Ciudad Rodrigo's Plaza Mayor is a proper working square — not prettified for tourists, but used daily by the people who live here. The arcaded buildings around the perimeter house cafés, a pharmacy, and local businesses. The town hall occupies one side; a few bars have tables outside.
It is smaller and less grand than Salamanca's famous square, but it has a lived-in ease that the more famous version sometimes lacks. Sit with a coffee in the morning and watch the town go about its business. Market days bring extra activity and a cluster of stalls selling local produce.
The square was the setting for the annual Carnaval del Toro, one of the oldest and most distinctive winter carnivals in Spain, which takes place over several days in February. If you happen to be here then, the walled streets make for an unusually dramatic backdrop.