Hotels in Candeleda

Candeleda, at the foot of the sierra de Gredos, offers almost a hundred accommodations to choose from, and the decision of where to sleep largely shapes the experience. The first thing you should know is that the town itself, with its plaza and its bars, is the center of everything, but the options are divided between the urban core and the outskirts, where the estates and the pool and barbecue areas begin. If you come to do mountain routes or to swim in the natural pools of the river, you should look for something in the upper part or at the accesses to the sierra, because that way you avoid taking the car every morning. On the other hand, if what you're looking for is to go out for dinner on foot and have services at hand, a flat or a house in the center will suit you better, although you'll have to put up with a bit more noise in summer.

The differences between areas are notable. The old town, around the church and the plaza del Castillo, has narrow streets and stone houses, with a charm that you pay for in price and in parking. The new area, toward the carretera de Arenas de San Pedro, is more practical, with supermarkets nearby and quick access to the road, but less atmosphere. And then there are the urbanizaciones and plots on the outskirts, where most of the holiday homes and villas are concentrated: there you gain tranquility and outdoor space, but you need a car for everything. Prices vary a lot depending on the season: in July and August, and especially on long weekends such as the one in May or the one of the Constitución, rates rise up to 40% compared to the low season. If you can, come in June or September: the river water is still good, there are fewer people and prices drop quite a bit.

To get there, the most common way is to take the A-5 motorway to Talavera de la Reina and then take the regional road that climbs toward Arenas de San Pedro and Candeleda. From Madrid it takes a little less than two and a half hours, and the last stretch is winding, so take it easy. Once there, getting around without a car is complicated if you stay outside the center, because the town is small but the distances between the urbanizaciones and the urban core are several kilometers. Before booking, check carefully whether the accommodation has a garage space or free parking nearby, because in August parking in the center is an odyssey. Also check whether the pool is private or communal, whether it allows pets and whether the price includes sheets and towels, because in many rural houses they charge you separately for them. And watch out for stairs: many old houses don't have a lift and the rooms are usually on the upper floor.