Salamanca

The goal of this Wikipage is to show useful and helpful info about Salamanca and CS Salamanca. If you have any doubts do not hesitate and ask in CS Salamanca Group

CS Salamanca
This group is for the Couchsurfers living in and visiting Salamanca or anybody interested in this beautiful city.

Meetings
We do not have a regular meeting yet, but we are continuosly organizing meetings of all kind: dinners, barbeques, picnics, tapas tours, pub-crawls, theme parties, travels, excursions to nearby cities or nice places, sports activities and so on, so just check the main group, each week we do something different,and feel always free to join our meetings!

We encourage everybody to propose new ideas for meetings and to organize them as well.

Sub-groups
There is a sub-group specially focus on Accomodation and Last Minute Couch requests: Salamanca (LAST MINUTE COUCH/ROOMMATES/RENT A ROOM)

This is the place to post a Last Minute Couch request, ask for info about flats, find a room or a housemate.

Moderators
If you have any concern about the group and the use of it, please contact with one of the moderators on the next list: Kurro Rodrigo Ana Claudia Saúl Alfonso

Ambassadors
Our city ambassador is:Ana Claudia

Nearby Airports
Salamanca has no international airport, but they have a daily flights from Barcelona and Malaga with Lagun air.
 * Madrid Barajas + - 210 km from Salamcanca. Buses run frequently.
 * Aena Aeropuerto in Valladolid + - 110 km from Salamanca. The bus drive is 1.5 hour.
 * Ryan Air flies to Valladolid from Brussels, Milan and London's Stansted airport. Besides you can find cheap flights to other destinations in Spain.

By Bus
The bus station is only a 15 walk from Plaza Mayor in the center. See the map with the direction here


 * Avanza bus. From Madrid (They also run a direct line from the airport to Salamanca)
 * Alsa
 * Bus Booking. Easy way to book your bus whichever the bus company might be.

By Train
Tains link the town with Madrid and Portugal
 * National Trains (Renfe)
 * All the discounts here

Share a car
Web sites for people who wants to share the expenses for travelling by car.


 * http://www.viajamosjuntos.com/index.jsp


 * From France: http://www.123envoiture.com/

Museums
Entry is free Saturday and Sunday for all people and 1,20 Euroes the other days. Students with card, children, pensioners and groups less than 10 (under request), have free entry. Adress: CASA DE LOS DOCTORES DE LA REINA. PATIO DE LAS ESCUELAS MENORES, 2
 * Museo de Salamanca / Museo de Bellas Artes: Art museum with a room devoted to Flemish, Dutch and French painting. Furthermore it contains a collection of precious-metal work and samples of provincial archaeology and local popular art.

Sights

 * These are the most popular local landmarks, but there are way more things to visit, check Wikipedia Salamanca

- Plaza Mayor, 32 Tel.: 923 21 83 42/ 902 30 20 02 /E-mail: información@turismodesalamanca.com Monday to Friday: 09:00-14:00, 16:00-20:00. Saturday:   10:00-20:00 Sunday: 10:00-14:00
 * Tourist office:

- Rúa Mayor, s/n 902 20 30 30 / 923 26 85 71 oficinadeturismodesalamanca@jcyl.es

- Tourist map

Cafés

 * Birland See map


 * Clavel 8: A nice cousy places with sofas... See map


 * Café Alcaravan: Nice and quiet place for reading ect. See map


 * Café Novelty: This café has a long story behind it as it was meeting point of writers and intelectuals of last the century See map


 * Mandala: Beautiful moroccan style. C/ Serranos, 9


 * Delicatessen: Lounch like and cool. C/ Meléndez, 25


 * Revolutum Hostel: Has couches and armchairs and a beautiful inside terrace with heating. C/ Sánchez Barbero, 7


 * The café at Casa Lis Museum: A very beautiful and quiet place, with a summer terrace that has the best with view over the river and it is a very good place the see the sunset. It's not necessary to pay the ticket for the museum, just say that you want to go to the coffee place and they will accompany you. C/Gibraltar, 14

Pub-Crawling
Most of the bars and pubs for Pub-crawling are around Plaza Mayor, the main areas are Prior-Bordadores, Varillas-San Justo and Gran Vía.


 * Paniagua: Probably one of the most popular and legendary bars in Salamanca. Despite of its "decoration" it's one of the most crowded places, full of both local and international people. The normal drink here is a big plastic cup normally called Litro (almost a litre) of beer/ calimotxo (3,80 €) or mixed drinks. Upstairs there is a table-football (kicker, futbolín) and two rooms. If you go to "Pani" you will probably find a brunch of couchsurfers partying there, usually from 2am-4am. Music is normally rock in English .PS1: Be careful with the stairs.PS2: Toilets are....,let's say, not really clean ;)c/Varillas

Clubs, Discos

 * Cum Laude:It's a club a bit bigger than many of the other bars where you are crammed in with little ventilation and it has one of the most aesthetically pleasing dance floors of Salamanca. You night want to dress a little better to get in here on the weekends! now they have open-bar of mojitos, beer and sangria every Tuesday night.
 * Music Factory:Right next to the Chupiteria, house, pop music.Sometimes there will be 'celebrities' visiting. normally with entrance fee around 3 euros.
 * The Irish Rover:It is especially fond with the international students. open-bar of beer and sangria every Tuesday night. different theme parties every week.
 * Posada De Las Almas:Every day there is something special. on Thursday and Friday more. It is furnished as a dolls house. Camareros normally are good-looking and friendly. :P
 * Potemkin: 50's, 60's, 70's, rock&roll, rythm&blues, swing, funk, soul. Nice ambient, good-vibes perfect to dance no-mainstream music while enjoying the last (or lasts) drinks. People usually go to "Potem" when the pubs/bars close, that means from 4:30am until 6:30am. Beer 3€, mixed drinks around 6 €. On weekends normally there are gigs (rock, punk, hip-hop). It closes from the beginning of July until the end of August.http://www.salapotemkim.com/

Places to dance salsa

 * El Savor C/ San Justo
 * El Tropico C/ Gran Vía, very close to El Savor

Gay Salamanca

 * CarMen:Great music and ample dance space are two of the high points of this bar, which boasts a slightly older crowd.c/ Patio de Comedia, 2
 * De Laval Genovés:Known as El Submarino (the Submarine) for its nautical decor and interior resembling a gutted out submarine, De Laval Genovés is not an exclusively gay and lesbian bar but is none the less a favorite of the community.c/ San Justo, 27
 * Sol Café:Its highly original atmosphere provided by varied music, a dance floor with a giant illuminated globe, drag shows and other performances.c/ Pozo Amarillo, 28
 * Sarao:One of the most popular bars for Salamanca's gay community boasting great music.Avda. de Alemania

Hostels

 * Hostel Revolutum: - probably the nicest hostel in Salamanca despite is not the cheapest, very well located http://www.revolutumhostel.com/?lang=en
 * Hostal Plaza Mayor: http://www.hostalplazamayor.es/
 * Hostal Las Vegas: http://www.lasvegascentro.net/
 * Pension Salamanca:- if you are looking for a cheap place and you don't plan to spend much time in the room, this is the place http://www.pensionsalamanca.com/

Cheap Hotels

 * Hotel Emperatriz I, II- very central, cheap double rooms http://www.emperatrizhotel.com/

Apartments

 * Apartamentos JCH Congresos- http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/edificio-congreso.en.html
 * Apartamentos Plaza de la Libertad-http://www.apartamentosplazadelalibertad.es/

Long-term accommodation

 * Check the University accommodation office:
 * Easypiso

Local festivities

 * Fiestas de la Virgen de la Vega: 8th-15th of September. Is the main festivity in Salamanca. Many activities and events are carried out during it. Each night (or almost) there is a concert or gig for free in Plaza Mayor. During this week and even longer there is the "Feria del día" where many bars and restaurants place a stand "caseta" on the street offering a tapa plus drink from 1,50€ (the cheapest).
 * Fiesta de San Juan de Sahagún: 12th of June. Around this date there is a festival in Salamanca called International Arts Festival of Castilla y Leon with music, street art, perfomances and so on.
 * Lunes de Aguas: Each year, the first Monday after Easter Monday, it is tradition to go to the countryside or parks and have lunch or "merienda" with your family and friends. The typical food for this day is Hornazo. You can read about the nice origin of this tradition here (in Spanish)

Language Schools in Salamanca
There is a lot of language schools in Salamanca as the city is a popular place for learning spanish in Spain (feel free to add commands about good or bad experiences).


 * University of Salamanca: http://www.salamanca-university.org/


 * Enforex: http://www.enforex.com/spain-salamanca.html


 * Don Quijote: https://secure.donquijote.org/landing/learnspanish/salamanca.asp


 * Tia Tula: http://www.tiatula.com/

And a lot more.....

Helpful links

 * A general site for comparing prices and read comments about the language schools: http://www.languagecourse.net/


 * A language exchange network: http://www.sharedtalk.com/


 * A free educational website for language exchanges via Skype: http://www.language-exchanges.org/


 * Podcasts, vocabulary and exercises for free: http://www.audiria.com


 * Free Spanish audio and video divided into levels: http://www.notesinspanish.com/

A day-trip around Salamanca

 * Vale de Jerte, Garganta del Infierno, Los Pilones:

Museums
CASA LIS Modernist building, Art Nouveau- Art Decó collection. http://www.museocasalis.org/ C/ gibraltar, 14 (going down Tentenecio street from the cathedral and then the small street on the left)

Winter, 4 oct-31 march Tuesday-Friday 11-14h. 16-19h. Sat-sunday: 11-20h.

Summer, 1april-3 october Tues-friday: 11-14h. 17-21h. Sat-sunday: 11-21h.

Prices: 4€, students and +65 2€, unemployed 1€, under 14years old free, groups (minimum 10 people) 2€/p, thursdays morning free.

Modernist building, Art Nouveau- Art Decó collection. You will find Chryselephantine sculptures, vases, lamps, perfume bottles from Lallique and his co-workers. Also decoration items,jewels, furniture and toys from the beginning of the XXth century Beautiful place, even only the building worths the visit, also nice cafe-terrace to enjoy the view and have a rest.

Da2 contemporary art museum http://www.ciudaddecultura.org/da2/

Avenida de la Aldehuela s/n Bus 8 or 13 take you near the museum

Tuesday-friday: 12-14h. 17-20h. Sat-sunday: 12-15h. 17-21h.

Free entrance.

All the contemporary art you can find in Salamanca. The building is the old prison of Salamanca,restored and converted into a museum. They have a restaurant with a summer terrace: MOMO Da2.

Other small exhibition halls: SAN ELOY Plaza San Boal (near calle Zamora)

PATIO DE ESCUELAS MENORES Calle Libreros There you can find Museo de Bellas Artes,already mentioned but inside the patio there is a small hall with temporary exhibitions and the very famous "Cielo de Salamanca" a painting in the ceiling representing the sky seen from our city, XV century.

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES INFO http://www.salamancaciudaddecultura.org/ http://www.dipsanet.es/cultura/agenda/ http://www.verquehacer.com/

Live Music

 * El Corrillo: This restaurant-bar located very central is one of the fewest jazz venues in Salamanca http://cafecorrillo.com/musica-en-vivo.php

SOS in Salamanca

 * Emergency number: 112
 * Local Police: Policía Local de Salamanca, Tlf: 923 19 44 40,Avda. de la Aldehuela, 43-63,37003 Salamanca
 * Fireman:923 23 23 36
 * Red Cross:923 30 07 11
 * More useful numbers

Gyms
hitch:Salamanca