Geography
Geography of Castile and Leon
The vast autonomous community of Castile and Leon lies in North Central Spain, in the middle of the Iberian Peninsula. Resting on a central plateau to the west of Madrid, it is bordered by nine other Spanish regions; the Cantabrian Mountains rise to the north, whilst its southernmost provinces stretch down towards the edge of Portugal.
This enormous area covers nearly a fifth of the country, encompassing the provinces of Avila, Valladolid, Burgos, Leon, Soria, Salamanca, Zamora, Palencia, and Segovia. It is, in fact, the largest region in Spain.
Although Castile and Leon consists mainly of arable farmland, the diversity of mountains, plains and rivers make up an extraordinary terrain. At its heart, the clay soil of the Meseta Central (central plateau of Spain) – which dates back to the prehistoric Mesazoic era – has produced a vast, flat and arid landscape which seems to spread out to infinity.
The meseta is flanked by dramatic higher altitude areas, which offer excellent skiing in the winter season and dramatic views. The mountains of the Cordillera Cantábrica (Cantabrian Mountain Range), Sistema Central Ibérico (Central Iberians) and La Montaña Leonesa (Leonese Mountains) are all on hand for snow sports enthusiasts.
Whilst largely rural, the picturesque landscape is dotted with romantic castles and historic towns, including such obvious tourist attractions as Burgos, Avila, Salamanca and Leon. Urban areas in the sparsely populated region, however, are very much few and far between. The capital, Valladolid, is the largest city and home to a modest 300,000 inhabitants.
The region’s waterways played an important part is its development; each of the provincial capitals lie on the banks of a river. Bisecting Castile and Leon is the major Duero River, whose banks provide fertile, irrigated land ideal for the region's wine-growing and agricultural economy. This long river runs all the way from Soria to its Portuguese mouth in the city of Oporto.
In addition, the Duero basin is home to a large number of lakelands, including the glacial Sierra de Urbión and the Sanabria National Park in Zamora. Despite its relatively low rainfall, Castile and Leon holds Spain’s largest quantity of water in reserve, fed by the rains and snows of the mountains which surround the central plains.
Castile and Leon is also home to a large number of interesting natural features, including caves, mineral springs and hot springs – many of which are the result of its ancient geological origins. Visitors are drawn to the plentiful mineral waters in the area and their medicinal qualities, particularly in the Salamanca, Segovia, Burgos and Soria provinces.
The caves, however, are the real spectacle: situated in the heart of the mountains, thousands of years have produced a maze of stalactites and hidden passages out of reach of the sunlight. In the Valley of Las Batuecas, rare paintings on the caverns have long been the subject of spiritual pilgrimages.
