From Madrid to Toledo: Alcantara Bridge, Tagus River, San Servando Castle
From Madrid to Toledo
Toledo is recommended as a nearby travel destination within about an hour from Madrid, along with Segovia.
I highly recommend taking a day trip from Madrid to Toledo as there are many great options available. Most tours offer a convenient pickup service from Madrid to Toledo by car, making the journey comfortable, and you can listen to the guide’s explanations, which is a great advantage.
Interestingly, this trip has been featured on Korean TV, so you can often meet quite a few Korean travelers on guided tours.
1) From Madrid: Toledo Guided Day Trip
2) Toledo Half-Day Guided Tour with Cathedral included
I booked accommodation in Toledo for one night, but if you plan to do a day trip, you should arrive in Toledo early and either travel with a guide or use the Toledo bus. This way, you can see most of the famous spots. However, you might miss out on exploring the nooks and crannies of Toledo’s neighborhoods, which would be a pity.
There are two ways to get to Toledo from Madrid using public transportation: you can either take the Renfe train (30 minutes, round trip €22) or the Alsa bus (1 to 1.5 hours, round trip €10). I chose to take the Alsa bus.
First, take Metro Line 6 to Plaza Eliptica station, then follow the Alsa bus signs and take the escalator up to the 3rd floor to catch the bus. (Buses to Toledo depart from gates 6 and 7.)
Unlike in Segovia, where I had to buy tickets at the counter, here there were vending machines for purchasing tickets on your own. There are people nearby who can assist you if you need help.
Of course, I received help to buy my ticket. The round trip was €10, but a one-way ticket was €6.10, and it could only be purchased with coins.
I boarded the bus with my assigned seat. It was towards the front of the bus, and I had a snack on the way. It took about an hour to get from Madrid to Toledo.
The bus station was close to Toledo’s old town. Considering the check-in time, I took a later bus. I read that there was a luggage storage facility at the bus station, so I planned to store my luggage there, explore the area around the bus station, and then head to my accommodation.
However, although there was a luggage storage facility at the bus station, it wasn’t in operation.
As a result, I had no choice but to carry my suitcase while exploring the nearby attractions. Toledo is all hills and cobblestone streets, making it really difficult to drag my suitcase around.
The one good thing was that there is an escalator installed on the hill leading from the bus station to Toledo’s old town. You can take this escalator to go up. The hill is quite steep, requiring you to take two long escalators.
The entrance where you come out from the escalator is like a black corridor.
If you take an escalator halfway and get off, you can access a different path. There’s a guide there who manages the traffic and assists people.
I also got off midway to enjoy the view of Toledo and asked the guide for directions to the Alcántara Bridge.
Toledo is an ancient city located on a hilltop in the plains of Castilla-La Mancha in central Spain. It is known for its medieval Arab, Jewish, and Christian architecture. The old town, surrounded by city walls, was once home to the Mannerist painter El Greco. The Moorish-style Bisagra Gate and Sol Gate connect to the old town, and Zocodover Square is well-known as a lively meeting place. Toledo, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a charming city that feels like time has stopped in the medieval era.
Alcántara Bridge, Tagus River, San Servando Castle
Alcántara Bridge (Puente de Alcántara, also known as Trajan’s Bridge of Alcántara) is a Roman bridge located in Alcántara, Extremadura, Spain. The name “Alcántara” comes from the Arabic word “al-ḵanṭara,” meaning “the bridge.” This stone arch bridge was built under the orders of Roman Emperor Trajan between 104 and 106 AD to cross the Tagus River.
Fortunately, from where I got off, I could head to the bridge by following a paved road, which was a relief for a moment. However, the problem came afterward.
An enormous staircase and cobblestone paths awaited me.
The fear of the cobblestone ground comes from the difficulty of dragging a suitcase. Because of the small stones, the suitcase bounces, and the problem is that if the suitcase wheels break, it would be hard to continue my trip in Spain.
So, I carried about 50% of the suitcase’s weight while moving. On a slightly humid and hot day, carrying a suitcase over 20 kg down the stairs was extremely exhausting.
Even as I descended, I couldn’t stop thinking, “How will I manage to get back up…?”
When I finally arrived, I could see the main entrance of the Alcántara Bridge.
It was worth the effort.
The view of Toledo from the bridge was stunning.
Tagus River Viewpoint
It was calm, with few people and cars. I took some photos on the bridge and then crossed it. There were people jogging in that weather.
As I walked slightly down the path, I saw a way down to the river, and about 3–4 people were passing through there. Curious, I decided to follow and explore.
The Tagus River extends across Spain and all the way to Portugal. The city, built on this high hill, is a natural fortress.
I’m glad I went down! The view of Toledo behind me, along with the Alcántara Bridge, was even more beautiful. It was a new and unique beauty that I hadn’t seen before.
I found out that this spot is called Mirador Río Tajo, a place for enjoying the view. I took lots of photos and decided to head back to the old town of Toledo.
When I came down to the Alcántara Bridge on the paved road, it was dangerous because it was a vehicle road, not a sidewalk. This time, I saw another path and decided to explore it.
I thought there would be a paved road here as well, so I walked a bit further, but it turned out to be a staircase made of cobblestones.
When I entered that area, an elderly man and some children were coming down from above and said something to me in Spanish. I think it was a warning not to go that way.
Reluctantly, I carried my suitcase all the way up. After that, I took the escalators back up and arrived at the starting point of the tourist area.
From the higher vantage point, the view of Toledo was even more expansive and impressive, with the cityscape stretching out along with the roads.
I also felt a sense of accomplishment for making it up with my heavy suitcase. However, I still needed to muster more energy to get to my accommodation.
After coming up from the escalators, a short walk further will bring you to Zocodover Square.
Since I had to climb a steeper hill, I pushed my suitcase with all my might from behind. The narrow streets were crowded with tourists and souvenir shops, and cars were also passing by, making it quite chaotic.
I saw souvenirs that were different from those in Madrid and Segovia, and I was eager to drop off my luggage and come back out to explore.
Postigo de los Doce Cantos
What you see in front is a school.
Army Museum
After coming down from the escalator, I explored the main tourist attractions in the vicinity.
Zocodover Square
Zocodover Square is an ancient plaza that has been a central part of Toledo since the time of Islamic rule. It continues to serve as a focal point for both tourists and Toledo residents, and it provides access to the old town of Toledo.
I expected Zocodover Square to be larger since it is called a “plaza,” but it turned out to be quite small. The square is surrounded by hotels and restaurants. Since check-in time was at 3 PM, the area was bustling with people having lunch at the restaurants and tourists exploring the area.
Since I was at the square, I first looked for the hot pink ticket booth that sells tickets for the Socotren train. There were about two locations, but seeing the prices, which were around €7–8, it seemed more expensive than the local buses, so I decided to just remember the locations for now.
On the left side of the square, there was a dome-shaped entrance. Passing through it and going down the stairs, I found a statue of Cervantes where people were taking photos. I decided to pass by for now, planning to drop off my suitcase at my accommodation and come back out.
Cervantes is a famous Spanish novelist, playwright, and poet, known as one of the greatest writers in Spanish literature. His work “Don Quixote” represents the pinnacle of Spanish classical art and is considered the first modern novel in literary history and a treasure of world literature. This statue commemorates him. In the novel “Don Quixote,” Toledo is an important backdrop. The protagonist, Don Quixote, visits Toledo and experiences various adventures. Particularly, Toledo serves as a central place for his mental and spiritual quests, and Cervantes vividly captures the city’s medieval atmosphere and cultural heritage through Don Quixote’s story. As a result, Cervantes and Toledo have a strong literary connection.
Entering the narrow alleyways off the square, I found that both sides of the street had relatively smooth paths, but the entire area was cobblestone.
The cobblestones made dragging my suitcase very difficult, but in fact, Toledo has preserved its medieval city appearance, and the cobblestones are also part of its tangible heritage.
After a strenuous climb, I arrived at the accommodation. It was a 5-story apartment with a layout where the left and right sides were separate buildings and the center was open, making it a corridor-style apartment.
When I climbed the stairs to the 2nd floor, Maika greeted me. The inside of the apartment, like the streets of Toledo, was very narrow. The apartment had 4 bedrooms, with a hallway so narrow that one person could barely move around. The owner seemed very tidy; not only was it necessary to remove shoes, but slippers had to be worn inside the apartment as well. My room was at the very end of the hallway, next to the stairs, so I encountered people coming up and down the stairs frequently.
Maika gave me a few recommendations for places to visit. With my water and camera in hand, I headed out. The first place I needed to visit was the Toledo Cathedral. Since it was getting late and the cathedral would soon close, I wanted to go there first. The house was very close to the cathedral — about a 5-minute walk.
