Discover Botija: History, Landscape and Festivals

Villasviejas del Tamuja in the municipality of Botija (Cáceres) is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural in the category of Archaeological Zone. The Castro Villasviejas del Tamuja covers more than six hectares and is surrounded by a stone wall with round and square towers.

When choosing holiday accommodation in Botija, you can compare travel dates, category and cancellation conditions on the respective offer pages. For your own planning, you can consider the town’s highlights side by side: archaeological history, sacred buildings, landscape views, a circular hike and festival dates.

Culture and History

The El Mercadillo cremation necropolis is associated with the archaeological site of Villasviejas del Tamuja and is located in the municipality of Botija. It is the oldest necropolis in the associated complex and dates back to the 4th century BC.

The Iglesia de Santa Maria Magdalena has a hemispherical dome above the main chapel, with wall paintings dating from 1936. It is located at the exit of Botija towards Montánchez; its nave and tower form a single compact structure.

Buhíos are rustic, chozo-like buildings that partly have a stone roof and a chimney for venting smoke; in the past, they served as occasional dwellings for people. The Cruz del Humilladero is a 17th-century work and stands on a platform of three square steps. It consists of a smooth cylindrical granite column and a Latin cross.

Torre y Escaleras comprises the remains of a monumental granite bastion with a compacted core of slate and earth, as well as an adjacent stone staircase. The Potro de Herrar is a structure in which large animals such as horses, donkeys and cattle were restrained for shoeing.

Landscape and Trails

The Mirador del Guijorro viewpoint is located at an altitude of up to 490 metres and overlooks large parts of the surrounding peneplain, with changing panoramas. The Botija Histórica route is a 13.8-kilometre circular hike with a stated duration of 3 hours and a low difficulty level.

The Molino de la Muralla is a large masonry wall that stored water for the adjoining grain-milling operation. It is believed to be an 18th-century structure and used a dam or weir system to mill wheat.

Festivals

In Botija, the San Sebastián festival is celebrated on 20 January. The Santa María Magdalena festival takes place on 21 and 22 July.

Other Places

Other destinations for planning your trip include Campo Lugar, Villar De Plasencia, Valdencín, Hervás, Alcántara, Ovejuela, Collado and Coria.

Getting There

From Cáceres, Botija can be reached via the A-58, the CC-27.1 from exit 21 and then the CC-127 via Plasenzuela. Another option is via the EX-206 and the CC-93 through Torremocha. The first-mentioned route is approximately 40 kilometres long.

To the higher-level travel overview: Cáceres.