Monfragüe Castle and Its Tower

Monfragüe Castle sits on the crest of the Sierra de las Corchuelas, right above Salto del Gitano, and is the most visited monument in the National Park. What still stands is little and heavily restored, but you can climb the keep and from the top you have the whole park at your feet: the Tagus, the Tiétar, the dehesa and the quartzite sierras. It is free and open.

From Muslim fortress to restored ruin

Turismo de Extremadura sums up its history like this. The Romans already saw the strategic value of the hill, but the castle we know was built in Muslim times, with a walled enclosure and five towers. In the 12th century it changed hands several times between sieges, and each conquest altered it. Later the Trejo family turned part of it into a palace. After the War of the Spanish Succession it was abandoned, and stayed that way until it was restored and rebuilt in the late 20th century. That is why what you see is mostly the keep and remains of wall.

The 134 steps of the tower

The climb up the tower is 134 steps, according to the Spanish tourist office, to an open terrace. At the top you understand the shape of the park: the Tagus squeezed in at the foot of Peña Falcón, the Tiétar arriving from the east and the dehesa opening out towards Torrejón el Rubio and Plasencia. Vultures pass at the height of the tower and often below it. Next to the castle is the chapel of the Virgen de Monfragüe.

Driving up or walking from the river

By car, a road leaves the EX-208 near Salto del Gitano and climbs to a car park close to the summit; from there it is a few minutes of slope and steps. On long weekends and spring weekends, before you go up, ask at the Villarreal de San Carlos visitor centre how access is and whether there is space at the top.

On foot there are two ways. The short one starts at the Fuente del Francés and climbs to the summit; Turismo de Extremadura recommends it as a family walk. The long one is the red trail from Villarreal de San Carlos, 16 km, which passes the Puente del Cardenal and Salto del Gitano before the final slope.

A morning with Salto del Gitano below

Allow an hour if you drive up: the slope from the car park, the tower and a while at the top with the binoculars. Added to Salto del Gitano, which is below, it makes a relaxed morning; it is what the plan Sunday in Monfragüe: Salto del Gitano, the castle and Portilla del Tiétar suggests. Monfragüe has had Starlight certification since 2017, and the castle is one of the spots that Turismo de Extremadura cites for looking at the night sky.

Dogs on a lead up to the tower

Your dog can go up with you on a lead, as everywhere in the National Park. The tower is 134 steps: if your dog does not manage them well, let it wait below with someone.