| Avila |  |
Avila
Avila
Avila is one of nine provinces in Castilla y Leon and also the name of the provincial capital city. Avila province shares a border to the north with Valladolid, Toledo and Caceres are to the south, Segovia and Madrid to the east and to the west is Salamanca.Avila has an unusually diverse climate and thus has an interesting mix of ecosystems and biodiversity - interesting to visitors who find a broad mix of landscapes, plants, and wildlife. You can travel a short distance and yet the landscape changes significantly.
To the north is the Northern Plateau, a cold, dry Continental climate with sedimentary flat plains, wide open skies and typically very cold winters but short, hot summers. Here you'll find vast areas of cereal-crop farmland and scattered 'islands' of pine forests.
Centrally, around Valley Ambles and the Cornejo mountains, the scene changes to craggy granite peaks, steep valleys and typical high altitude climate of extremes of heat and cold. Here at the foot of the mountain range, you'll find old Oak trees which are a habitat for rare birds of prey including Imperial Eagles - once believed extinct. Further south in the higher mountains, the ecosystems are suffering as a result of high tourism numbers. Undeniably scenic and a popular area for outdoors activities like climbing, hiking and walking, this small area receives a very large amount of visitors from the surrounding cities such as Madrid, and from further afield.
To the south, the fertile and lushly vegetated river valleys more typical of a Mediterranean landscape where orchards of Orange trees, Olive trees and even Palm trees grow. Many of the towns are found to the south. Here much of the characteristic Avila cuisine is grown, described best as 'simple, tasty, natural' like the countryside. Notable dishes include Garlic Soup, Roast Suckling Pig and 'Yolks Avila', an egg dish.