Geographically: Where are we in this story?
Extremadura – The West of Spain
The area of the Valle del Jerte – the road between Plasencia and Avila
Don’t forget to click on the photo groups to open fully and enjoy the beauty of this stunning region!!
The drive south from Salamanca to the La Vera region
Leaving the city of Salamanca, we drove south, parallel to the Portuguese border, through open countryside that led us to a small mountain village in the La Vera region of Valle del Jerte. The village of Cuacos de Yuste lies central to the surrounding national parks and close to the heart of the cherry-growing region of Extremadura, an area that sports amazing scenery and rich history. It is also a paradise for birdwatchers eager to catch on camera those birds of prey—eagles and vultures.
We had chosen a wonderful boutique hotel right in the middle of the town. Hotel Rural Abadia de Yuste is run by a vibrant young couple from the local region who were super friendly and helpful, especially about our food preference for less meat and more salads and vegetables.
The husband was the chef for the restaurant and, while understanding the penchant for meat meals in the region, went out of his way to make delicious paella, salads, and sides of tasty fresh bread with delicious local olive oil to satiate the fresh, local Mediterranean food we so much enjoy.
https://www.abadiadeyuste.com/
Birds of prey, ruined castles and waterways!
The following day we set off to explore the Parque Nacional de Monfragüe with its plethora of birds of prey and birdwatchers, olive trees and natural bush, natural waterways and dammed lakes.
We stopped frequently to observe both the birds which included imperial eagles, black vultures, black stork, and griffon vultures; and the travellers in cars and campervans who patiently sit with camera at hand or on a tripod waiting for the photo of a lifetime. The birds are incredible to watch; indeed, mesmerising. When they fly close one can hear the power of air under their wingspans which can be up to 3m in width.
In the middle of the park, we stopped for lunch in a small hamlet, Villarreal de San Carlos, which was established by Charles III to protect travellers from bandits moving through the region. Here, we came across information about the Castillo de Monfrague, the home of Charles III. In the mid-1700s he lived in this rock fortress; but now, with its crumbling stone walls, steep steps, and walkways, tourists like ourselves can enjoy the 360-degree views of a vast range of rock outcrops, olive groves, farms, and waterways.
An exploration of the Old Town of Cuacos de Yuste
After returning to our village of Cuacos de Yuste, I wandered down to a small supermarket passing through a very old part of town with remarkable houses set in a semicircle above a small square. I read inscriptions and photographed these as I learned the history of the architecture and two main squares adjoining the area.
In 1959 Cuacos de Yuste was declared an ‘Aesthetic Reserve’ – An Asset of Cultural Interest in the Historical Sites. The buildings, which are traditionally constructed using adobe timber framing and masonry, were built in the ‘Highland Style’ with bay windows and porticoed facades—a feature of the La Vera region. The foundations were of granite and were supported by wooden columns. Determined by the physical elements of the area, the buildings were created along streets with winding routes and around the traditional squares and hidden corners.
Taking a stroll through this charming village leads to the porticoed Plaza Mayor with its central feature, a working fountain with four spouts. The Plaza de Juan de Austria was home to the son of Emperor Charles V. The highland style building, known as the ‘House of Jeromín’, has been refurbished and is now occupied by the municipal association.
On my wanderings, I came upon the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, home to a magnificent 16th-century organ made in Antwerp. I was unable to view this historic church because by now it was closed. Two other lovely squares in which to rest and relax are the Plaza de España, which features some porticoes, and Plaza de la Fuente de los Chorros, which is very small in size but uniquely beautiful.
https://www.turismocaceres.org/en/turismo-cultural/cuacos-de-yuste-historical-site
Palace-Monastery of San Jerónimo, Yuste
Situated just above the town is the Palace-Monastery of San Jerónimo, Yuste, a must-visit (make sure you give it plenty of time!). We were astonished at the beauty, the gardens, and the history of this National Heritage site which is associated with the Royalty of Spain. Originally belonging to the Order of Saint Jerome, since 2013 the monastery has been the home of the monks of the ‘Pauline Order’.
The origin of this monastery was that of a small shrine founded by a group of monks in 1408. Later, in the 15th century, when land was donated, the monastery was extended and now boasts two cloisters, one of Gothic and the other of Renaissance design.
The Roman Emperor Charles V (King Charles I of Spain) lived here in an austere palace built in the southern part of the convent for just over a year before he died. He was a great lover of nature and gardens, and while in Brussels was informed about the setting of the Monastery of Yuste which was described on Spain’s Official Tourism website as “in a cool, deserted spot with water from many fountains, with endless fruit of all types, winter and summer… it is the most peaceful, mild and enjoyable spot that exists in Spain”.
He wished to live in this place for meditation and prayer, amidst a fountain, gardens, flowers, and orange trees. He also created a tiled pond on the lower terrace and his garden resembled the house where he was born in Ghent, Belgium.
Along with many other tourists, we explored the enclaves and the gardens, the palace and the cloisters, fascinated at every turn which afforded nature, beauty, peacefulness, charm and beautiful fresh mountain air.
Garganta la Olla – a lovely rural hamlet
From here, we drove from this restful, meditative place of great serenity, along narrow twisting roads offering beautiful views far down into the valleys and villages below. We stopped at the Mirador de la Serrana overlooking the village of Garganta la Olla. The Mirador’s famed statue is that of a fabled, not-so-great, story about killing and killings, and we were not so impressed!
Moving along we took the lower route through the pretty town and back to our village of Cuacos de Yuste exploring the countryside along the way.
A special restaurant in Jarandilla de la Vera
Manfred had read about a restaurant of notoriety for its great food but also its unique name—’Puta Parió’—in a nearby village higher up in the hills called Jarandilla de la Vera. So, we set off to find this village and the eatery. We parked our car and walked down some twisting cobbled streets and finally found it just as it was opening. We were not disappointed and the food was superb.
Cáceres: Exploring the old city
The following day we had made a plan to visit the main city of the region Cáceres. We drove down from the hills to the main highway and took about 1.5 hours to get to the city whose historic town has been declared a World Heritage site. Settlements can be traced back to the Paleolithic period but Cáceres originally flourished in the Roman era. Subsequently, it was occupied by many different cultures which influenced much of the architecture including Moorish, Northern Gothic, and Italian Renaissance, providing a rich range of beauty, history, and culture.
We wandered the cobbled medieval streets amid the beginning of a festival for the spring cherry blossoms checking out fortified houses and palaces, churches, and cathedrals.
A favourite was a Moorish museum home, reconstructed for the pleasure of tourists like us. The old town, encircled by 12th century Moorish walls, has 30 towers, signature of the Islamic period, which are now occupied by nesting storks.
Michelin Restaurant dining in Cáceres
During our wanderings we saw a Michelin Restaurant, Casa del Sol, and later came back to see if we could get a table to dine. We were fortunate that on that beautiful spring day, when the restaurant was bustling with customers, the staff were able to find a small table in a corner that afforded us a view not only over the restaurant’s outdoor tables but an alley off the main street and the surrounding buildings. We enjoyed our meal and made our way back to the main square before leaving to drive back to our hill-town abode.
Valle del Jerte – The Cherry Blossoms
And then the big day arrived, the planned visit to the cherry valley – Valle del Jerte – narrow and full of cherry blossoms. Our route took us back to Garganta la Olla, but we took a low road to save time and arrived from the opposite direction from a few days before. Turning off from this quaint town we drove along narrow roads that twist and turn through the forest of the hillside; the trees were yet to blossom their summer leaves so it was grey and bare but not without its beauty.
We drove up to the top of the ‘mountain’ 1270m high (4167ft) and on towards the town of Piornal. A viewpoint at the edge of town gave us a taste of the countryside ahead of us and so on down into the valley we drove.
Soon, the white cherry blossoms came into view and across the valley the white villages dotted the landscape high above the river below. The bare forests above the villages gave the area a wintry look in the emerging spring.
From the valley floor, we followed the road by the river passing through towns bustling with walking groups, tour buses, and happy tourists overflowing the restaurants with the street-side tables. We arrived in Jerte, on the main road to Avila. A quiet town, with very little happening, we turned around and meandered our way back down the valley finding a seat at a restaurant by the river for a nice meal in the warm spring sun. The cherry blossoms of this valley were all white and made for many photo opportunities and beautiful scenes.
The drive back to Cuacos de Yuste
Soon it was time to take a different route to drive ‘home’ for our last night in Cuacos de Yuste. We stopped by an old church which was closed; nevertheless, through the windows we could see the ancientness of its wooden interior and marvelled at the nesting storks on every pinnacle.
Fond memories and great goodbyes
The following morning, bidding farewell to our hosts with whom we had built a nice rapport was a bittersweet moment of saying goodbye to new friends; however, we had new territory to explore.
Leaving the mountains of the region of La Vera we drove on down to the highway bypassing Cáceres and made our way to Mérida, founded by the Romans in 1BC and home of many ancient ruins – just waiting to be explored. Come along on this journey in the next instalment soon.
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