Puebla de Sancho Pérez between Mudéjar, Pilgrimage and Wine

Puebla de Sancho Pérez belongs to the Ruta del Vino y el Cava Ribera del Guadiana. A section of the Vía de la Plata runs through the town within this wine route. Church architecture, festivals, thermal muds, wine and trails offer different perspectives on Puebla de Sancho Pérez.

Culture and History

The parish church of Puebla de Sancho Pérez was built in the 16th century. Its original tower dates from an earlier church and is designed in the Mudéjar style. The town’s historic architecture also includes the Plaza de Toros de Puebla de Sancho Pérez: the complex dates from the 14th century, has a rectangular layout, a small attached chapel and seating for 2,000 spectators.

The Puente Gótico is located at the exit of Puebla de Sancho Pérez towards the Ermita de Belén, near the Fuente del Valle, and crosses the Rivera stream. Its only bridge railing consists of parts of a Gothic ribbed vault from the original parish church. The Ermita de Belén was originally built in the 15th century and rebuilt in the 18th century. Its access road forms a Calvary with fourteen crosses.

Other notable places include the Cuevas de las Brujas, a group of underground cavities of historical, cultural and natural interest. They are associated with local legends about witches and witchcraft. The old Molino de aceite Clemen olive mill can be visited by prior arrangement. The Ayuntamiento de Puebla de Sancho Pérez serves as an information point for pilgrims and as a stamping point for Camino de Santiago pilgrim passports.

Festivals and Cuisine

Cruces de Mayo takes place in Puebla de Sancho Pérez every year in May as a religious and popular festival featuring decorated crosses. During the celebrations, residents and visitors traditionally follow a route to the various crosses in the town. The Camino de San Isidro is an annual pilgrimage held in May in honour of San Isidro Labrador in Puebla de Sancho Pérez. After Mass, it includes an outdoor gathering where traditional dishes and local products are shared.

El Torrisco is celebrated every year on the Sunday after Quasimodo. The festival includes an outdoor day during which traditional foods such as grilled meat are eaten together. Los Perritos are also part of the local food culture: these sweets are made from bread dough and eggs and have a distinctive dog shape. At the Fiesta de San Blas, the local “Día de los Perritos”, Los Perritos are traditionally eaten. The cuisine of Puebla de Sancho Pérez is based mainly on pork products.

Thermal Muds and Wine

Balneario El Raposo is located in Puebla de Sancho Pérez. It is known for its natural thermal muds, which are rich in magnesium, calcium and silica. At Balneario El Raposo, the natural healing muds are collected from a stream and stored in maturation pools covered with thermal water.

The municipality’s wine profile includes the Matanegra area, which belongs to the Ribera del Guadiana designation of origin. Bodegas Toribio offers guided tours with explanations of the winemaking process and has a restored old mill.

Trails

The “R1. Ruta entre Calzadilla de Los Barros a Zafra” route follows an easy-to-walk dirt path through cultivated fields, olive groves and vineyards along the Cañada Real Leonesa. It connects Calzadilla de los Barros with Puebla de Sancho Pérez and follows the Camino de Santiago along its Vía de la Plata section.

Other Places

Burguillos, Herrera Del Duque, Medellín, Orellana La Vieja, Acedera, Aljucén, La Roca De La Sierra and Bienvenida

For the broader travel overview: Badajoz.