The best city hikes and walks around the Tajo

In June 2026, the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, undertook a pastoral journey to Spain and, in his address, naturally referred to the national patron saint SANTIAGO MAJOR. He spoke of: “a journey in several stages, each revealing an aspect of the richness of a great country that has embraced the word of the Gospel for almost two millennia. Tradition has always associated the first evangelization of the Iberian Peninsula with the preaching of the Apostle James the Greater. This connection is of considerable theological significance, as it expresses the local Church’s awareness of being in continuity with the apostolic mission stemming from the event of Pentecost. The ancient connection between the Christian faith and this land… has profoundly shaped its culture and represents a source of hope and guidance amidst the challenges we face together today as a human family.”

That a place on the Iberian Peninsula is listed among the three most famous pilgrimage destinations in the Christian world – along with Jerusalem and Rome – is thanks to one of Jesus' apostles, who is said to have preached here. After his martyrdom, about which the Acts of the Apostles report very briefly, his body miraculously found its final resting place here: Saint James the Greater. A small local shrine was initially built over his tomb, later a city developed, which even bears his name (Santiago de Compostela), and the church in his honor became a cathedral, i.e. a bishop's church. According to national legends, Saint James also played a significant role in the Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors and is the patron saint of Spain.

Built in 999, this church was first a mosque and later converted into a Christian temple after the Reconquista. The main facade is made of unplastered brick and features three doorways. One has a semicircular arch, another a horseshoe arch, and the third a five-lobed arch. Above these runs a frieze of interlaced horseshoe arches, a network of lozenges, and the founding inscription. You can visit the monument from Monday to Sunday during the following hours: Summer Hours March 1 to October 15 10:00 AM – 6:45 PM Winter Hours October 16 to February 28 10:00 AM – 5:45 PM Prices vary, and there is also the option to purchase a tourist bracelet that includes other monuments, thus reducing the price.

The large archway in the middle of the building is the Arco de la Sangre (Arch of Blood).

It is located on Corredera del Cristo Street, near the Plaza del Reloj (Clock Square), in the old town of Talavera de la Reina, Toledo. It is visible from the street, and it is common for passersby to cross themselves as they pass by, continuing a deeply rooted popular tradition.

The chapel forms part of an albarrana tower, one of the defensive structures of Talavera's first walled enclosure, later converted for religious use. Its Rococo altarpiece is particularly noteworthy, housing the carving of Christ of the Merchants, a symbol of devotion especially among the merchant guild. The base features granite pieces with coats of arms, possibly belonging to the Maldonado lineage, although their exact provenance remains a subject of debate.

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Prado is located in Talavera de la Reina. The church was built in the 16th century in the Renaissance style, on the foundations of an old Mudéjar temple. Tradition holds that it was a Roman temple where the goddess Ceres was worshipped, Christianized in 602 by Liuva II to house the image of Our Lady of the Prado, who is now the city's patron saint. Known as the Queen of Hermitages by Philip II, it is also called the "Sistine Chapel" of ceramics, as this vibrant art form has been displayed here in all its splendor from the 16th century to the present day.

The La Caprichosa bullring, a mecca for bullfighting, is located next to the Basilica of Prado and the Alameda Park.