Spain Badajoz Cáceres Extremadura Contents Getting to Know Extremadura 1 A Tour of its Cities Cáceres 8 Plasencia 10 Badajoz 12 Mérida 14 Travel Routes through Extremadura The Three Valleys 16 United Los Ibores, Guadalupe Kingdom and Las Villuecas 19 Dublin Sierra de Gata and Las Hurdes 21 Ireland London The Route of the Conquistadors 23 La Raya 24 Through Lands of Wine Paris and Artisans 27 La Serena, La Siberia and their Reservoirs 29 France The Silver Route 31 Leisure and Events 33 Cantabrian Sea Useful Information 36 Spain Portugal Madrid Cáceres Lisbon Badajoz Mediterranean Extremadura Sea Melilla Ceuta Rabat Morocco Atlantic Ocean Canary Islands CIUDAD RODRIGO 8 km SALAMANCA 36 km AVILA 9 km SALAMANCA MADRID 72 km MADRID 74 km SONSECA 49 km Casares Cepeda ÁVILA de las Hurdes El Ladrillar Las Mestas Piedrahita Nuñomoral Vegas de Béjar Burgohondo San Martín Sabugal 1367 Coria Riomalo de Valdeiglesias Robledillo Jañona Descargamaría Pinofranqueado Baños de Montemayor El Barco de Avila Sotillo de S.Martín Aldeanueva Valverde Casar de Hervás la Adrada Fundão de Trevejo Gata Marchagaz Palomero del Camino del Fresno Cadalso Arenas de Penamacor Acebo Emb. de Tornavacas Eljas Torre de Palomero Gabriel y Galán Cabezuela Jerte San Pedro Hoyos D. Miguel Trevejo Pozuelos Ahigal del Valle Jarandilla Villanueva 630 El Torno de Zarzón Aldeanueva de la Vera de la Vera Madrigal Cilleros Emb. de 110 de la Vera Borbollón P Losar Valverde Moraleja Carcaboso Garganta P Piornal Cuacos de Yuste de la Vera Montehermoso la Olla Plasencia Pasarón Jaráiz Las Ventas de la Vera Coria Galisteo de la Vera Talayuela de San Julián Talavera de la Reina Malpartida Navalmoral Zarza la Mirabel de Plasencia Torrejoncillo de la Mata CASTELO BRANCO Mayor T Casatejada OLEDO 33 km L L Ceclavín Oropesa T OLEDO Piedras Acehuche Portezuelo Serradilla Emb. de Almaraz Albas Cañaveral Serrejón El Puente San Bartolomé de Emb. de Emb. de las Abiertas Bohonal Valdecañas del Arzobispo Alcántara II 630 PARQUE NATURAL de Ibor Alcaudete de Alcántara Torrejón el Rubio MONFRAGÜE la Jara Garrovillas Romangordo S La Estrella A A 624 Talaván Valdelacasa Cedillo i Jaraicejo Castañar La Nava de e Navas Deleitosa de Tajo Los Navalmorales r de Ibor Ricomalillo Santiago de r Brozas del Madroño Casar de Torrecillas Alcántara a Monroy Navalvillar Membrio d Cáceres de la Tiesa de Ibor e Arroyo Santa Marta S P Roturas a n de la Luz de Magasca Cabañas 1441 Salorino P e Navezuelas d r o CÁCERES 1601 Puerto de San Vicente G G P del Castillo Valencia 703 521 Trujillo Anchuras Herreruela 644 Berzocaña Villuercas Guadalupe de Alcántara Torrico Malpartida 521 Retuerta de de S. Pedro Aliseda Garciaz p e de Cáceres La Cumbre l u P Alía Bullaque PORTALEGRE Sta. Cruz d a S. Vicente de la Sierra a Cañamero de Alcántara Emb. de Ibahernando u Aldea Salor G Torremocha e del Cano d Logrosán U U La Codosera Alburquerque 523 Valdefuentes a Zorita Castiblanco Horcajo de Puebla Montánchez r Emb. de de Obando r V Valdecaballeros los Montes Cordobilla 630 e El Águila Alcuéscar i Herrera de Lácara S Emb. de Madrigalejo García de Sola Peloche del Duque Alcoba Villar del Rey Almoharín Escurial Fuenlabrada PARQUE NATURAL Navalvillar de los Montes T T La Roca Miajadas de Pela CORNALVO Casas de D. Pedro Puebla de de la Sierra La Nava 430 Bótoa de Santiago S. Pedro Emb. de D. Rodrigo Aljucén Sta. Amalia Villanueva Orellana Orellana Talarrubias Emb. de de Mérida de la Serena la Vieja Tamurejo BADAJOZ Proserpina CIUDAD Puebla Montijo Medellín MÉRIDA Don Benito La Coronada Puebla de Emb. de la Siruela de la Calzada P Serena 939 REAL R R Lobón Alcocer Elvas V Embalse Talavera Magacela Saceruela la Real Arroyo de Guareña del Zújar S. Serván Alange Campanario Peñalsordo Solana Oliva de Mérida Torremejía La Albuera de los Barros Quintana Alandroal LA SERENAde la Serena Cabeza del Olivenza TIERRA Almendralejo Palomas Castuera Buey Puebla de la O O Higuera Valverde DE BARROS Reina 432 de La Serena TollAutopista road Redondo de Leganés Aceuchal Sta. Marta Monterrubio MotorwayAutovía Almendral Villalba de los Barros Villafranca 951 Zalamea de de la Serena Carretera nacional Alconchel Táliga de los Barros la Serena National highway Barcarrota Fuente del er Hornachos 848 PrimaryCtra. Red regional básica 1 road orden Cheles Higuera Maestre 630 Ribera P P Salvatierra Campillo de Llerena SecondaryCtra. Red básica regional 2º orden road de Vargas Feria del Fresno Hinojosa 435 de los Barros El Viso Carretera local Los Santos Llera del Duque Local road Reguensos de Villanueva Zafra Peraleda Monsaraz Valle de de Maimona del Zaucejo Los Blázquez Ferrocarril del Fresno Zahinos P Valencia AlcaracejosRailway P Parador Mourão Matamoros de las Torres Parador Valencia del Usagre Granja Monumento Mombuey Jerez de de Torrehermosa Historic ruins N los Caballeros Valencia Ruinas históricas Berlanga Panoramic view Amareleja Oliva de la Fregenal del Ventoso Bienvenida 432 Vista panorámica Frontera de la Sierra Fuente Azuaga NatureParque naturalPark S. Cristobal Llerena Fuente Obejuna Bodonal de Cantos 774 MarinaPuerto deportivo Barrancos de la Sierra 630 Casas de Reina Encinasola Higuera Calera de León CampgroundsCamping la Real Segura Fuente del Arco CÓRDOBA de León GolfCampo course de golf Cabeza la Vaca Monesterio Guadalcanal 0 10 20 30 40 50 Km. 1110 Villaviciosa de Córdoba HealthBalneario spa Tentudia Alanís Aeropuerto Airport Adamuz CARTOGRAFÍA: GCAR, S.L. Cardenal Silíceo, 35 Patrimonio de la Humanidad Tel. 91 416 73 41 - 28002 MADRID - AÑO 2000 HUELVA World Heritage Site Santa Olalla de Cala SEVILLA HUELVA 95 km SEVILLA 71 km LORA DEL RÍO 41 km CÓRDOBA 2 km Getting to Cáceres (19,945 km2) and Badajoz (21,657 km2) with 380 Know municipalities; 218 pertain to Extremadura Cáceres and 162 to Badajoz. The capital of the Autonomous The Land Community is Mérida. If only one word could be used The population density is only to define the Autonomous 27 inhabitants per square Community of Extremadura, kilometer compared with it would be “diversity”. 75 inhabitants in the rest of Mediterranean forests and Spain. The total population meadows intersperse with is 1,069,419 of which 405,616 artificial lakes and the peneplain are found in the province of Cáceres. In the north, Sierra de of Cáceres and 663,803 in the Gata along with the fertile province of Badajoz. valleys of the Jerte, Ambroz and La Vera contrast sharply with the extensive plains of La Serena in the south. The name Extremadura comes from the Spanish word “extremo” meaning “extreme” or “farthest out”; a word that was used to indicate the frontier lands during the eight centuries of fighting between Christians and Muslims while Spain was under Islamic rule. Its limits extend to the region of Castilla y León in the north and south to Andalusia, to the east lies Castilla-La Mancha and to the west Portugal. Extremadura has an area of 41,602 square kilometers. It is the fifth largest Autonomous Community in Spain and contains eight percent of the national territory. It is divided into two provinces: Jerte Valley 1 Temple of Diana in Mérida The first thing that surprises between the ocean and the most travelers is the fact that region. Winters are relatively Extremadura is often mild and summers are very hot. mountainous and has an abundance of water. The main The network of roads has two rivers, the Tajo (Tagus) and the main axes: east-west and north- Guadiana, cut through the south. The first, the National V region from east to west, and motorway joining Madrid with various mountain ranges run Lisbon traverses Extremadura; through it. In the north lie the the second is formed by the Central mountains, in the south, National N-630 linking the lands the foothills of Sierra Morena, of Upper Extremadura with and in the east and center of the those in the southern part and is region, the foothills of the being converted into a Montes de Toledo. This has given motorway. The rest of the rise to a land of contrasts where network of roads is good and elevations range from 130 to provides access to all parts of the 2,400 meters. region, including the most remote. The railway network Extremadura has a Mediterranean consists of an axis crossing both climate modified by continental of the provinces: Cáceres- and oceanic influences. It is more Madrid, Cáceres-Mérida, Mérida- humid and pleasant than the Zafra line. Badajoz has an rest of the plateau due to the airport with regular flights to absence of natural obstacles Madrid and Barcelona. 2 History the Andalusian battlefields. It was in these lands as a result The existence of prehistoric of the battle of Albuera that settlements in Extremadura is Ferdinand and Isabella secured manifest in the caves of the throne. Maltravieso (Cáceres), Monfragüe, Villuercas, Alange, After the Christian Reconquest and by the numerous dolmen of Granada and the return of of Valencia de Alcántara and the Columbus from America, a notable one in Lácara. significant number of noblemen, friars and adventurers embarked Later came the Tartessians, Celts upon the challenge and and Romans; these latter having colonization of America, so that the greatest influence with the their names and those of their founding in 25 B.C. of Emérita hometowns became a part of Augusta (Mérida), capital of the world history. Roman province of Lusitania. With the arrival of the Alans in On February 25, 1983 the Statute the 5th century, the splendor of of Autonomy of Extremadura Rome was extinguished. Years was approved by an organic act. later, Mérida fell under the rule The Statute sets forth the of the Visigoth kingdom of responsibilities of the Eurico.