Ciudad Rodrigo welcomes you with city walls that still surround the old town, and a cathedral rising above the rooftops. After a day in open country, it feels almost theatrical. Put your rucksack down, you’ve earned it.
The route there is of moderate difficulty. There’s more downhill than uphill, but you’re on your feet for almost seven hours and you’ll feel it. It’s wide, quiet country with little to hide behind. The herds carry on grazing peacefully as you pass. Look back at the end of the day and you’ll see the holm oaks scattered across the open land, as far as the eye can see.