ESpañol en TOledo
Spanish language courses for foreign students

Toledo, a World Heritage Site, a cultural paradise... Your Spanish classroom!

Former capital of Spain, and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Toledo has a population of 80,000 inhabitants and it is the capital of the autonomous region of Castilla-La Mancha, in central Spain.

A fortified city with an explosive mix of Middle-Age architecture and culture... this is the essence of Toledo. Walking around is like taking a trip back in time and landing in the Middle Ages. All of its corners remind us that we are in a city full of history and art, a magical city surrounded by more than half its perimeter by the River Tegus. Its narrow and winding streets, the ancient buildings and the treasures that they hide are an invitation to participate in the complex history of Spain.

El Greco casts his shadow over Toledo. Known as "City of Three Cultures", the entire place displays art, harmony, and is an example of the century-long co-existence of Arabs, Christians and Jews, all living together and leaving their trace, and turning the city into a remarkable source of knowledge during the 12th and 13th centuries.

But Toledo is not only a city of monuments, it is at the same time a modern, safe and very much alive city, friendly because of the character of its lovely citizens.

It has excellent means of transportation, among them the high-speed train that is able to surpass the 70 km distance between Toledo and the capital city Madrid in less than 30 minutes. And from there, it is really easy to gain access to the rest of Spain and Europe, which most students find quite useful for travelling abroad while in Toledo.

Location map

Useful points of Toledo (for students)

Ver Mapa de Toledo / Map of Toledo en un mapa más grande

How to get from the Barajas airport to Toledo

By taxi: Taxis can be taken at Barajas airport. You can call a taxi from any point in Madrid through Radio Taxi (902 478 200). You have to take into account that the fare can exceed 100 euros.

By car: From Madrid, it is possible to take A-42 highway, and also AP-41 turnpike road (approximately 8 euros' toll). The route can be easily checked at Google maps.

By train: Madrid railway station (Puerta de Atocha) can be reached from the airport in several ways (by taxi, by underground [to Atocha Renfe station, at line 1], urban bus). Train tickets can be bought online at www.renfe.com. The ticket price is 12.10 euros. You can get a discount if you have an Euro<26 youth card.

By bus: In Madrid, you can reach Madrid bus station at Plaza Elíptica transport hub by underground [to Plaza Elíptica station, line 6], taxi or urban bus. The company that links Madrid and Toledo is called Alsa-Continental. There are several daily buses from 6:00 AM to midnight. In any case, bus schedules can be checked at Continental's web site. The ticket price is nearly 5 euros.

• Note that many buses that go to other Spanish cities set off from Méndez Álvaro bus station in Madrid, corresponding to Méndez Álvaro station at line 6 of the underground).

A map of Madrid's underground system can be downloaded on this web.

City buses in Madrid: Journeys and timetables can be checked on this web site.

Toledo street maps for downloading:

• This map shows the areas of Toledo closest to the Casco (old part), with the university buildings highlighted.

• Here you have a map of the old part, with monuments highlighted.

• And here is a general overview of all the neighborhoods of Toledo.

Toledo street map created by ESTO staff with points of interest for the students.

Getting around Toledo

Toledo has an excellent system of urban buses. The lines schedule and timetables can be checked at Unauto company's web site, and you can see a summary on this pdf document (2 MB). In any case, here is a list of some useful places in Toledo, with their corresponding bus stops:

• If you want to go to any place in the old quarter, including ESTO office, Gregorio Marañón Residence and the UCLM old quarter campus, you can take any one of the lines stopping at Zocodover Square (e.g., line 5 from Toledo's bus station, and line 6.1 or 6.2 from Toledo's railway station).

• If you want to get to the bus station from Zocodover, you can take either line 5 (leaves you inside the station), or lines 6.1 / 6.2 (leave you near the station).

• If you want to go to Toledo's railway station from Zocodover square, you can take line 6.1 or line 6.2.

• The bus which stops closer to Santa María de la Cabeza residence (the one used in July) is bus number 2 (last stop).

• Take line 8.1 from the bus station in order to get to the Tres Culturas Hospital.

• You can take line 9.2 to get to the Luz del Tajo shopping mall, and line 6.1 or 6.2 to get back to Zocodover.

If you want to call a taxi in Toledo, dial 925 25 50 50 or 925 22 70 70.

Location of ESTO office in the old quarter of Toledo

Major monuments of Toledo:

• Cathedral. This great monument, maybe the most representative of the city, was built between 1226 and 1492. Although most of the building is Gothic in style, several styles are represented through its decoration, such as Renaissance (in choir), Mozarabic at the chapel or Mudéjar at the antesala.

• Santa María la Blanca Synagogue. Built during the 13th century, it belonged to the Jewish community until mid-15th century, when it was turned into a Christian church and used as a repentance shelter house for women.

• El Tránsito Synagogue / Sefardí Museum. This synagogue, built on 1355-57 by Samuel Leví, belonged to the Jewish community until their expulsion, when it was turned into a Christian temple. Its walls are decorated with beautiful carvings and Hebrew inscriptions, as well as with different vegetable and Moorish motives.

• San Juan de los Reyes. Considered the most beautiful church of Toledo, its building was ordered by the Catholic Monarchs to Juan de Guas, so that it served as a memory of their victory at the battle of Toro. Some of its features deserve to be highlighted, such as the beautiful cloister, the five large coats of arms of the Catholic Monarchs, and the altarpiece.

More information is available on the Toledo's official tourism web, and on the official tourism page of the Spanish government.

Going out at night:

There are plenty of pubs, discos and tapas places where you can go out. Some places are more popular among the students, such as Círculo del Arte or Tshunami pub (in the old quarter). Many foreign students usually gather at O'Brians Irish pub. Also very popular are the tapas at El Enebro (both at Plaza de Zocodover and at Plaza de Santiago de los Caballeros). In the summer, there is an area called La Peraleda by the river, where people can sit and dance at the terrazas from midnight on. Finally, a typical zone for "cañas" is the Santa Teresa neighborhood (Plaza de Cuba and surroundings).

Buying around Toledo

There are several handicraft stores at the Casco, in case you wish to buy some souvenirs or the traditional mazapán of Toledo, for example at Comercio street (the street linking the Cathedral and the Plaza de Zocodover). There are some clothes shops (Zara, Pimkie...), as well as phone, photo and electronic equipment stores.

The neighborhoods near the Casco, such as Santa Teresa or Buenavista, have all kind of stores and supermarkets.

You can also find a large shopping mall in Toledo called Luz del Tajo, with several stores, restaurants and a cinema. You can get here by bus (line 9.2 from the Puerta de Bisagra, and also lines 6.1 or 6.2 to go back to Zocodover).

You can find any particular shop in Toledo by means of the Yellow Pages site. Leisure time information is offered on this web site.

Español en Toledo : Plaza de Padilla s/n : 45071 Toledo : Spain
Phone (+34) 925 26 57 28 - Fax (+34) 925 26 57 61 E-mail esto@uclm.es