Camping Al-Bereka

If it's old and ancient Spain you're after, in a land of history, heritage and Spanish mountains, make a pilgrimage to Camping Al-Bereka just outside the traditional town of La Alberca.

La Alberca has been settled by peoples of all sorts since before Roman times, and has the churches, old buildings and religious architecture to show for it: there are reasons aplenty why the town was the first in Spain to be given National Historic Monument Status... Elsewhere around the area, this site's Castile and Leon locale an hour from Salamanca is between the Batuecas valley and the sparsely inhabited Sierra de France: seriously, if you want peaceful and old Spain, among mountain hikes and biking trails, this is the place to find it.

And your back-at-base place among the whole heap? Camping Al-Bereka is well set up for site days in between all the sightseeing, with facilities for grownups and kids as well as mucho room for taking it easy, sunning oneself, and ensuring an adequate supply of regular drinks and snacks.

There's a summer outdoor pool and a paddling pool for all ages to splash around in or sunbathe by... after that, make your way to the cafeteria terrace for a late breakfast of coffee and toast, or snacks from the region including the famed local black ham. For other eats, the roomy restaurant runs a mountain kitchen where you can work your way through other regional cuisine such as grilled meats, limón serrano salad and revolconas potatoes with paprika and Iberian pork belly.

The site also has a communal stone barbecue area; pick up supplies at the speciality ham shop in La Alberca.