Tagus River & bridges

Info & Location

City/Province: Toledo

Type of Experience: Top attractions

Address: Bajada de San Martín, 45004 Toledo

Points of interest: At present, eight bridges span the Tagus River in Toledo, but only two—the beautiful, ancient Alcántara and San Martín bridges—truly capture travelers’ attention.
Puente de Alcántara: Originally built by the Romans, nothing remains of that first structure except its location. The Arabs rebuilt it in the 10th century, calling it al-Qantaratu (“the bridge”). It not only served as Toledo’s main access point but also formed part of the vital Roman road linking Zaragoza (Caesar Augusta) with Mérida, and later connected major medinas in Al-Andalus—again Zaragoza (Saraqusta) and Córdoba (Qurtuba). The city-side tower, in Mudéjar style, was added by Alfonso X; the Baroque tower at the opposite end came later.
Puente de San Martín: On Toledo’s west side, this bridge was first constructed in the 13th century—likely modeled on Alcántara and built in Mudéjar style. Remarkably, it carried road traffic until 1976.