© ParadoresHotelParador de Puebla de Sanabria
Why we like it: 42-room parador in the lower part of the town, with garden, seasonal pool, playground and padel, 12 km from the lake.
Duration2 nights
Best timeMay – October
Budget€150–260 pp
Getting thereCar, A-52
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for arriving on Friday evening from Zamora, a little over an hour on the A-66 and A-52. Book the Wolf Centre online and Saturday's lunch first. If there is snow in the sierra, swap the Laguna de los Peces for the lakeshore.
Friday
- 119:00Arrival and a walk round the town
Leave the car below, beside the Tera, and walk up to the Plaza Mayor at dusk. Dinner at La Cartería, in its wine cellars dug into the slate, or at La Posada, which serves dinner by reservation from 20:30 to 21:15.
Saturday
- 110:00Laguna de los Peces and Laguna de las Yeguas
Drive up via San Martín de Castañeda, stopping at the lake viewpoints, to the Laguna de los Peces car park. From there, trail 9: 6 km of easy walking to the Laguna de las Yeguas, about two hours.
- 214:00Lunch at La Posada
Broad beans and a Sanabria beef T-bone on the Plaza Mayor. The second sitting starts at 15:15.
- 316:30Monastery of San Martín de Castañeda
The Romanesque church and its exhibition, for €1, and the lake at your feet. If you have light to spare, go down to the shore at Custa Llago or El Folgoso.
Sunday
- 110:00Iberian Wolf Centre, in Robledo
Two guided hours, booked and paid online. Arrive 15 minutes before your time.
- 212:30Puebla castle
Climb the keep before lunch. The joint ticket costs €4.
- 314:00Lunch and the drive back
Lunch at the Parador, with parking next door, and back to Zamora in mid-afternoon.
Sanabria is a little over an hour from Zamora and an hour and a half from Ourense or León, and it has enough for a whole weekend without repeating yourself: a medieval town with a castle, the biggest glacial lake in the Peninsula, mountain lagoons you can drive up to, a centre where you can see wolves and half-day trails among oaks and hollies. Sleep in Puebla and get around by car: everything is less than half an hour away.
Where to sleep
| Accommodation | Where | For whom |
|---|---|---|
| Parador de Puebla de Sanabria | Lower part of the town, with parking | Families: seasonal pool, playground, padel |
| Posada Real La Cartería | Inside the town, on the Rúa | Couples: eight rooms, sauna, dining rooms in wine cellars |
| Motorhome area | El Pinar sports area, 800 m away | Motorhomes: €5 for 24 hours |
The Parador closes from 3 January to 1 March 2027.
If you walk more
Swap Sunday for the Sotillo waterfall: a 6 km circuit with 400 m of ascent from Sotillo de Sanabria, three hours, among hollies. Or on Saturday, the lake and monks trail: 12 km along the shore and San Martín de Castañeda. For the strongest, from the Laguna de los Peces the route to Peña Trevinca starts, 2,172 m and ten hours: never in fog.
In summer
The plan turns into a lake plan: the beaches of Arenales de Vigo, El Folgoso, Custa Llago and Viquiella in the morning, trails first thing or last. The castle opens in summer from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 21:00, and the Park House every day. The Helios catamaran was in the shipyard in autumn 2026: check before you go.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Lake Sanabria and Puebla de Sanabria, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Lake Sanabria and Puebla de Sanabria
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
By car, along the A-52 and unhurried by the shore
Sanabria is explored by car: Puebla is next to the A-52, the motorway from Benavente to Ourense, and the lake is about 15 minutes away along the ZA-104. The beaches, Ribadelago, San Martín de Castañeda and the Laguna de los Peces are on different roads, so the car does not stay still.
70–130 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepParador, in the lower part…
- Getting aroundExit 79 of the A-52…
- EatLa Posada, on the Plaza…
- ServicesTourist office inside the castle
Sleep
- Parador, in the lower part of Puebla, with parking and a seasonal pool
- La Cartería, inside the medieval town, on the Rúa
Getting around
- Exit 79 of the A-52 from Madrid and Zamora, exit 85 from Galicia
- You cannot park on the Plaza Mayor in season: leave the car by the river
- The road to the Laguna de los Peces may have snow in winter
Eat
- La Posada, on the Plaza Mayor, every day except Wednesday
- Parador restaurant, with parking
Services
- Tourist office inside the castle
- Park House at Rabanillo, on the way to the lake
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
© ParadoresHotel
© Posada Real La CarteríaSmall hotelPosada Real La Cartería
Why we like it: Eight rooms in an 18th-century house on the Rúa, inside the medieval town, with views of the Tera, sauna, Turkish bath and cellar dining rooms.
Campervan area
Puebla de Sanabria Campervan Area
Why we like it: Fenced and monitored municipal area beside the River Tera, 800 m from the old town, with emptying and water filling · €5 per 24 hours.
From €5
View details
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Puebla de Sanabria | Castle, medieval town, Parador | |
| Lake shore | Beaches, Ribadelago, Park Visitor Centre | |
| San Martín de Castañeda | Monastery, viewpoints, climb to the lagoons |
Where to eat
Where to eat in Lake Sanabria and Puebla de Sanabria
La Posada de la Puebla de Sanabria
What to order: habones to start and the Sanabrian beef chuletón to share.
© ParadoresRestaurant of the Parador de Puebla de Sanabria
What to order: Sanabrian-style octopus and habones.
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© Posada Real La CarteríaRestaurant of the Posada Real La Cartería
What to order: the Tera trout or some tostas by the tavern fireplace.
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Book the Wolf Centre as soon as you decide on the trip: visits run in sittings and you can't get in without a booking.
We'd skip it
Summer long weekends if you want calm: the lake fills up and the narrow road to the Laguna de los Peces jams.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Zamora?
A little over an hour by car on the A-66 and A-52 to Puebla de Sanabria.
How much does the weekend cost?
It depends mainly on the accommodation. Tickets are cheap: castle €4, monastery €1, Park House €1 and Wolf Centre €8.
Is it a good plan with children?
Yes: castle, wolves, a lagoon you reach on a flat walk and, in summer, a beach. The Parador has a playground and a pool.
And in winter?
The town and the castle, yes. The road to the Laguna de los Peces may have snow, and the monastery is closed from 1 January to 8 February.
Do I need a car?
Yes. The lake, San Martín de Castañeda, the lagoons and Robledo are on different roads, with no practical transport between them.