La Alberca and the Sierra de Francia

Follow the SA-210 then the SA-201 out of Salamanca: exactly 74 km later the road climbs into the Sierra de Francia, a ridge of quartzite and cool gullies shaded by chestnut and holm oak. La Alberca, protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural since 1940, frames its Plaza Mayor with timbered houses, and the confraternity’s marked “sacred pig” still roams the lanes. Higher up, the Dominican sanctuary on Peña de Francia stands at 1,727 m, with views as far as the Béjar and Gata ranges. Stone villages—Mogarraz, San Martín del Castañar—and old flagstone paths tell a story carved in granite and dark wood.

The day runs smoothly: hotel pick-up in Salamanca, a Mercedes at your disposal, and your dedicated driver handling roads and parking while you set the pace. Explore La Alberca on foot, pause for coffee in Mogarraz, glide up to the sanctuary with no hassle, then sample hornazo and Ibérico cold cuts at a local venta. On request, the private chauffeur in Castile and León tweaks the route—stop at the Natural Park House in San Martín, dip into the Las Batuecas valley, and return via the SA-220 before nightfall.