WEEKEND EXCURSIONS

A DAY OUT IN LA SIBERIA

There is an attractive mixture of reservoirs and mountain ranges in this easterly area of Extremadura, bordering on the neighbouring province of Ciudad Real and the region of La Serena. Here may be found the source of many of the rivers which will later irrigate the best meadows around Badajoz.

The combination of mountain ranges, hills and reservoirs ensure attractive landscapes throughout the year and the region contains the best areas in all Extremadura for practicing water sports and let’s not forget the spa in Valdefernando!.

                                Courtyard of Valdefernando Spa

AN ITINERARY FOR TOURISTS

Our itinerary begins in Orellana la Vieja where we may contemplate the remains of what was once the Palace-Castle of the Beljida family. The village’s Church of La Inmaculada Concepción dates back to the 16th century and even today conserves its original wooden roof.

En route to Navalvillar de Pela and just beside Orellana la Vieja, we may stop off in Orellana de la Sierra. Situated in the Pela Mountains it conserves the remains of the granite Palace of García Bejarano and, close by, the Parish Church of El Espíritu Santo. Driving through unforgettable mountain landscapes we come to Navalvillar de Pela which sits in a plain at the foot of the Trasierra de Pela Mountain. Close to the village it is possible to visit the remains of the Roman settlement of Lacipea. Both the Orellana Reservoir and the Pela Mountains are conservation areas. This locality becomes very popular in the month of January on account of its Festivity which has been declared of interest as a Regional Tourist Attraction. Known as “La Encamisá” or the “San Antón Race”, horses and riders are the protagonists of a tremendously convivial celebration in which the locals serve visitors with “Pitarra” wine and cream fritters (buñuelos). Two interesting ecclesiastical buildings stand out in the village, the 16th century Church of Santa Catalina and the Hermitage de la Caridad from the same era.

Situated on the right hand side of the Guadiana River we come upon Casas de Don Pedro which contains a number of magnificent examples of Extremadura Mudejar architecture, particularly the outstanding Parish Church of San Pedro. Casas de Don Pedro takes its name from Peter I of Castille who, tradition would have it, was buried in the village following his defeat in the battle of Montiel.

Taking the N-430 from Casas de Don Pedro we arrive at the Puerto Peña dam, a beautiful spot set amidst magnificent, mountainous countryside inhabited by numerous birds, of which the most notable are black storks and vultures. Following along the left hand side of the García de Sola reservoir, amidst landscapes of water and mountain, we come to Valdecaballeros which means we are now close to the “Sierra de la Chimenea”, the “Chimney Mountains”. This locality is famous throughout the region on account of the important Valdefernando thermal spa. There is an outstanding 15th century Mudejar style Parish Church dedicated to Saint Michael on the door of which may be contemplated various Roman inscriptions alluding to the Emperors Vespasiano and Domiciano.

In the nearby riverside village of Castilblanco, typical Arab influenced buildings can still be seen, especially in the quarters called "Picocerro" and "Perchel" where there is an abundance of houses with white facades, small windows and Arab tiles. The 15th century Mudejar style Parish Church of San Cristóbal can be found in the neighbourhood known popularly as “El Castillo”, the “Castle”.

We continue northwards until we arrive at the dam of the Cíjara reservoir from where we drive on to Helechosa de los Montes, situated in the Cíjara Regional Hunting Preserve and which contains various houses with facades covered with sgraffito and paint. The Parish Church of Nuestra Señora de Altagracia dates back to the 16th century and the village itself is famous for its “Los Diablucos” festivity during the Corpus celebrations.

Bohonal borders on the province of Ciudad Real, the Cíjara Hunting Preserve and the Dehesilla Mountain Range and is very close to the reservoir. This locality is situated in an eminently mountainous landscape full of pine forests and beautiful parts of the reservoir which confer a special charm on the area. A typical although not very large village, its 16th century Parish Church of San Juan Bautista is worthy of note. Also of interest is the enormous bridge over the reservoir which we have to cross to gain access to the village.

Through this attractive countryside we drive now to Villarta de los Montes, situated in one of the foothills of the Umbría Mountain Range. Within this range various places are of interest such as the area known as the "Valle del Castañar" (the Chestnut Valley) and its various waterfalls or also the areas known as "Hoces del Guadiana" (the Guadiana Ravines) and "El Robledillo" (the Small Oak Grove). The village’s Parish Church of María Magdalena has in its interior an interesting Baroque altarpiece created by Juan Correa de Vivar. On the outskirts is to be found the Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de Antigua, of Mudejar origin.

                            Mesta's Bridge. Villarta de los Montes

We travel across the mountains now, along the N-430 which connects these lands to Ciudad Real and from there we continue through typical landscapes of pastures and scrubland en route to Fuenlabrada de los Montes which is very close to the Robledillo Nature Area. Fuenlabrada, known throughout this part of Extremadura as the “honey capital”, conserves its Parish Church of La Asunción, built with enormous buttresses. In the middle of the church there is a striking altarpiece designed by Juan de Holanda and Diego Aguilar.

Nearby Herrera del Duque owes its name to the fact that for many years it was part of the property of the Dukes of Osuna. There is no lack of ancestral homes in the interior of the village, with impressive facades of great artistic value as is the case of the House of the Alcántara Trusteeship (“la Casa de la Encomienda de Alcántara”), better known in the village as the Casa del Congo (Congo House).
Its entirely porticoed Plaza Mayor (Main Square) is magnificent and of all its ecclesiastical buildings the most striking is the 15th century Church of San Juan Bautista which contains a highly valuable silver monstrance crafted in the 16th century by Gregorio Borja and Francisco Morales. Built from masonry and brick, the village’s important castle is still standing.

Driving round the García de Sola reservoir we come upon Peloche and, not far away, some interesting schematic cave paintings. The Parish Church is dedicated to San Antonio Abad.

Talarrubias is close to the limits of the Guadiana and the Zújar Rivers and to the “Golondrinos” and the “Chimeneas” mountain ranges. Here we will find a most interesting historic and artistic patrimony amongst which the Gothic style Parish Church of Santa Catalina stands out, complete with its abundant Mudejar and Renaissance elements. Other interesting constructions are the Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de the Carmen with its Rococo style interior and, on the outskirts, the Hermitages of San Roque and the la Coronada (Crowned Virgin).

In the vicinity of Talarrubias there is a cave known as "La Panda" in which we can see some important schematic paintings. Garbayuela borders on the Villares Mountain range. The area is predominantly given over to rockrose pastures and scrublands. The 16th century Parish Church dedicated to San Pedro contains a statue of Christ with Gothic features and dates back to the same century.

On the edge of the province of Ciudad Real and almost on the very banks of the Siruela River we come now to Tamurejo where we will find interesting examples of regional architecture. Close by is Baterno which is of note on account of two interesting constructions, the whitewashed Parish Church of San Andrés and the beautiful Hermitage of the Virgen of Fuego, very well known in the region.

Only a few kilometres separate us from Siruela which is situated in the mountain range of the same name and was known in the Middle Ages as Villanueva de Siruela. Tartesian gravestones, pre-Roman and Roman discoveries speak to us of a historic place which would continue to be of importance throughout the Muslim period and later centuries – it was one of the key centres of the “Mesta” (a powerful association of sheep holders) during the reign of the Catholic Kings. The remains of the Templars’ Castle, known as the “Cave”, can still be seen.

Nearby Sancti Spiritus lies on the banks of the majestic La Serena (“the Serene”) reservoir in a plain close to the Cuchillo (“the Knife”) Mountain Range. Without losing sight of the La Serena reservoir we now come to the village of El Risco which sits on the reservoir’s edge amidst mountainous terrain. Here the most outstanding ecclesiastical building is the Parish Church of San Blas. Built from brick and stone it possesses a Classicist style portico.

The nearby village of Garlitos is surrounded by landscapes of great beauty and in its Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de Nazareth various Roman gravestones have been conserved, possibly from the village of Miróbriga.

One of the most important regional towns in La Siberia is Puebla de Alcocer and its castle can be discerned from many nearby villages. Just beneath the castle, on the southern skirts of the Lares Mountain Range, is the village itself. The striking Mudejar style Parish Church of Santiago contains the remains of the Master of Alcántara, Gutiérrez de Sotomayor. Also of note are other homes of noble families such as the Palace of the Duque de Osuna, the famous mansion of San Juan de la Puebla or the historic House of the Inquisition and of course we should not forget its Plaza Mayor (Main Square).

In the westernmost part of La Siberia, bordering almost on the region of La Serenca, we come to Esparragosa de Lares where we can see the Church of Santa Catalina de Alejandria and its porticoed Town Hall.

Very close to Esparragosa de Lares is Galizuela whire we can see interesting buildings such as the Hermitage of the Incarnation or the Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de Lares, known as the “Cave” or the “Risco”.

GASTRONOMY

The region is an important producer of honey, particularly Fuenlabrada de los Montes. Peloche is famous for its fish “escarapuches”, a tomato and onion salad and Valdecaballeros for its rabbit dishes. Honey based pastries are ubiquitous throughout the region and Castilblanco’s “bollos dormidos” (sleeping buns) are renowned. We can find wine in Esparragosa de Lares.

HANDICRAFTS

Leather, bobbin lace and embroidery are to be had throughout the region and good pottery abounds. Navalvillar de Pela still makes the famous “mantas de tiras” blankets.

FESTIVITIES

“The Encamisá” in Navalvillar de Pela during the Feast of San Antón in January has been declared of interest as a Regional Tourist Attraction. The “El Corpus” festival in Helechosa de los Montes and its famous “Diablucos” (devils) are of note as is the Virgin of Nazareth Festivity in Garlitos on the 8th of September. The so called “Lumbre de los Quintos” (the “Light of the Conscripts”) festivity in Valdecaballeros is interesting.

                           "La Encamisá" in Navalvillar de Pela

NATURE AND COUNTRYSIDE

This region, thanks to one of the largest reservoirs in Extremadura, has become a really beautiful area in which hills, mountain ranges and enormous woods of oak and pine blend with hundreds of kilometres of fresh water.

Worthy of mention are the Cíjara Regional Hunting Preserve and the Valdecaballeros Regional Reserve together with numerous parts of the reservoirs in which typical water sports such as fishing and swimming can be practiced.

The country around Puerto Peña, Orellana, Apretura de la Hoz and Sierra de Peloche are magnificent habitats for birds of prey, in particular the vulture. Cranes are frequent visitors during the greater part of the year, particularly in the area around the Orellana reservoir.