Driving Route through the Sierra Villages

The floor of the Jerte Valley can be seen from the N-110, but the cherry terraces make sense from above. This loop of about 50 km, which the tourist office suggests for the blossom, climbs the slope of the Sierra de Tormantos and goes from village to village: Valdastillas, Piornal, Barrado, Cabrero, Casas del Castañar, El Torno and Rebollar, and returns to the river along the N-110. The roads are narrow and winding between orchards; with stops, count on three hours, or the whole day if you have lunch in one of the villages.

Valdastillas and the climb to Piornal

You begin in Valdastillas, at 639 m, above the spa on the N-110. Its old centre has timber-framed houses with reddish adobe and continuous balconies linking six or more houses. About 3 km on, already on the way to Piornal, is the turn-off to the Caozo waterfall, a drop of more than 30 m reached by a short walk from the car.

Piornal, at 1,175 m, is the highest village in Extremadura and takes its name from the broom (piorno) of its sierra. It lies between the Jerte and La Vera, with views over both valleys. Its architecture is mountain style, austere, with granite ashlar; on some streets water runs along the gutter, and of the old church of San Juan Bautista the Gothic tower remains. The Jarramplas festival is held here on 19 and 20 January, and there is a museum devoted to it and a viewpoint, A Ras del Cielo.

Barrado and Cabrero, the shepherds' villages

Barrado, at 796 m, began as a shepherds' settlement between the Jerte and La Vera and is the only one of the valley's sierra villages with the title of villa, from the 17th century. Its church of San Sebastián, high up, can be seen from afar by the pyramidal capital of its tower, and the hermitage of Nuestra Señora del Viso stands on a lookout that faces La Vera.

Cabrero, at 739 m, was also a shepherds' hamlet and depended on Piornal for centuries. Its old centre is a labyrinth of sloping alleys; for the view, look for the Mirador de la Cabra.

Casas del Castañar and El Torno, the long views

Casas del Castañar, at 675 m, looks modern from the road, but if you go down any of its streets you enter a cluster of very tall timber-framed houses, with sun galleries at the top for drying peppers, figs or peaches. It has remarkable chestnut trees, such as the one at Condelobo or Escondelobo, the Ethnographic Museum of Dr Sayans and the Mirador de la Era de San Bernabé.

El Torno, at 769 m, calls itself the Mirador del Valle (Valley Viewpoint). 2 km from the village, the Mirador de la Memoria has a set of sculptures by Francisco Cerdenilla Carrasco and views of the whole valley. In its old quarter, the streets Portugal and Barrio del Castillo hold houses with sun galleries.

Rebollar and the return to the river

Rebollar, at 622 m, is the last: very narrow, sloping alleys, eaves that almost touch and the two Casas del Canchal, built on masses of granite as if they were hanging. From there you drop down to the N-110 to close the loop.

Blossom in March, ochres in November

With the cherry blossom, between late March and mid-April depending on the year, is when it makes most sense: the blossom starts low and climbs, so on the slope there may still be flowers when the valley floor is over. The office advises going midweek. In the Otoñada (autumn colour season), from early November to mid-December, the cherry and chestnut trees turn ochre, red and yellow, and at weekends there are activities in the villages.

If you don't want so many bends, the other route the office suggests follows the river along the N-110: about 30 km from Navaconcejo to Cabezuela, Jerte, Tornavacas and the Tornavacas pass. Both routes are part of the spring getaway from Madrid.