General view of Avila (Castilla y León) and its walls

Ávila

Walled World Heritage City

Ávila

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Ávila will always be associated with the image of its city walls. Visible from far away, they are among the best-preserved and most complete in Europe.

They protect a medieval World Heritage City of cobbled streets, interesting churches, delicious local cuisine, and a wonderfully tranquil atmosphere.

City walls and Christian mysticism

There is a walkway 1,700 metres long on top of the iconic Ávila city walls, open to the public. The views of the cathedral, the Plaza del Mercado Grande and the countryside around the city are well worth the walk. The cathedral was originally fortified and is attached to the city walls. It is believed to be Spain’s first Gothic cathedral.The other symbol of the city is Saint Teresa de Jesús, whose presence is everywhere in the city, from the statues in her honour to the name of Ávila’s most famous sweet: yemas de Santa Teresa. You can visit the Convent of Santa Teresa, built on the site of the house where she was born. The Museum of Saint Teresa stands next to it.The Real Monasterio de Santo Tomás, the Basilica of San Vicente and the Basilica of San Pedro are also interesting religious sites. To learn more about Christian mysticism and its representatives in Ávila, we recommend visiting the Mysticism Interpretation Centre.

Special moments

Ávila is a tranquil city that invites you to enjoy quiet moments. For example, the sunset from the Cuatro Postes viewing point. This spot is outside the walls, and if you’re there at twilight, you’ll see the floodlit walls against the darkness. Mealtimes are also a moment to enjoy in Ávila. The town is famous for meat dishes, especially T-bone steaks; and beans from El Barco de Ávila are very popular, as are the yemas de Santa Teresa. If you want to see special events, there are Medieval Days every first weekend in September; moving Easter rituals (usually March or April) and theatrical shows on the city walls on summer nights.

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Ávila Tourist Office Tourist brochures Download tourist map Guided tours

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What to visit

Select from the list or hover over the map to find out about points of interest.

Don’t miss it

What to visit

Select from the list or hover over the map to find out about points of interest.

Santo Tomé el Viejo Church

Avila Provincial Museum

Ávila Cathedral

Ávila city walls

Convent of Santa Teresa

Church of San Pedro (Ávila)

San Vicente Basilica

Grupo Ciudades Patrimonio de la Humanidad

Museum of the Monastery of the Incarnation

Grupo de Ciudades Patrimonio de la Humanidad

Cathedral Museum of Avila

Santo Tomás Royal Monastery

What to do

Travel plans for inspiring you

Tourist visiting a historic city in Spain

Heritage cities

The foolproof guide to the cities of Castile and Leon

Plaza Mayor, Cathedral and University of Salamanca

Route of the Spanish language

Practical information

How to get there - transport information

Select the means of transport to see how to get there or how to get around at your destination.

How to get to aeroplane

Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez airport is 110 kilometres from Ávila. The journey by car from this airport to Ávila takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. More information
Villanubla - Valladolid airport is 120 kilometres away. The journey by car from this airport to Ávila takes approximately one and a half hours. More information.

How to get to train

The railway station (Paseo de la Estación s/n. Telephone: +34 902 240 202) is about 1.5 kilometres from Ávila’s city walls. Bus routes 1 and 4 go to the station.
Connection with Madrid from Príncipe Pío Station (from 1 hour 30 minutes).
Trains to nearby towns like Salamanca (from 1 hour 10 minutes) and Valladolid (from 1 hour 15 minutes).
Ticket booking
Teresa of Ávila Tourist Train. It usually runs every Saturday from the beginning of June to the end of October. It departs from Madrid-Príncipe Pío station in Madrid and offers a tour of Ávila to discover the figure of Saint Teresa of Jesus. Show your Teresa of Ávila Train ticket for a discount on your ticket to Ávila city walls, and free entry to the Superunda Palace, the post-medieval pottery kiln, and Ávila Mística, the mysticism interpretation centre.

How to get to bus

Ávila bus station is 1.5 kilometres from Ávila city walls, the final stop of lines 1, 3 and 4. It is located at Avenida de Madrid, 2. Telephone: +34 920 220 154.
There are coaches to with Madrid from the Estación Sur bus and coach station (from 1 hour 20 minutes), Segovia (from 1 hour) and Salamanca (from 1 hour 10 minutes).

How to get there by road

From Madrid, via the AP-6 and then the AP-51.
From Salamanca, via the A-50.
From Segovia, via the N-110 and then the AP-51.
From Valladolid, via the N-403.

Practical information

Ávila is a nice city to walk around and explore on foot, especially in the old town centre.

How to get around in bus

Most local buses run from 7 am to 11 pm.
Route 1 circles the city walls. Routes 3 and 5 run alongside the walls for some of the route.
Here you can check the times and maps of the nine lines that run through the city.

How to get around in other means of transport

By taxi. Taxis are white with a lilac stripe. A green light on the roof shows they are available. There are tourist routes. More information.
Ávila tuktuk: take a 35-minute tour in this little vehicle to see the city’s most iconic sights, both inside and outside the city walls. An audioguide is available in several languages.