RUTA VÍA DE LA PLATA

STAGE 7: CRUCE DE LAS HERRERÍAS (ALCUÉSCAR)-CASAS DE DON ANTONIO - ALDEA DEL CANO - CÁCERES

Difficulty: Low

Distance: 37,3 Km.

 

CONTENTS:

• STATEMENT
• WHAT TO EAT
• SHOPPING
• WALKING, PEDALLING AND HORSE RIDING
• ALTERNATIVE ROUTES
• SURROUNDING AREA

STATEMENT OF THE ITINERARY

A slight uphill stretch between vines, to obtain a better view of Montánchez and Alcuéscar to our right, and a subsequent downhill stretch, takes us to the left hand side of the A-66. We follow the old roman route indicated by the green-yellow sign and continue like this for a little over 3 km, between rockroses and holm oaks, until we again come to the A-66 on its right hand side.With the A-66 on our left, we walk for a little more than 3.5 km before reaching Casas de Don Antonio, a town close to mansio Ad Sorores, the first since Mérida and 26 miles from the capital of Lusitania, having left on our right the Ayuela reservoir.

We enter Casas de Don Antonio following an old livestock path, crossing a beautiful medieval bridge that spans the waters of the river Ayuela and shortly afterwards we come across a small rest area. Before crossing the bridge there is an H3 sign which tells us about some points and places of interest that we will find along the route to Aldea del Cano. Information about Casas de Don Antonio and the surrounding area is provided by another H3 sign on the outskirts of the town, next to the old people’s home on the A-66.

We continue to follow the route of the A-66, on the right hand side, in the direction of Aldea del Cano. On our way we find some milestones that are still in good condition with the numbers XXVII and XXVIII. This last number can be found close to Santiago de Bencáliz house, Santiago Hermitage and the Bencáliz roman villa. Close to this XXVIII milestone, known popularly as the “miliario de cartero” (postman’s milestone) because the postman left letters for the nearby Santiago house in a hole in the milestone, there is another H3 sign which explains some of the interesting history of these sites. The custom among some pilgrims and walkers is to leave a short written description of their experience following the route in this hole. After a further kilometre we cross the beautiful Santiago Bridge, of roman origin but with medieval touches. Shortly afterwards the route takes us across the A-66 and on arriving on the left hand side we take the "dehesa de la Atalaya”. After 2 km we find a milestone marked with XXX on our left, next to the Verdinal brook.

Aldea del Cano is on our right and an H3 sign one kilometre later, after crossing the road to the railway station, provides us with information about this town which is so closely connected to the roman route that there are two further milestones in the surrounding area, XXXI and XXXII. This final milestone is fragmented in the dehesa del Garabato and can be found some 50 metres to the left of our route. Not far away, on a slight hill, we find the Garabato dolmen.

On our way to Valdesalor from Aldea del Cano, we cross the Cervera Airfield and 700 metres further on we find a roman archaeological site. In this stretch it is interesting to note the original way in which the streams are crossed using granite blocks. Close to the route are the magnificently preserved Arguijuela de Abajo and Arriba castles which are at the side of the A-66.

Some 4 km after the airfield we cross the river Salor over the well preserved old Mocha bridge, at a distance of 1 km from Valdesalor, which belongs to Cáceres and was built around 1960 as a new town. Once we have crossed the bridge, an H3 sign and some explanatory boards tell us about Valdesalor and the archaeological findings made around the bridge. In this area they found the Valdesalor treasure, with some 160 denarii from 81 BC, related to the Sertorian Wars and with the presence on the Iberian peninsular of Quinto Caecilio Metello, founder of Medellín.

From Valdesalor we once again cross to the right hand side of the A-66, indicated by a sign which takes us in front of the service station belonging to the town and leaving the A-66 on our left. Once again coinciding with the roman route, some 3 km later, the route takes us under the A-66 using a tunnel and this leads to the outskirts of Alcor de Santa Ana, passing through the Puerto de las Camelias, and shortly after this point we once again cross the A-66 following the route indicated by the green-yellow signs.

The route leaves the A-66 on the left and this road and the Santa Ana Military Camp fade into the distance as we continue with the A-66 on our right through the dehesa de los Caballos in the direction of the city of Cáceres, after crossing the EX-206 which connects the city with Miajadas. The roman route crosses San Francisco bridge, borders on the east of the walled area of Cáceres following the river Marco, the street called Caleros and the Plaza de Santiago square towards the San Blas Hermitage. It then leaves the city in the northeast, from the municipal cemetery, in the direction of Casar de Cáceres.

From our route we can made out the Sanctuary of Ntra. Sra. de la Montaña sanctuary on our right and, in the distance on the left, Aldea Moret which contains an Interpretation Centre on Mining in Extremadura. The city of Cáceres, a site for human populations since the Upper Paleolithic era, as has been demonstrated through findings and the Maltravieso cave paintings, seems to have become a roman settlement in 34 BC and was called Norba Caesarina. Remains from the wall and the access gate from this era still exist. In 78 BC, just a few kilometres from the city, in the place known as Cáceres el Viejo, the roman camp called Castra Caecilia was built. Today at this site there is an interesting Alba Plata project which has recovered a large proportion of the archaeological site and has opened an Interpretation Centre about the camp.

Cáceres lost its historical importance with the arrival of the Visigoths, although it recovered its strategic importance with the Arab invasion when it was known as Hizn Qazris. Conquered, lost and conquered again, but this time by Christian troops from the kingdom of León, from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries onwards it obtained great cultural and artistic splendour. Almost all of the old town in the city dates from this period.
The majority of the official houses and palaces in the old town date back to this time. The old town as a whole was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. 

A wonderful option for visitors to the city is the Provincial Museum, housed in the building known as “casa de las Veletas” or “casa del Aljibe”, with its interesting collection of archaeological findings dating from prehistoric times to the medieval era. This building, originally an Almohad fortress but later remodelled as a palace, also offers visitors an interesting ethnographic display. The Museum is also housed in a second building called casa de los Caballos, with medieval and modern art.

The route through the old town takes the visitor along peaceful narrow streets and through squares such as San Jorge and Santa María Cathedral squares, in the Romanesque style in its transition to gothic, San Mateo square and the delightful Plaza Mayor square where the outstanding highlights are the Town Hall, the Bujaco Tower and the so called “Foro de los Balbos”. This route is equally unforgettable by day or by night. This historic old town, considered to be one of the best preserved in Europe, takes on a special appeal in Easter Week, which has been declared a Regional and National Festival of Interest to Tourists. During this time many of the fraternities and brotherhoods from Cáceres choose the old town as the location for their processions.

WHAT TO EAT

Along most of this stretch visitors will find no shortage of typical Extremaduran dishes based on lamb chops or roasted leg of lamb. The typical Extremaduran stew “caldereta” is on offer, as are the equally famous “migas”, consisting of fried breadcrumbs and pork. Also very common, especially in late autumn and winter, are marinated pork dishes which are fried (el frito de cerdo) or grilled (la prueba de cerdo). The Tench, a fish which is highly sought after both by fishermen and by lovers of good food, can be found from Alcuéscar to Cáceres. There is no shortage of famous wines from Montánchez and Alcuéscar in the restaurants along the route, or of cured meats and hams from Montánchez and Aldea del Cano.

The dishes using partridge, hare and rabbit are exquisite. Also on offer are wonderful scrambled egg dishes (revueltos) of asparagus and wild asparagus and delicious figs from the nearby town of Almoharín. The sweets produced by the Convents in the area are also magnificent.

SHOPPING

In the capital of this area visitors can buy excellent tanned leather products, ceramics and wooden handicrafts and furniture. In the nearby Aldea del Cano are stone and marble products. In Montánchez, as well as furniture, we can purchase the famous hams, cured meats and wines.

WALKING, PEDALLING AND HORSE RIDING

The countryside encourages visitors to walk the majority of this stretch of the Vía de la Plata, where holm and cork oak woodlands offer an unforgettable landscape, even when only a few metres from the A-66. In Trujillanos you can find young but experienced guides who will show you the Park. There are plenty of opportunities for fishing throughout the area, especially in terms of ponds dedicated to the tench.

ALTERNATIVE ROUTES

To find out about this area through which the Vía de la Plata passes in a little more depth we recommend two alternative routes:

Towards La Raya (The border)

Desde la capital cacereña recomendamos la visita hasta Valencia de Alcántara, en plena Raya con Portugal, y que posee una de las más atractivas concentraciones de dólmenes del oeste peninsular y unos paisajes inolvidables, pudiéndonos acercar a las vecinas localidades de San Vicente de Alcántara y Alburquerque, cargadas de historia y rodeadas de una naturaleza admirable.

To Trujillo and Guadalupe

From Cáceres we recommend a visit to Valencia de Alcántara, on the border with Portugal, which possesses one of the most attractive collections of dolmens in the west of the peninsular and some unforgettable scenery. Visitors can also visit the neighbouring towns of San Vicente de Alcántara and Alburquerque which are full of history and surrounded by wonderful countryside.

SURROUNDING AREA

The Vía de la Plata towards Cáceres crosses the peneplain of the river Salor and the route allows visitors to see, to the east, the lands which make up the trujillano-cacereña tableland. This peneplain offers a landscape dominated by large woodland areas of holm oak trees and other areas of far fewer trees which are home to the rockrose and yellow elder or are dedicated to providing pastureland for sheep and cows or the production of cereal, grapes or olives.

This countryside is the preferred habitat for many migratory bird species which live here for much of the year. This is true for the Llanos (Flatlands) de Cáceres and Sierra de Fuentes areas which have been declared Special Conservation Areas and Special Bird Protection Areas (ZEC and ZEPA). These receive annual visits from the beautiful crane and great bustard which attract a large number of bird watchers to the area but visitors are also attracted to almost all of the Trujillano-Cacereña tableland including the Sierra de Fuentes area with its educational “Los Hornos” Recovery Centre for endangered species.

If there is one area close to the city of Cáceres which could be said to be emblematic it is the city of Trujillo. The pre-roman Turgulium and roman Castra Iuliae contains one of the best preserved old towns in Europe. This is full of wonderfully beautiful civil and religious buildings, with highlights including the castle from the time of the Caliph of Cordoba, constructed between the tenth and eleventh centuries, but with later modifications up to the sixteenth century. On Easter Sunday in Trujillo thousands of visitors celebrate the popular Chiviri Festival, declared a Regional Festival of Interest to Tourists, which together with the annual National Cheese Fair makes this city, birthplace of the discoverer Francisco Pizarro, one of the most attractive towns in Extremadura.

Further to the east and in the middle of the Las Villuercas district is the Real Monasterio de Guadalupe Monastery, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Another area of great value for eco-tourism lies to the west of our route and is close to the town of Malpartida de Cáceres. This is the natural monument called Los Barruecos, a huge granite outcrop which surrounds the waters called Charca del Lavadero. This is the location for the Vostell-Malpartida Museum. In this very special habitat visitors can see, as well as the flora associated with these granite formations, black storks, mallard ducks and grey heron.

We should not forget that Malpartida and towns in the district annually celebrate the Tench Festival, declared an Extremaduran Festival of Interest to Tourists. The main star is no other than this highly sought after fish which is very abundant in the many ponds in the area.

Further to the west is the Sierra de San Pedro, declared a Special Bird Protection Area. Here the fauna and flora of the thicket and forest is considered one of the best examples on the Iberian Peninsular. This is the nesting area for a large number of Spanish Imperial Eagles.