What should I pack for Segovia?

The single most important thing in your bag for Segovia is footwear with grip. The casco antiguo sits on a limestone ridge above the Eresma and Clamores rivers, and the streets between the Aqueduct and the Alcázar are polished granite setts that get slippery after rain. The walk from Plaza del Azoguejo up Calle Real to the Cathedral covers about 1.5 km with a 60-meter elevation gain. That doesn't sound like much until you're doing it on smooth stone in sandals at 2 PM in July. Any closed-toe shoe with a rubber sole will get you from the Aqueduct to the Alcázar without incident. Fashion sneakers with flat bottoms will have you grabbing at walls by the time you reach Plaza Mayor. If you plan to walk down to the Monastery of Santa María del Parral, founded in 1447, the path along the Eresma is packed dirt and loose gravel.

Segovia sits at 1,002 meters on the Castilian meseta. A June afternoon at Plaza del Azoguejo might reach 30°C with sunlight radiating off the Aqueduct's 28-meter granite arches, but by 10 PM the same square drops to 14°C and you'll want a light jacket. Mid-summer days hover between 28°C and 34°C with dry air around 30% humidity. December through February brings nights around -2°C, and snow isn't unusual on the Sierra de Guadarrama passes between Madrid and Segovia. Year-round, pack at least one pair of long pants and a top that covers your shoulders. Segovia Cathedral, which took 243 years to finish from 1525 to 1768, and the smaller churches along Calle Real all enforce a no-tank-tops, no-short-shorts dress code.

The Castilian plateau gets intense UV from May through September, and Segovia has almost no tree cover around the Aqueduct. SPF 50 sunscreen and a hat with a brim are not optional. A refillable water bottle saves €2-3 per day. Tap water in Segovia is clean and cold from the Sierra de Guadarrama snowmelt, and the public fountains around Plaza Mayor work year-round. A portable charger earns its weight on a full-day walk between the Aqueduct and the Alcázar. Google Maps works well in the walled city, but the winding streets of the Judería drain battery fast when you're checking directions every 3 minutes. Spain uses Type C and Type F plugs at 230V. One universal adapter from the US covers everything you'll plug in.

Farmacias along Calle Real and near the Aqueduct stock European sunscreen brands like Heliocare and Avène for €10-15, often better formulations than what you'd bring from a US drugstore. Umbrellas are €5-8 at any bazaar near Plaza del Azoguejo. Ibuprofen (Nurofen) costs about €4 at any farmacia, no prescription needed. The tourist office at Plaza del Azoguejo 1, right under the Aqueduct, hands out free city maps.