Villar del Rey: Nature, Trails and History

The Pozo de la Nieve in Villar del Rey is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural in the category “Historic Site”. The building dates from the early 17th century and has a square floor plan on the outside and a round one inside.

Culture and History

The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Rosario is a late Gothic parish church from the 16th century. During the Luminarias, bonfires are lit in the evening of the first Saturday in October after the bells of the Iglesia del Rosario ring. The Romería de la Virgen de la Rivera is associated with Easter Sunday (Domingo de Resurrección).

Nature and Water

The Embalse de Villar del Rey is fed by the Zapatón River. The area around the Embalse de Villar del Rey is home to a diverse range of wildlife, including endangered species.

The Sierra de la Jabaliega is the highest point in the municipality of Villar del Rey. Along the Zapatón, Mediterranean woodland, riverside meadows and riparian forests of ash, tamarisk, oleander, willow, poplar and black poplar shape a landscape of high ecological value.

The fishing waters of the Embalse de Villar del Rey are home to carp, black bass, barbels and bogas.

The Centro de Interpretación del Río Zapatón is a nature interpretation centre. It provides information about the Corredor Ecofluvial, the Río Zapatón and the Cañada Real Sancha Brava, as well as Extremadura’s protected areas, the dehesa, birdlife and the flora of the ZEPA Sierra de San Pedro.

Trails and Landscape

PR-BA 129 “Los Molinos” is a 10.3-kilometre circular route. At the same time, it is designated in Villar del Rey as a signposted nature trail of the Pequeño Recorrido (PR) type.

The route passes through a landscape shaped by cork oak dehesa, granite blocks and diverse herbaceous vegetation, which is particularly lush in spring.

La Pesquera lies along PR-BA 129. It is a wetland where numerous bird species can be observed: grey herons, black-crowned night herons, little egrets, mallards, moorhens, corncrakes, coots, kingfishers and red avadavats.

The PR-BA 103 hiking trail, “De la Cal a la Pizarra”, leads to historic evidence of lime burning and slate quarrying, including lime kilns and slate quarries. It is designated as a signposted nature trail of the Pequeño Recorrido (PR) type. PR-BA 130 “Cañada Real Sancha Brava” is designated as a signposted nature trail of the Pequeño Recorrido (PR) type.

For your own planning, nature and cultural themes can be given separate emphasis: bodies of water, wetlands, birdlife and vegetation contrast with churches, festivals and evidence of historic work. For the trails, the circular format, landscape and theme offer different points of comparison. Nature observation, exercise and history stand alongside one another as distinct focuses.

When comparing holiday apartments in Villar del Rey, you can compare travel dates, room categories and cancellation conditions on the respective offer pages and assess these specific details against your personal circumstances.

More destinations

Casas de Don Pedro, Barcarrota, Valdecaballeros, Medina de las Torres, La Parra, Mérida, Valencia del Mombuey, Alburquerque

For the higher-level travel overview: Badajoz.