La Nava de Santiago – Dolmen, Olive Route and Festivals

The parish church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción is at the heart of the architecture of La Nava de Santiago and is regarded as the town’s most outstanding architectural focal point. When choosing a holiday apartment in La Nava de Santiago, architectural history, landscape trails and festive dates can be considered here as different points of focus alongside one another.

Culture and History

The parish church is considered a small single-nave building with a chapel featuring a round vault; its tower rises above an arch with an attached cylindrical structure. Doña Juana de Ovando commissioned the church’s Capilla de Santiago in 1662; its dome is decorated with paintings.

The parish church contains an altarpiece as well as four Evangelists in marble created by Francisco Morato. A chapel of the parish church in La Nava de Santiago was begun in 1511 on the orders of Alonso de Cárdenas and completed in 1515. The former manor house of the Ovando family, which was later associated with the Marquises of Valdeoro, gave Calle Palacio its name.

Stones and Landscape

The Dolmen de Lácara shares with the Anta Grande do Zambujeiro near Évora the distinction of being the largest known monument of its kind on the Iberian Peninsula. It is accessible year-round without restrictions; parking is available next to the entrance gate.

The Junta de Extremadura completed improvement works on the car park next to the EX-214 road and on the path towards Dolmen del Prado de Lácara; these included drainage works with ditches, structures and fords.

Nature and Activities

The Ruta de Los Olivares y la Campa PR-BA44 is a 13.1-kilometre circular route with a low level of difficulty. The PR-BA44 route begins at the pedestrian promenade next to the canalisation of the Arroyo del Lugar at the entrance to the town. At the junction with Calle Pocita and the Arroyo del Lugar, there is an information board in front of the small bridge; an unpaved parking area is nearby.

Further along, the route reaches the valley of the Arroyo de la Campa and offers views towards the Sierra del Machal. It crosses the Arroyo del Corcho and passes through a landscape characterised by dehesa and traditional olive groves. The Ruta de los Olivares y la Campa is one of two available routes in the hiking trail programme of the Mancomunidad Lácara los Baldíos for La Nava de Santiago; both routes were undergoing homologation and were subsequently to be signposted.

Festivals and Local Traditions

The Fiestas de Santa Quiteria are the patron saint festivities of La Nava de Santiago and take place on 22 May. The Romería de la Patrona takes place on the Sunday after Easter Sunday.

The traditional pilgrimage to Santa Quiteria is popularly known as “Matapegas” and is held in honour of the patron saint Santa Quiteria. The Romería de Santa Quiteria includes tasting freshly tapped Pitarra wine. During the Romería, residents share food and drinks with one another; it is regarded as a community occasion.

Anyone choosing a holiday apartment in La Nava de Santiago can compare travel dates, room category and cancellation policies alongside one another on the offer pages and reconcile this information with the desired travel period and preferred length of stay for their own planning.

More destinations

More destinations: Villar Del Rey, Palomas, Puebla De La Calzada, Puebla de Obando, Benquerencia De La Serena, Talarrubias, Los Santos De Maimona, La Bazana

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