A day trip to Laredo

I thought it would be fun to make a day trip to Laredo to see where Charles V landed on his last journey through Spain to his retirement in the Monastery of Yuste. The rain had stopped, the day was pleasant, and so we set off from the Parador of Limpias for the coast.

Read more: A day trip to Laredo

The Harbour

Laredo was unexpectedly busy and eventually we parked the car in the harbour. This is the marina, but fishing is the major industry here and there is also a commercial port.

The Old Town

The old town of Laredo is very small but absolutely packed with historical buildings. We just wandered – you can’t understand a site like this in a few hours. The model in the tourist office gave some idea of the site in the past.

The house of the Condestable of Castile is marked by a small plaque. Many royals stayed here before journeying onwards, such as Catherine of Aragon. She stopped here before travelling to England to be married to Henry VIII. And Charles V stopped here before travelling down to Yuste.

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Old Gates

The old town was walled and there were once twelve gates into the town.

The Arch of San Martín is in the 13th century walls and is so-named because it leads to the Church of San Martín, outside the walls. It was the customs control point for the town, and of course closed at night. The citizens were effectively locked into the town every night.

The San Marcial arch in the walls is at the top end of the town, next to the church, and beyond the arch is the countryside.

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The Church of Santa Maria de la Asuncion

The church stands at the top of the town and dates from the 13th century.

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The new town

It was time for refreshments and we went in search of a cafe, encountering a walk in aid of breast cancer along the way. Afterwards we needed a walk.

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The beach

The beach curving around the bay is impressive – c.5kms long. It was good for strolling as the tide was out.

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The day trip to Laredo was a success and a lovely way to spend our last day in Spain.