Santa Cruz

Top choice in Castilla y León

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Now here's something a little bit special. Fernando and Carmen have been largely responsible for bringing this charming stone village back to life. Their lovely rural home is beautifully restored and decorated with exposed stone walls, polished floorboards, comfortable beds and a general warmth – it's the sort of place where you'll want to stay longer than you planned. Cash only.

The village has few year-round residents and lies in a valley at the end of a quiet rural road, close to the Portuguese border. To get here, start in the regional centre of Villardeciervos and take the ZA-P-2639 to the northwest. After passing through Codesal, take the ZA-P-2640 and then follow the signs to Santa Cruz de los Cuérragos.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Cidadela

    Cidadela

    14.8 MILES

    Climb uphill from Largo de São Vicente and you’ll soon set foot inside the astonishingly well-preserved 12th-century citadel. People still live in its…

  • Rio de Onor

    Rio de Onor

    4.51 MILES

    This lovely little town of 70 souls situated in the eastern half of the park is entirely unfazed by the Spanish–Portuguese border splicing it down the…

  • Museu do Abade de Baçal

    Museu do Abade de Baçal

    14.86 MILES

    Set in a restored 18th-century bishop’s palace, this is one of Portugal’s best regional museums. Its diverse collections include local artefacts from the…

  • Dine

    Dine

    20.72 MILES

    One of the prettiest, best-preserved villages in the western half of the park, Dine is home to a tiny archaeological museum, which documents the 1984 find…

  • Montesinho

    Montesinho

    12.21 MILES

    Hidden at the end of the road in a narrow valley wedged between forbidding granite heights, this tiny village is one of the park’s best-preserved, thanks…

  • Moimenta

    Moimenta

    23.01 MILES

    Moimenta has a lovely core of granite houses roofed in terracotta, plus a small baroque church – a rare dose of luxury in this austere corner of Portugal…

  • Museu Ibérico da Máscara e do Traje

    Museu Ibérico da Máscara e do Traje

    14.81 MILES

    This visually appealing little museum displays a colourful and fascinating collection of masks and costumes from the ancient pagan-based solstice and…

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Nearby Castilla y León attractions

2. Rio de Onor

4.51 MILES

This lovely little town of 70 souls situated in the eastern half of the park is entirely unfazed by the Spanish–Portuguese border splicing it down the…

4. Plaza Mayor

9.56 MILES

At the top of the village, this striking town square is surrounded by some fine historical buildings. The 17th-century ayuntamiento (town hall) has a…

5. Castillo

9.59 MILES

Crowning the village's high point and dominating its skyline for kilometres around, the castle has some interesting displays on local history, flora and…

6. Montesinho

12.21 MILES

Hidden at the end of the road in a narrow valley wedged between forbidding granite heights, this tiny village is one of the park’s best-preserved, thanks…

7. Museu Militar

14.76 MILES

The stout Torre de Menagem now houses this lacklustre museum, but the price of admission is well worth the chance to climb storey after storey and take in…

8. Igreja de São Bento

14.76 MILES

Bragança’s most attractive church has a Renaissance stone portal, a wonderful trompe l’œil ceiling over the nave and an Arabic-style inlaid ceiling above…