Route of the charming villages of Cáceres

Route of the charming villages of Caceres

Travelling to Extremadura to visit its recommendable corners is always a pleasure, and if our escape is to visit its well cared for villages it will surely become an unforgettable experience. On this occasion, our route will take us to some of the charming villages in the province of Cáceres, where jewels from another era await us, which blend in with the natural environment that, in many cases, surrounds these noble villas. Everyone knows the remarkable history that has taken place in these lands over the years, a history that has undoubtedly forged the character of the villages we will visit.

Proposed Itinerary through the most beautiful villages of Caceres

Medieval streets, ancient buildings that date back hundreds of years, when the Romans inhabited these lands, castles that were once the spearheads of noble warriors and that today are the unbeatable setting for illustrious series and well-known films. Walking through the streets of these villages in the province of Cáceres is an experience that we must live calmly, enjoying every corner. Surely we must be surprised by many of the architectural monuments that we will visit and that perfectly represent each of the civilizations that inhabited these lands. But not everything has to be monuments and history, nature also wants to contribute to the uniqueness of some of these villages. Landscapes of great beauty and recognized fame that simply by themselves are worth visiting. Attributes that come to add to those already mentioned, making us even more complicated the relationship of municipalities that make up this route through the charming villages of Caceres. A route that has to tempt us with claims of the size of the National Park of Monfragüe, the famous Monastery of Yuste or the ancient archaeological remains of the Roman City of Caparra among other charms.

Guadalupe

What better place to start our itinerary than one of the most remarkable pilgrimage centres in the Iberian Peninsula. In the 14th century, the town of Guadalupe grew up around a small hermitage, which today is the Royal Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The notoriety that this town in the province of Cáceres has enjoyed over the years is reflected not only in its stately monastery, but also in its interesting historical and artistic heritage. A walk through its streets gives us a small idea of the remarkable history that this town treasures and prepares us for the unavoidable visit to the Royal Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe. A religious center to which not a few pilgrims came and still come on a pilgrimage following one of the different paths that, like to Santiago, lead the pilgrim to Guadalupe. These attributes, together with the natural environment that surrounds this town of Cáceres, have served to add some recognition that guarantees its uniqueness and beauty.

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Trujillo

We leave Guadalupe behind and head for another of the historic villages of those that await us on this route through the charming towns of Cáceres, the regal town of Trujillo. Noble and important historical characters have walked through the streets of this long-lived town, a town that, as soon as we get close to it, shows us part of its hidden charms, crowned by the imposing Castle of Trujillo. Walking around this town is like reading the book of its long history, a book that takes us from one era to another while we walk around its spectacular Plaza Mayor, or we stop to contemplate the countless palaces that come to meet us. Its cobbled streets take us to the top of the hill where the impregnable fortress that dominates Trujillo sits, but not before making a stop to visit the convents and churches that, like that of Santa María la Mayor, we come across as we walk around this unique town. This walk, like ours, will surely whet your appetite, which is more than enough of an excuse to stop and try some of the typical dishes of Trujillo's cuisine.

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Montánchez

We continue to travel through the villages of the province of Cáceres and our route takes us to the Sierra of Montánchez where the village that gives its name to this natural area awaits us. Here we can find the curious megalithic site of El Cancho, a huge stone just over 3.5 m high that is shaken or rather that we could move with one hand before. Once in Montánchez, a beautiful monumental complex awaits us, which blends in with the surrounding natural environment, and in which its castle stands out. A building from the Roman period that after not a few battles became the property of the Order of Santiago and that still today resists succumbing to the passage of time. There are also several religious monuments that, of course, we can visit in Montánchez, its parish church of San Mateo or the various chapels and crosses that abound in the town to surely liven up our walk. Also known are the various pilgrimages and festivals that are held throughout the year here and are also part of the attractions of this municipality of Cáceres.

Cáceres

Any tourist guide who tells us about the goodness and attributes of the towns and cities in the province of Cáceres will undoubtedly recommend us to visit their capital. The city of Cáceres has an enviable historical centre that, as soon as you set foot in it, takes you back to the medieval times when the knights defended their walls. The Concathedral of Santa Maria, the Palaces of the Golfines and the Palace of the Veletas, the Tower of Bujaco next to the Arch of the Star and the House of the Sun are only a small sample of what awaits us in Caceres capital. The rich history that this town treasures approaches us at every step we take through it, the different cultures that passed through here left their indelible mark as great monumental jewels that perfectly describe their customs and their characteristic features. There are so many attributes that do not fit in a single article so we recommend you take a look at our review Walk around the Cáceres Medieval, where we propose a complete tour to visit this city.

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Malpartida de Cáceres

Our next stop on this route through the charming villages of Cáceres offers us some attractions, a priori, radically different. Not far from the capital, the town of Malpartida de Cáceres awaits us and next to it the unique Natural Monument of the Barruecos. This village has been declared European Village of the Storks and in addition we will be able to find in the magnificent natural surroundings some archaeological remains of considerable importance. If we are lucky enough to visit it at the same time as the numerous population of storks choose it as their home, the spectacle is considerably extended. Without a doubt it is worthwhile once we have finished our walk in Malpartida de Cáceres, to go to Los Barruecos and do some of the trekking routes that go through it, and that show us a landscape as from another world, so much so that it has been the scene of a bloody battle with dragons and everything. But beyond the fiction, a natural place awaits us that brings together some curious surprises.

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Alcántara

We continue with the itinerary going up the province of Cáceres towards the north at the same time as we approach its border with Portugal. There, not far from the last reservoir that controls the flow of the Tajo River before it continues its course to the neighbouring country, we will find the town of Alcántara. Known for the ancient Roman Bridge of Alcantara, or the Convent of San Benito, and of course the Order of Alcantara whose headquarters were established here, the rich history of this town goes back in time even to prehistoric times, as evidenced by some remains found. Remains as remarkable as the Bronze of Alcantara, also called "Tabula Alcantarensis", which although more current, tells us about the capitulation to the Romans of the indigenous people who lived here. Without a doubt, this is a municipality that had a notable strategic importance, as can be seen from the various monuments and writings that have survived to the present day and that we can visit today in Alcántara.

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Coria

We continue to ascend towards the north of the province of Cáceres, heading for one of the oldest cities in this area known as Caura, before the Romans renamed it as we know it today, Coria or rather Caurium in Latin. From its remarkable historical importance, many examples have come down to us, such as the Castle of Coria, the Cathedral of Santa María de la Asunción, the Palace of the Dukes of Alba, among other palaces, or the Royal Prison. These are just some of the magnificent monuments that await us in Coria, making this municipality an unavoidable stop on our tourist route. The festivals and traditions that are preserved here are also well known, contributing to the expansion of its cultural heritage, making the interest in this town of Coria grow even more. Another place that is also interesting to visit in Coria is its botanical garden, located about two kilometers from the city and in which we can see a well-cared for representation of the Mediterranean forest in Extremadura.

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Robledillo de Gata

We set off towards our next objective without knowing that the trip will also be a journey through time, because if something characterizes this town that we are going to visit, it is to have known how to keep alive over time its character, its physiognomy, its traditional style. Thanks to the magnificent natural environment that surrounds it and its typical buildings of popular architecture, Robledillo de Gata surrounds us with its tranquility, inviting us to walk around it calmly, enjoying every corner, every building that stands before us. Balconies from which to watch the passing of time, narrow streets that test our physical condition, long passages that cool us down in summer or protect us from the rain and wind in winter, in short, a town with a marked medieval imprint that in itself is a whole historical complex that has barely seen its original essence modified, the legacy of the people who once populated this small town in the province of Cáceres.

Granadilla

We continue our journey saying goodbye to this village suspended in time to go to another town whose uniqueness surprises us considerably. We are used to visiting towns whose historical set stands out notably, surrounded by a natural place of incalculable beauty and endowed with an exciting history. All these particularities also come together in the town of Granadilla, a royal castle, houses that are true palaces and of course a slender church united, all these monuments, cobbled and careful streets merge with the spectacular reservoir next to which sits Granadilla. And here lies its uniqueness, we are facing a town that back in the 60s was evicted, expropriated, as it is considered a flood area by the waters of the reservoir and since then no one lives there being totally abandoned. But the waters of the reservoir, even when it was at its maximum capacity, never flooded Granadilla and in the 80s it was included in a program of rehabilitation of abandoned villages, a fact that has contributed to be able to contemplate it in its current state.

Plasencia

We said goodbye to this beautiful but inert town of Cáceres and headed once again to a bustling and touristy city, Plasencia, an obligatory stop on the immaterial Via de la Plata. Once again we are before a book open to the history of this land, as its extensive historical and artistic heritage with a more than outstanding monumental set testifies. From an aqueduct, in this case of medieval origin, through archaeological remains such as the cave of Boquique, or numerous palaces such as the Marquis of Mirabel, the municipal today Plasencia City Hall or the Episcopal are some of the jewels that await us in this city. To walk through its streets is to jump from one civilization to another, from one culture to another as we change streets and neighborhoods. But in Plasencia there are also notable festivals and cultural events that we can find throughout the year and of course its cuisine. In short, there are many attributes that justify a visit, an appointment that will surely take at least a couple of days to satisfy.

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Jerte

Our next destination is not far from Plasencia as this is the gateway to the Jerte Valley, the target of the next stop on this route through the charming villages of Cáceres. Although in Jerte and in the surrounding villages we can find remarkable monuments and beautiful architectural works, this land is famous worldwide for the spectacular nature of its environment, especially in spring. The mountains that surround the Jerte Valley hide, and are part, together with the valley itself, of natural spots of great ecological value and incalculable scenic beauty. In addition to these values, there are also villages with great attention to detail, such as Jerte itself, which attract thousands of people throughout the year. Active and cultural tourism come together in this part of the province of Cáceres to experience the wonderful spectacle of the cherry blossom, which every year dyes the fields that surround the Jerte Valley with white.

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Cuacos de Yuste

We jump those mountains that imprison the famous Jerte Valley to go in search of our last destination, and what better ending than the place chosen by the emperor Charles V for his retreat, Cuacos de Yuste municipality that houses the Monastery of Yuste. This town owes its notoriety in part to this illustrious and famous character in the history of Spain, and proof of this are the different monuments that make up its historical and artistic complex. In addition to the Monastery of Yuste, which is somewhat separate from the village, there are other places of interest such as the Plaza Mayor, the House of Rafael Castaño or the House of Juan de Austria, not to mention the magnificent natural landscapes that surround this village. Another place worth a visit because of its uniqueness is the German Cemetery, near the Monastery of Yuste, where the remains of the German fighters of the First and Second World War whose bodies were found in Spanish territory, either by shipwrecks, accidents or when their planes were shot down.

Map of the route

This map is a sketch made as an example of the route, in no case represents the best or the only itinerary to follow. Its development has not taken into account the current rules of circulation or the state of the places through which it passes and that could affect its layout.