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 • 22nd April 2024
After the Autumn, Winter and Spring rains, the weather is finally more like actual Spring in Extremadura. We have lovely days of up to 28C and it is good to be able to plan walks without the need to factor in waterproofs. Three Sundays ago, I drove up to La Garganta to walk around La Muela (Walk 8 in 'The Sierras of Extremadura') just to see the mountains covered in snow — I also like to check routes at least once a year to make sure that nothing major has changed. The one positive difference is that the route is now clearly signposted which indicates that the route is becoming better known and maybe attracts more walkers. It certainly is a great walk and I had a wonderful day. The small bar in the village that lies just off the parking area serves good tapas and nice cold drinks but is only open at weekends now. If you plan to walk the two La Muela routes you will need to take some supplies from Baños de Montemayor before you drive up to La Garganta as there really is no guarantee anything at all will be open in the week.
On the following Tuesday I did a walk, local to my village, just to enjoy the countryside and walk beside a small stream called La Hoya, which is dry for most of the year, but is now a delightful rush of water with banks full of colourful, flowers.
On the Thursday, Friday and Saturday of that same week, I went south, to Monesterio and the geographical opposite extreme of La Garganta. I met up with a group who walked with me in Jerte last year. We tackled the Pico Tentudía and the Sierra de Aguafría (Walks 30 and 32 in 'The Sierras of Extremadura'). The signpost for the Castle Tower near the top of the Sierra de Aguafría had been pulled up and thrown in a hedge — but more on that on the Books page. The days were perfect for walking as they were dry and sunny but not yet too hot. It was a super time and thanks to the group for good humour and the dinners that kept us all going.
Last week, I met with a lovely group brought to Extremadura by Martin Randall Travel and on the Saturday, we did a really pretty walk in Hoyos. On the following Wednesday, we walked part of one of the Pilgrimage Routes into Guadalupe and the weather was just perfect. Martin Randall Travel are bringing a further group to Extremadura in October and I do enjoy our walks together very much. It is encouraging that such a respected travel company are bringing people here to discover all that is so extraordinary about this wonderful place called Extremadura.
ipage, who host this site, will stop supporting Weebly next year. I have constructed this site using Weebly and so I will be spending the hot part of this Summer building a new site (same name) using WordPress. I will be editing, adding, deleting and generally updating everything. When the new site is ready I shall give notice and then launch it. Hopefully, it will all be as seamless as when Apple stopped supporting iweb and I moved to ipage and Weebly. Well, the site has had 10 years with Weebly so I cannot complain but I do wish that companies would not buy up perfectly good technology only to drop it. However, that's a discussion for another day. In the meanwhile, 'Happy Walking!'
Slideshow:
Viper's Bugloss cover the ground and make it purple between Albala and Alcuéscar, Sierra de Montánchez
Castle Tower, Sierra de Aguafría, Monesterio
Sunset, San Martín de Trevejo, looking westward towards Portugal
La Muela with with the Sierra de Bejár behind, La Garganta
Short-toed eagle looking for breakfast over the Sierra de Montánchez (below the eagle but hidden)
Near the head of the Arroyo de la Garganta, north of Robeldillo de Gata, Sierra de Gata-Las Hurdes border
Near Los Pilones, Parque Natural Garganta de los Infiernos, Jerte Valley
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker outside Almoharín, Sierra de Montánchez
Below the Collado de las Losas on the way to Puente Nuevo, Parque Natural Garganta de los Infiernos, Jerte Valley
Lavender in wild olive grove with Cancho Blanco in the background, 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
Cascades Nogaleas, Navaconcejo, Montes de Tras la Sierra
Griffon Vultures on the walk up to the castle, Monfragüe National Park
On the following Tuesday I did a walk, local to my village, just to enjoy the countryside and walk beside a small stream called La Hoya, which is dry for most of the year, but is now a delightful rush of water with banks full of colourful, flowers.
On the Thursday, Friday and Saturday of that same week, I went south, to Monesterio and the geographical opposite extreme of La Garganta. I met up with a group who walked with me in Jerte last year. We tackled the Pico Tentudía and the Sierra de Aguafría (Walks 30 and 32 in 'The Sierras of Extremadura'). The signpost for the Castle Tower near the top of the Sierra de Aguafría had been pulled up and thrown in a hedge — but more on that on the Books page. The days were perfect for walking as they were dry and sunny but not yet too hot. It was a super time and thanks to the group for good humour and the dinners that kept us all going.
Last week, I met with a lovely group brought to Extremadura by Martin Randall Travel and on the Saturday, we did a really pretty walk in Hoyos. On the following Wednesday, we walked part of one of the Pilgrimage Routes into Guadalupe and the weather was just perfect. Martin Randall Travel are bringing a further group to Extremadura in October and I do enjoy our walks together very much. It is encouraging that such a respected travel company are bringing people here to discover all that is so extraordinary about this wonderful place called Extremadura.
ipage, who host this site, will stop supporting Weebly next year. I have constructed this site using Weebly and so I will be spending the hot part of this Summer building a new site (same name) using WordPress. I will be editing, adding, deleting and generally updating everything. When the new site is ready I shall give notice and then launch it. Hopefully, it will all be as seamless as when Apple stopped supporting iweb and I moved to ipage and Weebly. Well, the site has had 10 years with Weebly so I cannot complain but I do wish that companies would not buy up perfectly good technology only to drop it. However, that's a discussion for another day. In the meanwhile, 'Happy Walking!'
Slideshow:
Viper's Bugloss cover the ground and make it purple between Albala and Alcuéscar, Sierra de Montánchez
Castle Tower, Sierra de Aguafría, Monesterio
Sunset, San Martín de Trevejo, looking westward towards Portugal
La Muela with with the Sierra de Bejár behind, La Garganta
Short-toed eagle looking for breakfast over the Sierra de Montánchez (below the eagle but hidden)
Near the head of the Arroyo de la Garganta, north of Robeldillo de Gata, Sierra de Gata-Las Hurdes border
Near Los Pilones, Parque Natural Garganta de los Infiernos, Jerte Valley
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker outside Almoharín, Sierra de Montánchez
Below the Collado de las Losas on the way to Puente Nuevo, Parque Natural Garganta de los Infiernos, Jerte Valley
Lavender in wild olive grove with Cancho Blanco in the background, 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
Cascades Nogaleas, Navaconcejo, Montes de Tras la Sierra
Griffon Vultures on the walk up to the castle, Monfragüe National Park
walkingextremadura.com has had 43,217 visitors making 287,864 hits in the past 12 months (stats from iPage)
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.