Descargamaría: Holiday Apartment, Culture and Nature

Descargamaría preserves the traditional architecture typical of the Sierra de Gata: houses made of slate stone, upper floors made of clay and wooden beams, as well as railings and balconies, have been preserved. The town centre features narrow streets and attractive passageways. The townscape can be viewed as an independent gateway to architectural heritage.

Culture and Townscape

The Ermita del Santo Cordero dates from the 15th and 16th centuries and has a Mudejar coffered ceiling. One kilometre from the town lies the Ermita del Humilladero; it dates from the 16th century and has an attractive altarpiece from the 15th century. The different construction periods and features can be considered separately.

Paths and Water

The PR-CC 186 El Chorrito is a signposted nature route in Descargamaría. As a linear out-and-back route, it measures 19.7 kilometres and begins next to the picnic area at Descargamaría’s natural swimming area. The Chorro de los Ángeles waterfall can be reached via this path; its drop is more than 100 metres.

The GR 10 also runs along the highest point of the PR-CC 186 El Chorrito. It leads from Ovejuela over the ridge to Robledillo de Gata, with the return journey being optional. Descargamaría also has the “Las Herías” natural swimming area. A fixed out-and-back route and a route with an optional return can be classified separately for your own planning. The fixed total length of the out-and-back route and the optional return on the GR 10 represent two different forms of planning.

Nature and Landscape

Part of the mountains surrounding Descargamaría, with dense vegetation consisting of pine trees and scrubland, has been designated a Special Protection Area under the directive on the protection of wild birds. The river area near Descargamaría has been designated a Site of Community Importance; it contains olive groves, vineyards, vegetable gardens and orchards, as well as a riverside forest.

Descargamaría was already known for its wines in the 15th century. The Reserva Biológica del Buitre Negro is considered worth visiting. The “Muladar del Buitre Negro” is an ornithological observation point. The nature- and wine-related aspects mentioned here create different thematic emphases, which you can weigh separately when planning.

For your own planning, you can set architectural heritage, route length, water, landscape and wine alongside one another as separate focal points. This makes it clear whether you are currently considering a building, a route, a natural area or a historical connection with the town.

The focal points described can be distinguished by their form: buildings and the town centre belong to the historical perspective, while the PR-CC 186 El Chorrito and the GR 10 are differently structured paths. Protected areas, the river landscape, the connection with wine and the ornithological observation point, on the other hand, represent different aspects of nature and landscape. Within the river area too, olive groves, vineyards, vegetable gardens, orchards and riverside forest stand alongside one another as distinct landscape elements. This allows the selection to differentiate between visiting the town, following a fixed route, making an optional return and observing nature.

More Town Pages

More town pages: La Cumbre, Casas de Miravete, Alía, Serrejón, Torremenga, Cambrón, Campo Lugar, Torrejón El Rubio

To the overarching travel overview: Cáceres.