Nightlife

There are no great clubs to recommend in Valladolid, but that doesn't mean that the city isn't a lively, bustling place when darkness falls. It's a town of bars and pubs. Calle del Paraíso is in itself a virtual street of bars, with action overflowing later onto the pubby Plaza del San Miguel. Enter the pub or bar that looks the most amusing and has the most convivial crowd, and chances are you won't go wrong. Most of these pubs and bars cater to a younger crowd, often from the university. If you're 30 or older, you might want to patronize one of the cafes along Calle de Vincente Meliner, especially those near Plaza Dorado.

Just off Plaza Mayor is the liveliest bar in town, El Corcho, Calle Correo 2 (tel. 98-333-08-61), which also serves some of the tastiest Castilian tapas around. It offers a very rustic atmosphere, with 300-year-old brick walls and sawdust sprinkled over the much-used floor. Above the marble-topped bar, copperware and pig haunches are displayed. The cook rightly boasts of his tostada de gambas (shrimp drizzled with virgin olive oil and sprinkled over toasted bread). Other specialties include fish croquettes and Iberian ham and codfish. Tapas range in price from 2€ to 8€. Hours are daily 1 to 4pm and 8pm to midnight.