The best road cycling routes in Cáceres

For decades it lay forgotten, becoming a remote ruin visited by few. Recently, however, Mirabel Castle (or what remains of it) has become one of the attractions in this part of the Monfragüe Biosphere Reserve. Located on a hilltop in the mountains, the castle's imposing defensive structure offers magnificent views of the Tagus River stretching out below.

Hervás has beautiful architectural heritage such as the Davila palace, a parish church, the convent of the Trinitarian fathers etc. The largest collection of classic motorcycles in Europe!

The Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe is a 14th-century monastery located in the Spanish town of Guadalupe, in the province of Cáceres. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Inside, you can appreciate Gothic, Mudéjar, Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical architectural styles. A place with a rich history and breathtaking architectural beauty! 🌟🏰

The Church of the Assumption is considered one of the finest examples of late Gothic architecture. For this reason, both the church and its main altarpiece were declared cultural heritage sites in 1981.

Stage 1. Guadalupe/Herrera del Duque 98 kilometers. 2,160 meters of elevation gain. The Cáceres town of Guadalupe has been a famous pilgrimage center since the late 13th century, when a local shepherd found the image of the Virgin hidden in a remote mountainous area of the Sierra de las Villuercas, building a hermitage for worship that gave rise to the site of La Puebla de Santa María de Guadalupe. The Order of Saint Jerome founded the Royal Monastery, and during the Middle Ages it was a notable sanctuary of popular devotion. It is the most important and outstanding monument in Guadalupe, with a beautiful Mudejar feel and a blend of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque elements. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1993. The old town of La Puebla has been declared a Historic-Artistic Site and features arcades, stone fountains, folk architecture, and medieval alleyways in the old Jewish quarter. The cycle tour begins in the lively Plaza de Santa María along Calle Sevilla, passes through the Arco de Sevilla, which was one of the gates in the old wall protecting the monastery, continues past the Fuente de los Tres Chorros, one of the town's 17 fountains, and leaves Guadalupe along a cobbled path with slate slabs that requires some skill with the brakes due to the steep slope. On the outskirts, the first milestones of the Villuercas Nature Trail GR-116 appear. The path crosses the road at the rustic Angorrilla bridge and continues through the forest canyon of the Guadalupejo River. The pace is slow at first; the trail doesn't allow for fast pedaling, and the jungle of vegetation captivates the atmosphere. The path passes over the imposing viaduct of the old railway and finally enters the dirt tracks that climb towards the Villuercas mountains, descending back to the Guadalupejo riverbed, where there is a pedestrian bridge to cross the ford when floodwaters make it difficult to cross the river. Alía is the first village on the route, a good place to check your gear and bike after the rough ride before entering the toughest section of the stage, over the Puerto de San Vicente. The crossing of the Guadarranque Valley is a quintessential landscape in the unique geological realm of Las Villuercas, but on a bicycle, it's a significant challenge. At the river footbridges, a furious climb begins to the Manzano pass. The dirt surface of the Nature Trail crosses the road, descends through gravel forks to a stream, and continues along steep slopes to the Puerto de San Vicente pass. The easy option is to climb along the shoulder of the road and, in the village, rejoin the Las Villuercas Nature Trail to the Santa Quiteria station, the start/finish of the Vía Verde de la Jara. In the following section, there are no specific cycling route signs; it is essential to follow the track. The route runs along the foothills of the Altamira mountain range and the Rincón del Torozo Microreserve through holm oak forests, crosses the mountain range via Puerto del Rey, and descends to the Cíjara reservoir dam, one of the large artificial lakes on the middle course of the Guadiana River and borders Cáceres and Badajoz.

17 kilometers of mountain pass (on both sides, Ambroz Valley from Hervás or Jerte Valley from Cabezuela del Valle). From Cabezuela del Valle, the first 12 kilometers average an average gradient of 7%, with some 10% gradients, and from the 12th kilometer onward, there are some rest stops with wonderful views. This side has a gradient of approximately 900 meters, up to 1,430 meters.

Well integrated into the city, it is located between Hernán Cortés Avenue and Rodríguez de Ledesma Avenue. It is a pleasant space with a large central pond and an Open-Air Sculpture Museum, which we can admire as we stroll through. At the main entrance, there is a botanical garden, and at the end, a fountain known as La Madrila, restored by the Escuela Taller (Workshop School) and once used as a drinking trough and wash house.

The San Francisco Bridge in Cáceres is a historic structure that has undergone several transformations over the years. Originally built in the 16th century, this medieval bridge is located in the eastern part of the city, on the old road to Trujillo. The bridge was built to level the terrain of a promenade next to the San Francisco convent and was adorned with two rows of black poplars planted in 1752.