Everything you cannot miss in Las Hurdes, the orchard in Cáceres yet to be discovered

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The first major fire this summer occurred in Las Hurdes, but the flames only reached 6.7% of the 46,520 hectares that the region of Cáceres extends through, the ideal place to cool off in its

and fresh waters.

for the bathroom.

Such a pleasure for the senses.

Las Hurdes continues to be one of the few

left in Spain.

Synonymous with tranquility, it evokes a feeling of having returned to yesterday, where the clock seemed to stop ticking, where there was time to contemplate, live, feel, camouflage oneself with the environment, interact with the locals.

No hurries.

Enjoying every second.

With an extension of 499.37 kilometers, located in the northern vertex of the province of Cáceres, it is distributed in a mountainous terrain with a Mediterranean climate, with some Atlantic influence, bordering the Sierra de Gata, the Lands of Granadilla and the Sierra de Francia. (Salamanca), a sum offers a peculiar landscape

, valleys, forests, rivers and waterfalls.

So far the geographical description.

However, when he pronounces the term 'Las Hurdes', the thought immediately takes us to

, together with Gregorio Marañón, in 1922, and the subsequent film, at the age of ten,

Buñuel's

has visited twice in a row

(May and July) - has little or nothing to do with the sad and dark image spread at the time.

Gone are the clichés and myths forever.

Before them, although less known,

was also in these lands .

In 1920, he published his book

, where he collected articles and works published in various newspapers for a decade.

In one of his stories, entitled

, he expressly cites some lost lands and people in the heart of Spain, where he had traveled in 1914: "Far from the noisy world, following what the water that sings at the foot of the mountains says bare, dressed only in heather, fern and low bushes", he described.

Nowadays, the traveler who emulates that route will verify that Las Hurdes has known, on the one hand, to keep the tradition of its people, their customs (such as the production of beehives from which one of the most reputable honey in the world comes) and, on the other, to promote its

.

Inhabited throughout its history by Christians, Muslims or Jews, so this mixture of civilizations has also made it possible to visit very interesting cultural corners, such as those of Casar de Palomero, to contemplate its plaques placed in the streets with crosses, crescents or stars.

Beehives of the renowned Las Hurdes honey.

If we want more specific tourist information, we can also visit the Las Hurdes Information and Interpretation Center (Riomalo de Arriba-Ladrillar), the La Casa Hurdana Interpretation Center (El Gasco), the La Miel Interpretation Center (Ovejuela ), the Las Hurdes Water and Environment Interpretation Center (Cambrón) and the Hurdana Crafts Interpretation Center (La Huetre).

The tour of this region could be done by car in one day, but it would be a serious mistake because it is best to take the stay calmly and pause to savor every corner, such as the one that goes from

.

It can also be done in the opposite direction.

In general, good paved roads are available through the winding and intricate mountainous profile of Las Hurdes.

So the best thing to do is leave aside the car, motorcycle or caravan, and take one of the many

to enjoy nature.

And furthermore, they are routes that can be done throughout the year, not only in summer, where their only natural pools help, and in what way.

In spring they have more water and in winter, of course, it is much colder, while autumn is absolutely magical, with less tourism and where the area is much calmer.

These are some of the essentials:

The Ovejuela Chorrituelo

Essential.

It is a spectacular waterfall between slate

, which is reached by a simple and very well marked hiking trail.

The route starts from the farmhouse of Ovejuela, which belongs to Pinofranqueado, through cobbled and narrow streets, and where some

, such as stone facades, small windows and slate roofs.

Later, we will take a paved path between farms and orchards to reach the natural pool of Ovejuela, from where two paths lead to El Chorrituelo, the shortest, to the right, and the longest to the left.

In both it is ascending gradually.

The route continues parallel to the river, crossing some bridges until reaching the foot of the stream and where we can bathe, and more so in this summer season.

The total distance is about 5 kilometers that can be done (the slope is not hard) in about an hour and a half.

Pinofranqueado and the Chorreón del Tajo

Pinofranqueado is the most populous town in Las Hurdes, with almost 2,000.

Here the great attraction is its natural pool, the most attractive in the region, located just below the Puente de los Machos bridge that crosses the Río de los Ángeles.

are in production in the area,

offering pure and homemade honey.

Insuperable.

Nearby is the

, also known as Salto de Alavea, with a spectacular waterfall that can be seen from its viewpoint if we stop the car, although it can also be reached on foot.

ROAD MOORISCO AND THE GASCO

Also in Caminomorisco we can enjoy a wonderful natural pool.

From here we will depart for Cambroncino, where the Church of Santa Catalina is located, which was built in the 18th century with the model of Hurdano slate, stone and brick.

NUÑOMORAL

The next stop is in Nuñomoral.

Crossing the town we will arrive at a beautiful viewpoint with views of El Cerezal, one of the best views of the entire trip, with

the mountains of Las Hurdes while the Cerezal stream crosses our feet.

In the area there are several picnic areas to eat.

If we continue along that road, we will end up in El Gasco, where we can also stop to contemplate other wonderful views from up to 3 viewpoints, all of them essential.

The first is the

from which you can see the meanders formed by the Malvellido river.

Then there is the so-called Cottolengo from where you can see the town of Martinlandrán.

The last one is the

, for many the most important because several meanders can be clearly seen at the same time between rocky walls, with views of the Malvellido Valley, where the typical orchards are found on terraces on the slopes of the mountain.

Pure essence of Las Hurdes.

The Malvellido meander.

THE LA MEANCERA JET AND THE FERRALY VOLCANO

For many, it is the most important tourist spot.

The Chorro de la Meancera, with more than

, although it does not carry much water, but it does so in a spectacular way.

From the town there is a walking route that usually takes 30 minutes to reach it.

Did you know that in Las Hurdes there is a crater?

Well, there is, about 50 meters in diameter, which was caused by the fall of a meteorite.

It is called the Ferraly volcano, although its access is somewhat difficult.

The Meancera Jet.

CASARES OF LAS HURDES

This town is located at the top of all Las Hurdes and therefore has

, from where its views perfectly summarize the best summary of what this land means, with irregular mountains covered with lush vegetation.

from viewpoint to viewpoint

If the views in Las Hurdes during the day are special, what about the nights?

In Casares de Las Hurdes is the

, with a magnificent natural observatory, which has tables from where you can interpret the Milky Way.

Observing the sky is one of the most rewarding activities offered by Las Hurdes, thanks to the absence of light pollution.

Right next to this viewpoint of the stars there is a forest track suitable for all types of vehicles and from where you will reach

, located just five kilometers away.

The viewpoint is built with slate and wood on a hill from which the meander of the Hurdano River can be seen.

In addition, you can start a short route to the dam where this river is born, known as Maja Robledo.

Nearby is also the

that offers us two different landscapes, that of Casares and Las Hurdes, in the background, and on the opposite side, Las Batuecas and the Sierra de Francia, in Salamanca.

The dessert to make the most of the tourist route through Las Hurdes is the

.

From Riomalo de Abajo there is a detour to reach said attraction.

You can go up by car directly to the viewpoint, although in tourist times there are car parks located below due to the large influx of tourists, which forces us to walk up, but it is well worth it.

But in Las Hurdes not everything is seen from its viewpoints, water and natural pools.

It is essential to see

, recognized as a Singular Tree since 2001 of great size, which has grown and kept alive for more than 350 years.

PRACTICAL GUIDE

Where to eat.

In the restaurant

(Pinofranqueado) with typical food from Hurdana.

In

(Caminomorisco), one of the first inns.

(Vegas de Coria), with impressive barbecues.

(El Gasco's farmhouse), with tasting menus at €20 and €30.

And at

del Casar de Palomero, one of the most recommended restaurants in Las Hurdes.

Where to sleep.

In the Hospedería de las Hurdes Reales: where King Felipe VI spent the night during his visit last May, on the occasion of the centenary of the trip of his great-grandfather Alfonso XIII.

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