Valle Viewpoint and the Tagus ecological path

What it is

The Miradores del Valle are on the other side of the Tagus, next to the hermitage of Nuestra Señora del Valle, and give the photograph of Toledo: the whole old town on its rock, with the river around it, the cathedral and the Alcázar outlined above. Toledo Tourism describes it as the best panorama of the city, and that is why the tourist train, many coaches and almost all excursions stop here. Access is free. Along the path there is a kiosk for a drink and, next to it, the Cerro del Bú, where the city was born in the Bronze Age.

The ecological path is the other side of the plan: a track that runs along the bank of the Tagus and rings the old town below, past mills, the remains of the Tenerías baths and the Alcántara and San Martín bridges. It is flat and done unhurriedly; from below, the city looks very different from how it looks from the viewpoint.

Getting there

On foot from the old town it is about 35 minutes: you go down to the Alcántara or San Martín bridge, cross the river and climb the ring road to the hermitage. By car, six minutes. If you do the whole walk, the most pleasant combination is to go down through the Jewish quarter to the San Martín bridge, follow the path along the bank, climb to the viewpoints and return to the old town over the Alcántara bridge, or the other way round if you want to finish with the view.

There are other walks near the old town. The Recaredo one follows the wall from the escalators to the Cambrón gate. The Tránsito one, in the Jewish quarter, has a monument to El Greco and views over the valley and the river. The Merchán, or Vega, one runs from the Tavera hospital to the Bisagra gate, with statues and a rose garden.

When to go

At sunset, when the stone turns golden; in summer it is also the time when it is least hot to walk. From April to September, the Town Council runs the passenger ferry, free of charge, to cross the river and climb an old causeway to the Cerro del Bú; ask for days and times at the Municipal Tourist Office before counting on it.

With children and with a dog

It is a free plan that works for families: the stretch of the path beside the river is flat and can be cut short when children get tired, and the climb to the viewpoint is made along the ring road. With a dog, keep it on a lead on the path and the viewpoints. In summer, bring water.

If the day has room for more, on the same bank of the river is the arrival point of the zipline over the Tagus, and a little higher up, on the Cerro del Emperador, the Parador de Toledo, with its terrace over the same view.