is particularly beautiful. The Duero is one of the great rivers of the Iberian Peninsula, and Zamora sits at one of its most scenic points.

The old town has several streets with good tapas bars, but the Calle de los Herreros and surrounding streets near the Plaza Mayor are the most concentrated. Zamora's food follows the Castilian tradition: roast meats (particularly lamb and suckling pig), hearty bean stews, and local cheeses. The wines from the nearby Toro denomination (full-bodied reds from the Tempranillo grape) are excellent and inexpensive. A tapas crawl through the old town, moving from bar to bar, is one of the great pleasur

About 30 km north of Zamora, at Granja de Moreruela, the Via de la Plata splits. The right branch continues north to Benavente and Astorga, joining the Camino Frances for the final stages to Santiago. The left branch heads northwest on the Camino Sanabres, through Puebla de Sanabria, over the mountains into Galicia, and through Ourense to Santiago. The Sanabres is shorter, quieter, and more direct. The Astorga route is longer but joins the busier, more social Frances. Most Via de la Plata pilgri