Castillo del Buen Amor

Now this is a castle. Not just an aristocratic residence, but a proper fortification, whose heavy stone walls contain a remarkably elegant and comfortable luxury boutique hotel. The castle itself dates back to the eleventh century — that’s a thousand years — and it’s necessarily seen a multitude of different uses during that time. And while it’s been owned by a single family since the Fifties, they’re enthusiastic to share it; the restoration was done largely in the public interest, and there’s no better way to allow modern people to experience it than to let them sleep in it for a night or three.

Rooms and suites come with modern comforts, but make very few concessions to contemporary design, emphasizing instead the carefully restored original details. You’re a short drive from Salamanca, and surrounded by other ancient places, including the Romanesque town of Zamora and many other scenic medieval towns. And there’s plenty to do on Buen Amor’s estate as well, from a stroll through the gardens to a meal in the hotel’s restaurant, which serves locally sourced regional cuisine in a space adapted from one of the castle’s old stone vaults.