# Segovia

Roman aqueduct, cathedral and Alcázar within a kilometre of streets, an hour from Madrid: what to see, 2026 opening hours, where to eat suckling pig and where to sleep.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/segovia · Revisado: 2026-11-12

Segovia is a small city high on a crag, between the Eresma and Clamores rivers, with the Sierra de Guadarrama to the south. What people come to see fits into one walk: the Aqueduct at one end, the Alcázar at the other and the cathedral in the middle, in the Plaza Mayor. Between the three there is little more than a kilometre of streets. That is why it can be seen in a day from Madrid, and why it is worth staying a night: at dusk, when the groups leave, the city goes quiet and the monuments are lit up.

## How do I get there from Madrid?

By car, along the A-6, allow a little over an hour; the route planner gives around an hour and a quarter to the Azoguejo. The last stretch is through the Guadarrama tunnel or over the Navacerrada pass, which can have snow in winter. Without a car you have three options. The AVE reaches Segovia-Guiomar station in about 30 minutes, but the station is 6 km from the centre and you have to continue by city bus or taxi. The Avanza bus drops you at the station on Paseo Ezequiel González, a few minutes' walk from the Aqueduct. And the regional train from Atocha, changing at Cercedilla, takes about two hours and arrives at a station close to the centre. From Valladolid the AVE takes about half an hour; from Ávila it is about 60 minutes by car.

## Where do I park?

Don't try to reach the Azoguejo or the Plaza Mayor by car: the old town has restricted traffic. Turismo de Segovia lists about ten car parks; for the centre, the most practical are the University one, a few minutes' walk from the Aqueduct, the Cathedral and the Alcázar, and Oblatas, next to the old town. If you travel by motorhome, the municipal area on Calle Campo Azálvaro, next to the bullring, is free and has ten spaces with water and waste emptying.

## How much time do I need?

A day covers the essentials if you start early: the Aqueduct first thing, cathedral and Plaza Mayor, lunch, and the Alcázar in the afternoon. What is left out in one day is the walk along the Eresma valley, the Casa de Moneda and the view of the city from the Vera Cruz or Zamarramala, which explain Segovia best. With a night you do everything without rushing and can also go ballooning at dawn.

## What to see, in order

Aqueduct. 2nd century, 167 granite arches without mortar. Free, outdoors.

Cathedral. In the Plaza Mayor. Entry from €4; the tower, only with a guide.

Alcázar. On the tip of the crag. Palace €7, with museum and tower €10. In November it is open every day from 10:00 to 18:00.

Puerta de San Andrés and Jewish Quarter. A stretch of wall and the Jewish quarter.

Royal Mint. Philip II's mint by the river, with the Aqueduct Interpretation Centre. Free on Wednesdays that are not public holidays.

Eresma Valley and Vera Cruz. The walk that shows you the city from below.

The municipal museums —Casa de Moneda, the Antonio Machado House-Museum, the Judería and Puerta de San Andrés— are free on Wednesdays that are not public holidays. The Alcázar is free for EU citizens on Tuesdays that are not public holidays from 14:00 to 16:00, palace only.

## What is there to eat?

Roast suckling pig and judiones beans from La Granja, above all. The classic roast houses are between the Aqueduct and the Plaza Mayor: the Mesón de Cándido at the Azoguejo, open every day; Casa Duque on Calle Cervantes, more than 130 years old, and José María next to the Plaza Mayor, with a kitchen open without a break from 12:00. Always book at the weekend. If you don't want a long meal, the tapas bars in these same places do the job.

## When should I go?

In spring and autumn there is good light and a temperature for walking. In winter there is dry cold and the odd snowfall, but the streets are easy to walk and there are fewer people. In summer the mornings are cool and at midday it is best to be inside a monument. Avoid, if you can, long-weekend Sunday lunchtimes: the Azoguejo fills up and the roast houses have no tables.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: The Central System
- Cerca: Navacerrada Pass and Cercedilla (a 20.6 km), Lozoya Valley: Rascafría, El Paular and Peñalara (a 20.7 km), Manzanares el Real and La Pedriza (a 30.6 km), Pedraza (a 32.9 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Segovia Aqueduct from the Azoguejo** (45 min · Everyone · Independent visit · free): The Aqueduct of Segovia was built in the 2nd century AD and carried water to the city for almost 2,000 years. It has 167 granite arches made of blocks held in place by a balance of forces, without mortar, and forms part of a channel of more than 16 km, from the weir in the Sierra de Guadarrama to the Alcázar. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site, together with the old city, in 1985. Its highest stretch, about 28 metres, crosses the Plaza del Azoguejo, and that is where almost any visit to Segovia begins.
Below, above and alongside
Look at it first from below, in the Azoguejo, and then go up the stairway that starts beside the arches to the viewpoint on the wall: from above you see the channel the water ran along and the new town on the other side. Then follow the aqueduct towards avenida de Fernández Ladreda, where it loses height, and you understand how it descends with the slope. At the top of the arches there are two niches; in one, from 1520 to 2015, stood the image of the Virgin, and in the other, Saint Sebastian, patron saint of purse-makers.
With a guide and the sand-trap
In the Azoguejo is the Segovia Tourism Visitor Reception Centre. From there leaves the guided tour "Get to Know the Aqueduct of Segovia and the Desarenador", for €10, which includes the desarenador, the tank where the water dropped its sand before entering the city. Ask there for the days and times of departure.
The interpretation centre, in the Mint
To understand how it was built, the Aqueduct Interpretation Centre, in the Royal Mint, has three dioramas: collecting the water, the granite quarry and the construction of the stretch between pillars 105 and 115 with nearly a hundred workers. It holds the original sculpture of the Virgin of the Aqueduct, 1.86 metres tall and about 800 kilos. Admission to the centre costs €2; with the Mint and the Jardín del Rey, €5. It is open Wednesday to Sunday (on Sundays, mornings only) and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays; on non-holiday Wednesdays it is free.
With children
The aqueduct is free, outdoors and has no compulsory steps. Children are impressed that it has no cement: look with them for the holes in the blocks, where the clamps fitted to lift the stones. If you are with a dog, keep it on a lead: it is a public street.
Onwards
From the Azoguejo, calle Real climbs towards the cathedral and the Plaza Mayor. For lunch nearby, the Mesón de Cándido is at the foot of the aqueduct.
- **Royal Alcázar of Segovia and the Tower of Juan II** (1 h 30 · Everyone; the tower, if you have no fear of heights · Desde 7 € per person): The Alcázar occupies the tip of the crag on which old Segovia sits, where the valleys of the Eresma and the Clamores meet. Its keep is often compared to the prow of a ship, and, according to the Alcázar itself, Walt Disney took inspiration from its silhouette for Snow White's castle. Inside you walk through the palace rooms and the Artillery Museum, and separately you climb the Tower of Juan II, the one with the view over the city and the Sierra de Guadarrama.
From fortress to Trastámara palace
The first mentions of the "castle of Segovia" and the "Alcaçar" are from between 1124 and 1139. Alfonso X convened the Cortes here in 1256. The great alterations began with Catherine of Lancaster in 1412 and reached their peak with Juan II and Henry IV, when the Alcázar held the kingdom's treasure, archive and armoury. In 1474 Isabella of Castile was proclaimed queen from here, and in 1570 Philip II married Anne of Austria in it. Afterwards it became the Royal Artillery College. Among what you see inside: the Galley Room, the stained glass in the Throne Room, the chapel, the dadoes, Charles V's crossbow or the chemistry laboratory.
The Tower of Juan II
You climb 152 steps on a spiral staircase, with no lift, and on the tower visit you cannot spend more than 25 minutes at the top. Minors cannot go up alone. Tickets with the tower are the first to sell out at weekends, long weekends and public holidays.
Hours and tickets
It is open every day without closing at midday: from 1 November to 31 March, from 10:00 to 18:00, and from 1 April to 31 October, from 10:00 to 19:30. Sales and entry end half an hour before closing. In 2026, on 4 December it opens from 14:30 to 18:00, on 24 and 31 December from 10:00 to 14:30, and on 25 December it is closed.
Admission to the palace costs €7, €5 reduced; palace, museum and tower, €10, €8 reduced. The guided tour or the audioguide add €3.50. On non-holiday Tuesdays, from 14:00 to 16:00, the palace and museum are free for citizens of the European Union who buy their ticket at the ticket office. Tickets are limited: buy them in advance on its website. The palace and museum are seen independently in about 40 or 45 minutes. The busiest time is usually from 11:00 to 13:30.
Accessibility and rules
The palace and museum are accessible by ramps; the tower is not. Two wheelchairs are lent free of charge, there is an adapted toilet in the Casa de la Química and two parking spaces for people with reduced mobility next to the small square. Pets are not admitted, except guide dogs, either in the Alcázar or in the gardens of Plaza de la Reina Victoria Eugenia; under-16s must always be accompanied. There is no left-luggage.
Along calle Daoíz
On foot from the Plaza Mayor along calle Daoíz, about ten minutes. In front of you is the small square, with gardens open from 8:00 to 22:00. Afterwards, go down to the Eresma valley and the Vera Cruz to see the prow from below, and return along the wall and the Jewish quarter.
- **Segovia Cathedral and Tower Visit** (1 h · Everyone; the tower, with a guide · Desde 4 € per person): The cathedral closes the Plaza Mayor to the west and its tower can be seen from any viewpoint in the city. You visit the church, the cloister and the Bishop's Palace, included in the ticket.
Why it is here
Segovia previously had a Romanesque cathedral in front of the Alcázar, but it was destroyed in the War of the Communities, in 1521. The new one was begun in 1525 in the centre of the upper city, with the help of the townspeople and under the direction of the Gil de Hontañón family. It is late Gothic, built when the Renaissance was already arriving, and because of the height and depth of its aisles it is called the "Lady of Cathedrals".
What to see inside
Inside, the slenderness of the pillars and the light in the aisles stand out. Walk around the side chapels, each with its altarpiece, and stop at that of the Holy Sacrament, the one highlighted by Castilla y León Tourism. Then go out to the cloister. The ticket also includes the Bishop's Palace, on the other side of the square, with its own exhibitions. Allow an hour for the church and cloister, and half an hour more if you climb the tower.
The tower, one of the tallest in Spain, can only be climbed with a guide and in a group. At the top you see the whole city, the Alcázar and the Sierra de Guadarrama.
Hours and price
From 18 September to 4 April 2027 it is open Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 18:30 and on Sundays from 13:00 to 18:30, with last entry half an hour before. General admission costs €4, €3 reduced. The tower can only be climbed with a guide, at 10:30, 12:00, 13:30, 15:00 and 16:30: cathedral without a guide plus guided tower, €7. On Sundays from 9:00 to 10:00 admission to the church is free, and under-7s do not pay. During services tourist visits are not allowed. There is also a guided visit to the cathedral plus the tower for €10. Phone: 921 462 205; website, catedralsegovia.es.
How to fit it in
It is on the Plaza Mayor, so it is the centre of any route: from the Aqueduct you get there in a quarter of an hour walking up calle Real, and from here you go down to the Alcázar in ten minutes. The Jewish Quarter and the Puerta de San Andrés are a few minutes' walk away.
- **Royal Mint and Aqueduct Interpretation Centre** (1 h 30 · Families and anyone curious about technology · Desde 5 € per person): It is one of the few 16th-century industrial buildings still standing: it was built by Juan de Herrera, Philip II's architect, beside the Eresma, to mint coins using the power of the river. The ticket includes the museum, the temporary exhibitions and the Aqueduct Interpretation Centre.
What you see
It operated as a royal mint from 1586 to 1869, and Turespaña presents it as the oldest example of industrial architecture in Spain still standing. The best part is outside: in the outer courtyard part of the hydraulic system is preserved, with the dam over the Eresma, and the wooden channels and the wheels that drive the forge have been reproduced as in the 16th century. It is worth stopping to see how the river water entered the building and turned the machines, the so-called ingenios.
Inside, the museum explains how coins were minted, first at the city's old mint and then at this Real Ingenio, with rooms such as the engraving room and the room of scales and assaying. With the reform under Charles III, Francisco Sabatini replaced the wheel-driven minting machines with screw presses, and only the rolling wheels remained. There is an audioguide, and the guided tour helps to understand the machines.
In the same complex, the Aqueduct Interpretation Centre is a modern, interactive and multimedia space on the two thousand years of history of the Aqueduct.
Hours and price
Wednesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 18:00; Sundays from 10:00 to 14:30. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. General admission €5, €6 with a guided tour and €4 reduced; on non-holiday Wednesdays it is free. There are guided tours Wednesday to Saturday at 12:00 and 16:30, and on Sunday at 12:00. Phone: 921 475 109; email, casademoneda@turismodesegovia.com. Tickets can be bought on the Segovia Tourism booking website.
Getting there
Go down from the Puerta de San Andrés or from the Alcázar towards the river: it is on calle de la Moneda, on the other side of the Eresma. It is a good starting point for the walk along the Eresma valley, which continues along the Alameda del Parral towards San Marcos and the Vera Cruz. The return to the upper city is uphill: allow a quarter of an hour to the Alcázar or the Puerta de San Andrés.
- **San Andrés Gate, the City Walls and the Jewish Quarter** (1 h 30 · Everyone · Desde 2 € per person): The San Andrés Gate, in Plaza del Socorro, was the entrance to the Jewish Quarter from the south. Inside is the Walls Information Centre (Espacio Informativo de la Muralla), which explains the circuit and lets you look out from the top. Two minutes away, the Jewish Quarter Interpretation Centre (Centro Didáctico de la Judería) tells the story of Segovia's Jewish community up to 1492.
What you see
The gate, restored in the 16th century and flanked by one round and one square tower, is one of the three that survive of the seven the walls once had. That is why the whole circuit is explained here: how it encircled the upper town above the Eresma and Clamores valleys, and which stretches are still standing. From the top you look out over the southern slope, with the Clamores valley and, opposite, the hillside of El Pinarillo, where the Jewish cemetery of the Cuesta de los Hoyos lay for more than two centuries.
Once through the gate you enter the old Jewish Quarter. Between the 13th and 14th centuries Segovia had an important Jewish community, of noble and humble families alike, living alongside their Christian neighbours. The Interpretation Centre occupies part of the house of Abraham Seneor, chief rabbi of the Jewish communities of Castile, and is a modern, interactive museum on the history, customs and trades of the city's Sephardic Jews.
The Jewish Quarter on foot
From the Interpretation Centre, the streets of the Jewish Quarter climb towards the cathedral. On Calle Juan Bravo stands the former Main Synagogue, now the church of Corpus Christi, consecrated for Catholic worship between 1373 and 1419: it has an entrance courtyard and three aisles separated by horseshoe arches on octagonal pillars. If you have time and energy for more walking, go on down to the Jewish cemetery of El Pinarillo, outside the walls.
Opening hours and prices
San Andrés Gate: every day from 10:00 to 14:00; €2 standard and €1 reduced, free on Wednesdays that are not public holidays. Jewish Quarter Interpretation Centre: Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 18:00, Sunday from 10:00 to 13:00; €3 standard, €2 reduced, with a daily guided visit at 13:00 (book by 12:30). Telephone: 921 461 297 and 921 462 396. As opening hours change with the season, check with the tourist office before you go.
From the Plaza Mayor it takes about ten minutes, walking down Calle de la Judería Vieja or past the cathedral.
- **Walk along the Eresma Valley to the Vera Cruz** (2 h 30 · 6 km · Everyone; there are slopes · Self-guided · free): This is the walk suggested by Segovia Tourism for leaving the upper town without taking the car. You go down from the Azoguejo along Calle Gascos or Vía Roma to the San Lorenzo district, with its square of traditional houses and its Romanesque church with a brick tower. You continue along the Alameda de Santa Ana, beside the river and past convents, as far as the El Parral monastery, then cross the Eresma towards the Royal Mint and the San Marcos district.
The Vera Cruz and the view of the Alcázar
Beside the road that climbs from San Marcos to Zamarramala stands the Vera Cruz, a Romanesque church with a polygonal plan. From there you see the Alcázar like a ship's prow above the two rivers; a little higher up, from the Zamarramala viewpoint, you take in the whole skyline of Alcázar, walls, San Esteban and cathedral.
Going inside the Vera Cruz
The church dates from 1208 and is of Templar origin, according to Castilla y León Tourism. Outside it has twelve sides and a square tower; inside, a circular nave surrounds a two-storey central chapel. Downstairs, the floor plan feels like a crypt with rib vaults; upstairs, reached by a staircase, there is a vault in the Caliphate style and a block with arches that served as an altar and may represent the Holy Sepulchre. It is well worth going in.
From 1 October to 27 March it opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 to 13:30 and from 16:30 to 18:00; from 15 June to 30 September, the afternoon session runs until 18:30, and in spring the afternoons are open only Friday to Sunday. It is closed on Mondays. Admission €3, reduced €2. Telephone 921 431 475. As the hours change with the season and there are occasional closures, call ahead if you are doing the walk just for this.
The route in practice
The distance is approximate: about 6 km, counting the return to the upper town by the San Cebrián Gate or up alongside the walls.
If you want to split the walk, the Royal Mint is halfway along, beside the river, and is open Wednesday to Sunday. Back in the upper town, the Alcázar is just a step away. Part of the way to the Vera Cruz runs beside the road, so take care with small children.
- **Antonio Machado House Museum** (45 min · Readers and the curious · Desde 4 € per person): Antonio Machado lived in this boarding house during his years as a teacher in Segovia. The house museum, run by Segovia Tourism, shows his room and explains the poet's life in the city. It is at calle de los Desamparados, 5, in the upper city, five minutes from the Plaza Mayor.
The story of the house
Machado arrived in Segovia on 25 November 1919 to take up the chair of French at the Instituto General y Técnico. Within a few days he moved into the boarding house run by Luisa Torrego, and he kept his room here until 1932. In Segovia he founded, with other writers and artists, the Universidad Popular, which after the poet's death bought the house and opened a first simple museum. Later it was acquired by the Royal Academy of History and Art of San Quirce, which maintains it as a permanent memorial. It is declared an Asset of Cultural Interest.
What you see
The house is kept modest and almost bare, with period furniture. The poet's room remains intact. On the walls hang portraits of him based on photographs, oil paintings, drawings and posters by Rafael Peñuelas, Jesús Unturbe, Álvaro Delgado and Pablo Picasso, alongside images of Leonor and Guiomar and other mementos from his years in the city. In the small garden, among rose bushes and ivy, there is a copy of the bust Emiliano Barral made of him in 1920 and a ceramic panel by Julián López Parras.
Hours and price
Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 18:00; Sundays from 10:00 to 14:30. Last entry is a quarter of an hour before closing, and on public holidays the hours may change. Guided tour every day at 10:00, in Spanish only.
General admission costs €4 with an audioguide and €5 with a guided tour; reduced (students up to 25, over-65s and others), €3 and €4. Under-12s, teachers, people with a disability of at least 33% and official guides enter free, although the audioguide or the guide is paid separately. On non-holiday Wednesdays admission is free, not including the audioguide. The guided tour is bought online on the Segovia Tourism ticket website. Phone: 921 460 377; email, informacion.casamachado@turismodesegovia.com. If you cannot go, the website offers a virtual tour.
Nearby
The house is close to Plaza de San Esteban. From here you go down in a few minutes to the cathedral and the Plaza Mayor, and on towards the Alcázar.
- **Hot-air balloon flight over Segovia at sunrise** (3 h · Couples and families with older children · Desde 205 € per person): Siempre en las Nubes flies balloons over Segovia every day of the year, weekdays included, as long as the forecast allows: no wind and no rain. Take-off is shortly after sunrise from Segovia's flying field, about 500 metres from the walls, so the meeting time changes with the season. The flight lasts about an hour and the whole activity around three.
The morning, from start to finish
You meet the team at the flying field very early. You watch the balloon being set up and inflated, then climb into the basket with the pilot. Take-off is very gentle; the company insists that even people with a fear of heights enjoy it. The balloon cannot be steered: it goes where the wind takes it, so you never land in the same place twice, but you will usually pass close to the cathedral, the Aqueduct and the Alcázar and carry on over the surrounding fields, where you can see griffon vultures, kestrels, buzzards and kites, and with luck a golden eagle or a peregrine falcon. Sometimes other balloons fly at the same time.
After landing the balloon is packed away and there is a toast with cava in the field, with a picnic, and each passenger receives a baptism-of-flight certificate.
Price and what is included
The flight in Segovia costs €205 per person; there is also a night flight, from €225. It includes the one-hour flight, the toast, the picnic, the certificate, a high-definition video and a photo report of the experience, and the compulsory third-party liability insurance. Pick-up in Madrid, a vegetarian menu or a gift box can be requested as extras. You book online, choosing the date and area, or by email; if the weather does not allow flying, the date is changed. Passengers also get free guided visits and tickets from Segovia Tourism.
What to wear
First thing in the morning it is cold in Segovia even in midsummer. In the basket it is no colder than on the ground: wear clothes for a country walk at that time of year and closed sports shoes.
Who it is for
For couples and families with older children; ask about the minimum age when booking.
The night before and the rest of the day
Since the meeting is at sunrise, it is best to sleep in Segovia: the Hotel Infanta Isabel, on the Plaza Mayor, or the Parador, on the outskirts with parking. After the flight you have the whole day for the city.

## Dónde comer
- **Mesón de Cándido** (Restaurant, Segovia, €€€). Qué pedir: roast suckling pig and, to start, judiones de La Granja.
- **José María Restaurant** (Restaurant, Segovia, €€€). Qué pedir: suckling pig with the guarantee mark from its own farm, or tapas at the bar if you are in a hurry.
- **Casa Duque** (Restaurant, Segovia, €€€). Qué pedir: roast suckling pig or lamb from the wood-fired oven; tapas at Las Cuevas de Duque.

## By car: Segovia by car, with a base outside the walls
From Madrid you arrive via the A-6 in a little over an hour. The car is for the surrounding area, not for the old town: leave it in a car park and explore the city on foot.
Presupuesto orientativo: 70–130 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hotel Infanta Isabel** (Hotel, desde 56 € / night): Hotel Infanta Isabel occupies a late 19th-century building at number 12 on Segovia's Plaza Mayor, right opposite the cathedral. It belongs to the Recordis Hotels group. What you pay for here is the location: many rooms have a balcony onto the square and the cathedral, and from the door you can walk to the whole old town.
Thirty-nine rooms, six types
The hotel has 39 rooms decorated in late 19th-century taste, with parquet floors, soundproofed windows, air conditioning, a safe and free wifi. Rates start at €56 a night on its website.

Double: outward-facing, up to 20 m², with two beds or a double bed.
Double with square view: with a balcony onto the Plaza Mayor.
Superior with square view: 30 m² and three balconies onto the square, the cathedral and the main pedestrian street.
Triple: 30 m², double bed and sofa bed or extra bed.
Family: 35 m², 1.80 m bed and a bunk bed, for four; for five, ask.

If you want a balcony onto the square, ask when you book: they try subject to availability.
Breakfast, no restaurant
There is no restaurant; it serves a buffet breakfast from 8:00 to 10:30. For lunch, the square is full of roast houses: José María, a few steps away, or Casa Duque, down towards the Aqueduct.
Car: garage with valet parking
The historic centre is no place for a car. The hotel has a private garage with valet service, from 8:00 to 23:00, for €16 a night; it is 400 metres away and spaces are limited, so book it. Outside those hours there is an agreement with the Parking del Acueducto. The Segovia-Guiomar high-speed station is 4 km away, with a city bus and taxis; Madrid-Barajas is about 90 km away, with a transfer for €150 per vehicle if requested 72 hours ahead.
What is shared with the Hotel Real
Guests can use the rental bicycles, gym, reading rooms and panoramic terraces of the Hotel Real, from the same group, five minutes away on foot. In summer they also get free access to the pools and courts of the Casino de la Unión, in Hontanares de Eresma, a quarter of an hour by car.
Conditions
Check-in from 15:00 and check-out until 12:00; late check-out until 18:00 costs €30, subject to availability. Reception open 24 hours. Pets are not admitted. Babysitting is available on request. Cancellation depends on the rate.
Opposite is the cathedral, and if you are going on the balloon flight at sunrise, sleeping here saves you the early start from Madrid.
- **Parador de Segovia** (Hotel): The Parador de Segovia is a modern building surrounded by gardens, about three kilometres from the old town, from where you can see the city's whole monumental skyline. Inside it is decorated in classic style, with a spacious lobby and a lounge with a large fireplace. It is the choice for those who prefer a pool, a garden and parking to sleeping inside the walls.
The city, seen from across the way
What makes this Parador special is the panorama. You see it from the gardens, from the outdoor pool and from the heated one, which has glass walls, and from some rooms, which have a furnished terrace looking out at Segovia. The restaurant, with a wood-fired oven, also boasts the best views of the monumental city.
Rooms
There are standard doubles and junior suites, in warm colours, with air conditioning, television with Chromecast, minibar, a safe with room for a laptop and free wifi. You can order breakfast or room service, and there is a laundry. Rates are on the Paradores website, room only, with breakfast or half board.
Two pools and a sauna
The outdoor pool is seasonal; the heated one, with sauna, opens in the winter season Monday to Friday from 17:00 to 21:00, on Saturdays from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 21:00, and on Sundays from 10:00 to 17:00; on public holidays and long weekends, ask. There is also a sun terrace and fifteen event rooms.
Wood-fired roasts
The restaurant serves Segovian cooking: suckling pig and milk-fed lamb roasted in a wood-fired oven, judiones and garlic soup, with the city in the background. The café has access to the terrace. The Parador also organises astrotourism activities.
Getting there and parking
You enter from the Valladolid road, the A-601 (the Parador is at kilometre 107), or from the SG-20 ring road, taking the A-601 exit towards La Lastrilla. It has free outdoor parking, a paid garage and an electric-car charging point. To the centre you need to go by car or taxi: it is a few minutes' drive to the Aqueduct.
For day trips
From here you set off without crossing the city towards La Granja, Pedraza or the Duratón Gorges. And if you are going on the balloon flight at sunrise, the flying field is close to the walls, a few minutes by car.
- **Camping Acueducto** (Campsite): Camping Acueducto opened in 1979 and has the official number CT-SG-1. It is on the La Granja road, km 112, three kilometres from the city centre, in open Castilian countryside with views of the Sierra de Guadarrama. It is the choice for sleeping in Segovia with a tent, caravan or campervan, or in a bungalow, and taking the bus down to the old town.
Pitches of 60 to 90 square metres
The pitches are spacious, from 60 to 90 m², many of them shaded, and have water, electricity and drainage; you park the car on the pitch itself. There is a swimming pool, with a children's pool, a play area and a laundry. The 2026 rates include VAT and change with the season: high in July, August, Easter and long weekends; medium while the pool is open; low, the rest of the time. The pitch, which includes one person, one car and a tent or caravan, costs €24 a day in the medium season and €21 in the low; each child aged 3 to 10, €7 and €6, and electricity, €6.50 in the medium season. For the other rates, call 681 382 190 or 921 425 000.
Three bungalows

Básico: 12 m², two beds and an extra bed, for three. Outdoor kitchen, no bathroom inside and no fridge. From €56 a day in the low season.
Lux: 18 m², bedroom and living room-kitchen with sofa bed, fridge, microwave, television and bathroom. For four. From €76.
Gitotel: 40 m², two bedrooms (one with a bunk bed), full kitchen and bathroom, for five. From €115.

All have heating, terrace table and chairs, kitchenware and bed linen (bath linen too, except in the Básico). The price includes parking and the pool. To book you pay 50% in advance within 48 hours; if you cancel more than two weeks ahead, you lose half of that payment; with less than two weeks, 80%, and with less than one, all of it.
To the centre without a car
The city bus stops 150 metres away, every 15 minutes, and drops you at the foot of the Aqueduct. From the campsite there is also a cycle and footpath to the Pontón Alto reservoir, already in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park. La Granja de San Ildefonso is 7 km away, and the balloon flights take off about 3 km away.
Rules
Check-in and check-out are from 12:00. Quiet hours are from 0:00 to 8:00, and during those hours no cars move around inside. In the pool, shower before bathing and under-12s must always be with an adult. Dogs should be checked at reception: in general they are admitted, on a lead, supervised and never left alone at the campsite.
### Servicios
- **City-centre car parks**: Public car parks next to the Aqueduct, Oblatas and the University · the old town has restricted traffic

## Car-free: Segovia without a car, by train or bus
Segovia is one of the few getaways from Madrid that works just as well without a car: everything important is within walking distance between the Aqueduct and the Alcázar.
Presupuesto orientativo: 60–110 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Hotel Infanta Isabel** (Hotel, desde 56 € / night): Hotel Infanta Isabel occupies a late 19th-century building at number 12 on Segovia's Plaza Mayor, right opposite the cathedral. It belongs to the Recordis Hotels group. What you pay for here is the location: many rooms have a balcony onto the square and the cathedral, and from the door you can walk to the whole old town.
Thirty-nine rooms, six types
The hotel has 39 rooms decorated in late 19th-century taste, with parquet floors, soundproofed windows, air conditioning, a safe and free wifi. Rates start at €56 a night on its website.

Double: outward-facing, up to 20 m², with two beds or a double bed.
Double with square view: with a balcony onto the Plaza Mayor.
Superior with square view: 30 m² and three balconies onto the square, the cathedral and the main pedestrian street.
Triple: 30 m², double bed and sofa bed or extra bed.
Family: 35 m², 1.80 m bed and a bunk bed, for four; for five, ask.

If you want a balcony onto the square, ask when you book: they try subject to availability.
Breakfast, no restaurant
There is no restaurant; it serves a buffet breakfast from 8:00 to 10:30. For lunch, the square is full of roast houses: José María, a few steps away, or Casa Duque, down towards the Aqueduct.
Car: garage with valet parking
The historic centre is no place for a car. The hotel has a private garage with valet service, from 8:00 to 23:00, for €16 a night; it is 400 metres away and spaces are limited, so book it. Outside those hours there is an agreement with the Parking del Acueducto. The Segovia-Guiomar high-speed station is 4 km away, with a city bus and taxis; Madrid-Barajas is about 90 km away, with a transfer for €150 per vehicle if requested 72 hours ahead.
What is shared with the Hotel Real
Guests can use the rental bicycles, gym, reading rooms and panoramic terraces of the Hotel Real, from the same group, five minutes away on foot. In summer they also get free access to the pools and courts of the Casino de la Unión, in Hontanares de Eresma, a quarter of an hour by car.
Conditions
Check-in from 15:00 and check-out until 12:00; late check-out until 18:00 costs €30, subject to availability. Reception open 24 hours. Pets are not admitted. Babysitting is available on request. Cancellation depends on the rate.
Opposite is the cathedral, and if you are going on the balloon flight at sunrise, sleeping here saves you the early start from Madrid.
- **Camping Acueducto** (Campsite): Camping Acueducto opened in 1979 and has the official number CT-SG-1. It is on the La Granja road, km 112, three kilometres from the city centre, in open Castilian countryside with views of the Sierra de Guadarrama. It is the choice for sleeping in Segovia with a tent, caravan or campervan, or in a bungalow, and taking the bus down to the old town.
Pitches of 60 to 90 square metres
The pitches are spacious, from 60 to 90 m², many of them shaded, and have water, electricity and drainage; you park the car on the pitch itself. There is a swimming pool, with a children's pool, a play area and a laundry. The 2026 rates include VAT and change with the season: high in July, August, Easter and long weekends; medium while the pool is open; low, the rest of the time. The pitch, which includes one person, one car and a tent or caravan, costs €24 a day in the medium season and €21 in the low; each child aged 3 to 10, €7 and €6, and electricity, €6.50 in the medium season. For the other rates, call 681 382 190 or 921 425 000.
Three bungalows

Básico: 12 m², two beds and an extra bed, for three. Outdoor kitchen, no bathroom inside and no fridge. From €56 a day in the low season.
Lux: 18 m², bedroom and living room-kitchen with sofa bed, fridge, microwave, television and bathroom. For four. From €76.
Gitotel: 40 m², two bedrooms (one with a bunk bed), full kitchen and bathroom, for five. From €115.

All have heating, terrace table and chairs, kitchenware and bed linen (bath linen too, except in the Básico). The price includes parking and the pool. To book you pay 50% in advance within 48 hours; if you cancel more than two weeks ahead, you lose half of that payment; with less than two weeks, 80%, and with less than one, all of it.
To the centre without a car
The city bus stops 150 metres away, every 15 minutes, and drops you at the foot of the Aqueduct. From the campsite there is also a cycle and footpath to the Pontón Alto reservoir, already in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park. La Granja de San Ildefonso is 7 km away, and the balloon flights take off about 3 km away.
Rules
Check-in and check-out are from 12:00. Quiet hours are from 0:00 to 8:00, and during those hours no cars move around inside. In the pool, shower before bathing and under-12s must always be with an adult. Dogs should be checked at reception: in general they are admitted, on a lead, supervised and never left alone at the campsite.
### Servicios
- **Bus from Madrid**: Avanza's Madrid – Segovia line · arrives at the bus station on Paseo Ezequiel González, minutes from the centre
- **Segovia-Guiomar AVE Station**: High-speed trains from Madrid in about 30 minutes · the station is 6 km from the centre, with a tourist information point

## By campervan: Segovia by campervan
You have two options: the free municipal area, next to the bullring, or the campsite, with pitches with water, electricity and drainage three kilometres away.
Presupuesto orientativo: 40–80 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir in a campervan
- **Camping Acueducto** (Campsite): Camping Acueducto opened in 1979 and has the official number CT-SG-1. It is on the La Granja road, km 112, three kilometres from the city centre, in open Castilian countryside with views of the Sierra de Guadarrama. It is the choice for sleeping in Segovia with a tent, caravan or campervan, or in a bungalow, and taking the bus down to the old town.
Pitches of 60 to 90 square metres
The pitches are spacious, from 60 to 90 m², many of them shaded, and have water, electricity and drainage; you park the car on the pitch itself. There is a swimming pool, with a children's pool, a play area and a laundry. The 2026 rates include VAT and change with the season: high in July, August, Easter and long weekends; medium while the pool is open; low, the rest of the time. The pitch, which includes one person, one car and a tent or caravan, costs €24 a day in the medium season and €21 in the low; each child aged 3 to 10, €7 and €6, and electricity, €6.50 in the medium season. For the other rates, call 681 382 190 or 921 425 000.
Three bungalows

Básico: 12 m², two beds and an extra bed, for three. Outdoor kitchen, no bathroom inside and no fridge. From €56 a day in the low season.
Lux: 18 m², bedroom and living room-kitchen with sofa bed, fridge, microwave, television and bathroom. For four. From €76.
Gitotel: 40 m², two bedrooms (one with a bunk bed), full kitchen and bathroom, for five. From €115.

All have heating, terrace table and chairs, kitchenware and bed linen (bath linen too, except in the Básico). The price includes parking and the pool. To book you pay 50% in advance within 48 hours; if you cancel more than two weeks ahead, you lose half of that payment; with less than two weeks, 80%, and with less than one, all of it.
To the centre without a car
The city bus stops 150 metres away, every 15 minutes, and drops you at the foot of the Aqueduct. From the campsite there is also a cycle and footpath to the Pontón Alto reservoir, already in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park. La Granja de San Ildefonso is 7 km away, and the balloon flights take off about 3 km away.
Rules
Check-in and check-out are from 12:00. Quiet hours are from 0:00 to 8:00, and during those hours no cars move around inside. In the pool, shower before bathing and under-12s must always be with an adult. Dogs should be checked at reception: in general they are admitted, on a lead, supervised and never left alone at the campsite.
- **Segovia Campervan Area** (Campervan area): What it is
Segovia City Council has a service area for campervans on Calle Campo Azálvaro, in the Comunidad de Ciudad y Tierra district, next to the bullring (postcode 40005). It is public and free, has 10 pitches and allows a maximum stay of 72 hours. The Junta de Castilla y León includes it in its official list of campervan service areas.
It is not a campsite: it is a marked car park with a service point, meant for spending a night or two and seeing the city on foot. The Aqueduct is a little over a kilometre away in a straight line, and from there you climb up to the old town.
Services
The service point has:

A drinking-water tap.
A drain for emptying grey water, from the bathroom and kitchen.
A drain for emptying black water, from the chemical toilet.
A rubbish bin.

The council's information sheet does not include electricity or showers. If you need them, the alternative is Camping Acueducto, on the La Granja road, paid and with full services.
Rules
The council publishes these rules of use:

You may not park outside the marked space, on pain of a fine.
You may raise the roof and open windows, as long as it does not disturb anyone or take up more than your pitch.
You may level the vehicle with chocks.
You may not put out chairs, tables, barbecues, awnings, washing lines or stabiliser legs.
When filling and emptying, do not spill liquids outside the drain.
It is forbidden to empty water or chemicals in the street or sewer and to wash the vehicle.
Leave the pitch clean and free of waste when you go.

Practical tips
With only ten pitches, at weekends, long weekends and in summer it fills up early: arrive early or have a plan B. The council publishes on its website a PDF map showing where the area is. For questions, write to turismo@segovia.es or drop by the Visitor Reception Centre, beside the Aqueduct.
With the campervan parked, the plan is to walk: the Aqueduct, the Cathedral and the Alcázar link up in a morning's stroll. If you stay longer, go down to the Eresma Valley and the Vera Cruz. Do not take the campervan into the old town: it has restricted traffic and narrow streets.

## As a family: Segovia with children, among castles and water wheels

Segovia works with children because everything is short and concrete: an aqueduct without mortar, a castle with a tower and a mint driven by the river. Split the day into two visits and a walk.

### What works best
The Aqueduct, free, looking at the holes in the stone blocks

The Alcázar, with the Tower of Juan II for the older ones

The Royal Mint, free on Wednesdays that are not public holidays

The walk along the Eresma to the Vera Cruz, if they can manage the slopes

### Sleep
Parador de Segovia, with a pool and gardens

Bungalows at Camping Acueducto, with a play area

### Eat
Dishes to share rather than a whole suckling pig

A tapas bar if the children cannot sit through a long meal

### Keep in mind
The cathedral is free for children up to 7

Segovia Tourism organises visits for families with the Arriero and the Aguadora on specific dates

The climb from the river to the upper town is hard with a pushchair

### Qué hacer as a family
- Segovia Aqueduct from the Azoguejo
- Royal Alcázar of Segovia and the Tower of Juan II
- Royal Mint and Aqueduct Interpretation Centre
- Walk along the Eresma Valley to the Vera Cruz

## Consejos

### Start at the Aqueduct early
At nine the Azoguejo is empty; at twelve, full of groups.

### Save the Alcázar for the afternoon
In November it is open until 18:00 and the light falls on the façade.

### Look at the city from outside
Segovia's silhouette is understood from the Vera Cruz or the Zamarramala viewpoint, not from inside.

### Book lunch before you set off
The roast houses in the centre fill at weekend lunchtimes.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How long does it take from Madrid to Segovia?
By car, a little over an hour along the A-6. By AVE, about 30 minutes to Segovia-Guiomar, plus the bus to the centre.

### Can I see Segovia in a day?
Yes: Aqueduct, cathedral and Alcázar fit into a day with lunch included. The walk along the Eresma and the museums call for a night.

### How much does it cost to enter the Alcázar?
€7 for the palace and €10 with museum and tower, with reduced rates of €5 and €8. The audioguide adds €3.50.

### Where do I park in Segovia?
In the public car parks at the University, Oblatas or next to the Aqueduct. The old town has restricted traffic.

### Which days are the museums free?
The municipal ones, on Wednesdays that are not public holidays. The Alcázar palace, on Tuesdays that are not public holidays from 14:00 to 16:00 for EU citizens.

### Can I go ballooning over Segovia?
Yes. Siempre en las Nubes flies every day of the year in good weather, after sunrise, from €205 per person.