What to do in Extremadura

Extremadura brings together 92 activities around one of the Peninsula's quietest landscapes. Monfragüe, a national park since 2007, protects 18,118 hectares of Mediterranean forest along the Tajo river. The confluence of the Tajo and Tiétar rivers forms a freshwater corridor hosting Spain's largest colony of cinereous vultures —around 300 pairs— alongside black storks, imperial eagles and Iberian lynx. Birds and mammals can be spotted from the Peñafalcón viewpoint (260 metres above the river) without a guide, though specialist observers triple the number of sightings. The Extremaduran dehesa, with 1.5 million hectares of holm oak and cork oak, defines the landscape of the horseback route along the Vía de la Plata. This 630-kilometre Roman road crosses Extremadura north to south and allows daily stages of 25–35 km with rural guesthouses at each stop. By bicycle, the cycle-touring track follows the historic route with gentle gradients and dehesa crossings lasting 7–10 days. The Villuercas-Ibores-Jara Geopark, listed in the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network, features horseshoe-shaped ridges over 500 million years old with Romanesque chapels built into the crags. Its 140,000 hectares host marked hiking routes from easy to moderate and stargazing points free of light pollution.