San Pedro stands outside the walls, on the large open square beside the Puerta del Alcázar, and that position is its character. It is a big, plain Romanesque church with a fine rose window, and the square in front is where Ávila likes to meet, with terraces, a statue of Santa Teresa nearby and the wall looming just across the way. If you want a spot for a coffee in the sun with a view of the best section of the ramparts, this is it.
The walls themselves are among the best-preserved medieval fortifications in Europe. They were begun in the late eleventh century, run for about two and a half kilometres, and carry some eighty-eight towers and nine gates. You can walk along part of the top, and the view over the city and the plateau is a good way to understand why Ávila was built here: the site is high, hard to attack and open to every wind.
Ávila lies on the road from Madrid toward Salamanca and the west, so it gets plenty of traffic, but the old town is calm. If you are riding in, use the main avenues and park near the square, which usually has room. The roads east toward Alcalá cross the sierra and the plateau, with fast sections and a few pretty climbs in the hills where the road crests and the view opens.
Fuel is easy, since this is a provincial capital with about fifty-seven thousand people. Try a pastry or yemas at one of the old shops, and a hearty plate at lunch: judías del Barco de Ávila, big white beans with chorizo, are a regional favourite, especially in cold weather. In winter, frost on the stone steps is real, and in August the nights stay cool, so you can sleep with the window open.