The province of Salamanca situated in the South-west corner of Castile & León on the borders with extremadura and Portugal, covers an area of 12,336 sq. km (4,763 sq. m.). Lying on Spain's Northern Plateau (meseta), it forms part of the Duero river system where Paleozonic soils, poorly suited to cultivation, have resulted in a landscape of pastures, dotted with trees and bushy undergrowth. Winters tend to be relatively long, with minimum temperatures averaging around 6ºC (42,8ºF), while the shortish summers are marked by average highs that never climb above 20ºC - 22ºC (68ºF-71ºF).

The city of Salamanca is large enough (180.000 inhabitants) to be able to offer the advantages of a real city, but at the same time it keeps the intimacy of a village. In Salamanca, the inhabitants speak the "purest" Spanish in Spain - Castilian. For this reason Salamanca is enormously popular with people all over the world who want to learn Spanish. Contacts are made easily. You don't have to make rendezvous as you are bound to see everyone in the Plaza Mayor, one of the finest squares in Spain and known as the living room of the Salamantinos. As there is such a varied range of nationalities, it is tempting to keep to fellow don Quijote students. Salamanca is however, a real university city, Spanish students are everywhere and you can go practically everywhere on foot.

Calle Zamora

Plaza Anaya

The choice is yours: there are plenty of places where only Spaniards go. The area around the city of Salamanca also offers many facilities for cultural and sporting day-trips to villages, the mountains or to the many lakes.

Fiestas and celebrations in the city of Salamanca

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The vast majority of celebrations in Salamanca have, as everywhere in Spain, a religious background. One of the most special celebrations in Salamanca is "El Lunes de Aguas" ("The Monday of Water"). On this day, the last of an eight-day religious celebrations at Easter, the inhabitants of Salamanca dress up in carnival costumes and go in procession to the river Tormes. They say that this tradition dates back to 1570 during the reign of King Philip II.

During the year there are many more festivals and festivities of which the September "Ferias y Fiestas de San Mateo" are the most spectacular. For two weeks there is a fully organized program of concerts, parades, exhibitions and markets. They are not to be missed!

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