Hotel Antiguas Eras

The house

A small, quiet three-star hotel on Avenida de Las Batuecas, sunny and surrounded by trees, about a five-minute walk from the Plaza Mayor of La Alberca. The architecture is that of the sierra: chestnut beams, stone and wrought iron, with a shared lounge with a wood-burning fireplace and a terrace with a garden of native plants. It is run by its owners, and it shows in the service and in the recommendations for getting around the sierra.

The hotel is proud of its environmental commitment: it has a European sustainable tourism certificate and belongs to the Spanish ecotourism association. It also works with services for cyclists and motorcyclists, useful in an area of mountain passes and winding roads.

Rooms

There are four types: double and special for two people, triple for three and single. All have a private bathroom, television and views of the surroundings, with rustic decor in keeping with the rest of the house. The website does not publish sizes or fixed prices; rates appear when you check dates.

If you book on its website, breakfast is included, with fair-trade arabica coffee and organic and local products, and there is a discount for stays of two, three or more nights, though it does not state the percentage. It also does not publish check-in and check-out times or whether pets are accepted, so it is best to ask beforehand.

Parking and getting around

Parking is free and right at the hotel door, a clear advantage in La Alberca, where the old town is pedestrianised. There is access for people with reduced mobility. The hotel estimates about 55 minutes by car from the south of the province of Salamanca, 35 to Ciudad Rodrigo and under 20 to Las Hurdes, already in Extremadura.

Who it suits

It suits couples and walkers who want a quiet base in the sierra, and those who do the area by bike or motorbike. From La Alberca start walking routes such as the Camino de las Raíces, and in under half an hour by car are the Peña de Francia, the Las Batuecas valley and villages such as Mogarraz or Miranda del Castañar. For dinner, the Plaza Mayor is a short walk.