Welcome to Walking Extremadura — the web site all about walking in Extremadura
I started this web site in the Summer of 2007. It was just after I came to live in the Sierra de Montánchez and realised there were unexplored walking opportunities available in the area. I wanted to share what I was discovering, firstly with family and friends and later, with the much wider, and international, walking community. Walking Extremadura will show you the beauty of walking in this area - and not just walking. This is also the place for painters, flower lovers, bird watchers, photographers, animal lovers and people who love history. That’s before we start on about lovers of good food and relaxed and enjoyable company. You will find all that and more in Extremadura.
On walkingextremadura.com you will find:
To navigate this site use the horizontal menu bar at the top. All the walks can be found listed under the 'walks' button, then the area in which they are located geographically. It's logical, I hope. The site has been made simple so that all of us spend less time on the computer and more time walking.
I have my boots on, ready, as I write.
Gisela Radant Wood
All photography and text on this site © Gisela Radant Wood
(Click on small photos to get a whole-screen view, then close by clicking the x in the top right corner.)
All maps are by Google
On walkingextremadura.com you will find:
- regularly written up walks and routes with descriptive text, maps and GPS points to locate walks accurately
- a few historical notes on the routes and general information on walking in Extremadura
- a lot of photography to tempt you here
- how to get here and where to stay
- links, changing pages and updates
To navigate this site use the horizontal menu bar at the top. All the walks can be found listed under the 'walks' button, then the area in which they are located geographically. It's logical, I hope. The site has been made simple so that all of us spend less time on the computer and more time walking.
I have my boots on, ready, as I write.
Gisela Radant Wood
All photography and text on this site © Gisela Radant Wood
(Click on small photos to get a whole-screen view, then close by clicking the x in the top right corner.)
All maps are by Google
Walking News and Updates • 20th March 2025
After seven years of walking, thinking, making plans, reading, studying, taking to experts, exploring on foot, getting lost in a very productive way, visiting locations, taking photographs, writing and rewriting, I finally sent my third book off to print. The book was called 'The History of Extremadura: and where to find it' and, as the title suggests, it was first and foremost a history book. However, unlike most of that genre, this book had a section after each chapter that pinpointed where to see the history related in the previous chapter. There were GPS points but there were also directions. Many things to see can be accessed by vehicle but many more need some walking to get there, which, after all, is what we all love to do: walk.
However, due to technical problems, I unpublished that book after just two weeks and republished it under a slightly different name 'The History of Extremadura and where to see it'. The text is the same (with eliminated pagination typo errors) but the book now has a much better organisation inside and 405 pages, 66 black and white photographs with captions and three maps.
Back to the book description:
Over the many thousands of kilometres I have walked throughout Extremadura during the past 18 years, I have enjoyed the scenery; the mountain ranges, the river valleys, the trees and vegetation and the amazing carpets of wild flowers every Spring. I have loved the butterflies and birds and the shy mammals as they crossed my path. However, there was one thing that kept recurring and that was the remains of groups of peoples who had lived here millennia ago and had disappeared — but not their works; their cave paintings, burial mounds, dwellings, villages, sanctuaries, sculptures, tracks and all manner of evidence of their past existence. I do not just mean artefacts in museums but real evidence, free for everyone to discover in the wide, open countryside and in the good, fresh air.
The book uncovers little known facts about Extremadura. It has rocks that were formed before any others in Europe and has some of the most ancient cave paintings dating back to over 64,000 years. It is home to the largest concentration of dolmens in any comparable European area and includes the earliest dolmen. The Tartessians were the peninsula’s first real civilisation and Extremadura currently has three — and counting —archaeological sites testifying to their importance. There are sites with exceptional ruins of Celtiberian settlements, some less-well preserved sites and more are being discovered. It is said that Extremadura has more Roman ruins than anywhere outside Rome. There is a splendid Roman theatre where ancient Greek and Latin plays are preformed every summer. There is also the longest surviving arched bridge built in Roman times and the world’s oldest Roman dam still in use today. Extremadura has one, of only two, Visigoth Churches in Spain. The second largest Moorish cistern on the Iberian peninsula is in Extremadura and others are sited within castles and fortresses of importance. The Reconquest saw the construction of innumerable religious buildings some with stunning Mudéjar architectural features — a mixture of Christian and Moorish design. Wars delayed progress but they did not damage the historic cities that were awarded World Heritage status at the end of the last century. Finally, history comes up-to-date with the future of the region looking positive and bright.
There are 12 chapters and after each one there is a list of where to go and what to see to make the history come alive. Each listing (there are over 280) has an address, directions to get there and a GPS point to pin down the exact location. For example, chapter one deals with the earliest times and so the list includes the provincial museums, Los Barruecas Natural Park, caves and cave paintings, dolmens, menhirs, archaeological sites and interpretation centres.
The 'books' drop-down menu now has a separate page for each of my three books. As you all know, I like to do updates as and when they are necessary and that may be for all sorts of reasons but it's important to me that everyone has the best information possible. There is always something new with a 'live' book and rather than wait for a new edition of the book, this is the best place for me to update the information.
walkingextremadura@live.com continues to be the e-mail address.
The History of Extremadura and where to see it (shipping to Spain)
ISBN: 979-83111816663
English language
404 pages
66 black and white photographs
3 maps
Published 2025 on Amazon
Slideshow:
Between Garganta del Olla and Cuacos de Yuste, La Vera
Hawthorn, Camino Montánchez - Almoharín, Sierra de Montánchez
Reflections in the natural pool in Jaraiz de la Vera
Walking towards the Hermitage of Our Lady of Snows, Guijo de Santa Barbara, Sierra de Gredos
Looking west from the slopes of Cancho Blanco, Sierra de Montánchez
Near the head of the Arroyo de la Garganta, north of Robeldillo de Gata, Sierra de Gata-Las Hurdes border
Cascades Nogaleas, Navaconcejo, Montes de Tras la Sierra
Short-toed eagle looking for breakfast over the Sierra de Montánchez (below the eagle but hidden)
Near Los Pilones, Parque Natural Garganta de los Infiernos, Jerte Valley
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker outside Almoharín, Sierra de Montánchez
Fritillary butterfly on thistles near the Castle of Amenara, Sierra de Gata
On the Camino del Payo between Villamiel and Payo, Sierra de Gata
Griffon Vultures on the walk up to the castle, Monfragüe National Park
However, due to technical problems, I unpublished that book after just two weeks and republished it under a slightly different name 'The History of Extremadura and where to see it'. The text is the same (with eliminated pagination typo errors) but the book now has a much better organisation inside and 405 pages, 66 black and white photographs with captions and three maps.
Back to the book description:
Over the many thousands of kilometres I have walked throughout Extremadura during the past 18 years, I have enjoyed the scenery; the mountain ranges, the river valleys, the trees and vegetation and the amazing carpets of wild flowers every Spring. I have loved the butterflies and birds and the shy mammals as they crossed my path. However, there was one thing that kept recurring and that was the remains of groups of peoples who had lived here millennia ago and had disappeared — but not their works; their cave paintings, burial mounds, dwellings, villages, sanctuaries, sculptures, tracks and all manner of evidence of their past existence. I do not just mean artefacts in museums but real evidence, free for everyone to discover in the wide, open countryside and in the good, fresh air.
The book uncovers little known facts about Extremadura. It has rocks that were formed before any others in Europe and has some of the most ancient cave paintings dating back to over 64,000 years. It is home to the largest concentration of dolmens in any comparable European area and includes the earliest dolmen. The Tartessians were the peninsula’s first real civilisation and Extremadura currently has three — and counting —archaeological sites testifying to their importance. There are sites with exceptional ruins of Celtiberian settlements, some less-well preserved sites and more are being discovered. It is said that Extremadura has more Roman ruins than anywhere outside Rome. There is a splendid Roman theatre where ancient Greek and Latin plays are preformed every summer. There is also the longest surviving arched bridge built in Roman times and the world’s oldest Roman dam still in use today. Extremadura has one, of only two, Visigoth Churches in Spain. The second largest Moorish cistern on the Iberian peninsula is in Extremadura and others are sited within castles and fortresses of importance. The Reconquest saw the construction of innumerable religious buildings some with stunning Mudéjar architectural features — a mixture of Christian and Moorish design. Wars delayed progress but they did not damage the historic cities that were awarded World Heritage status at the end of the last century. Finally, history comes up-to-date with the future of the region looking positive and bright.
There are 12 chapters and after each one there is a list of where to go and what to see to make the history come alive. Each listing (there are over 280) has an address, directions to get there and a GPS point to pin down the exact location. For example, chapter one deals with the earliest times and so the list includes the provincial museums, Los Barruecas Natural Park, caves and cave paintings, dolmens, menhirs, archaeological sites and interpretation centres.
The 'books' drop-down menu now has a separate page for each of my three books. As you all know, I like to do updates as and when they are necessary and that may be for all sorts of reasons but it's important to me that everyone has the best information possible. There is always something new with a 'live' book and rather than wait for a new edition of the book, this is the best place for me to update the information.
walkingextremadura@live.com continues to be the e-mail address.
The History of Extremadura and where to see it (shipping to Spain)
ISBN: 979-83111816663
English language
404 pages
66 black and white photographs
3 maps
Published 2025 on Amazon
Slideshow:
Between Garganta del Olla and Cuacos de Yuste, La Vera
Hawthorn, Camino Montánchez - Almoharín, Sierra de Montánchez
Reflections in the natural pool in Jaraiz de la Vera
Walking towards the Hermitage of Our Lady of Snows, Guijo de Santa Barbara, Sierra de Gredos
Looking west from the slopes of Cancho Blanco, Sierra de Montánchez
Near the head of the Arroyo de la Garganta, north of Robeldillo de Gata, Sierra de Gata-Las Hurdes border
Cascades Nogaleas, Navaconcejo, Montes de Tras la Sierra
Short-toed eagle looking for breakfast over the Sierra de Montánchez (below the eagle but hidden)
Near Los Pilones, Parque Natural Garganta de los Infiernos, Jerte Valley
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker outside Almoharín, Sierra de Montánchez
Fritillary butterfly on thistles near the Castle of Amenara, Sierra de Gata
On the Camino del Payo between Villamiel and Payo, Sierra de Gata
Griffon Vultures on the walk up to the castle, Monfragüe National Park
walkingextremadura.com has had 15,435 visitors looking at 175,836 pages in the past 4 months (17.03.2025)
We are not on FaceBook or Twitter (I'd rather be walking) but if you want to keep up with the news just put us into 'favourites' and visit every so often.
We are not on FaceBook or Twitter (I'd rather be walking) but if you want to keep up with the news just put us into 'favourites' and visit every so often.