Discover Guijo de Coria: Nature, Festivals and Sacred Buildings

Guijo de Coria lies on an extensive plain south of the Sierra de Gata and north of the Río Alagón. Between Guijo de Coria and Calzadilla, Los Llanos del Guijo form the northernmost pseudo-steppe zone in Extremadura.

Landscape and Nature

The characteristic vegetation of Guijo de Coria includes holm-oak forests and scrubland with cistus, rosemary, thyme, broom and mastic shrubs. At Los Llanos del Guijo, birdwatchers may spot great bustards, little bustards, stone-curlews and Montagu’s harriers. The Embalse de Borbollón reservoir is located nearby; it is considered an important bird protection area and offers opportunities for water sports. When planning your day, you can consider the landscape, flora, birdwatching and water as different nature themes side by side.

Architecture and Local History

The architecture of the Iglesia parroquial de San Esteban combines 15th-century Gothic elements with Renaissance work from the mid-16th century. The Iglesia parroquial de San Esteban in Guijo de Coria is a remarkable example of the art of Upper Extremadura from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. The 33-metre-high bell tower of the parish church in Guijo de Coria was built in 1536. The 17th-century Casa convento de la Beata María de Jesús houses a museum with traditional objects. Beata María Ana de Jesús was born in Guijo de Coria and was a 17th-century Franciscan tertiary whose mystical work can be compared with that of Saint Teresa of Ávila.

Festivals and Religious Sites

The San Esteban celebrations begin on 26 December, last for three days and include a procession followed by socialising over drinks in the village streets. San Blas is celebrated on 3 February with a procession, a holy mass and the distribution of cords in exchange for a small donation. The Romería takes place on the Saturday closest to 1 May in honour of Our Lady of Consolation. A procession leads from the Ermita de Santa María to the municipality’s Dehesa Boyal; a mass is then celebrated, and the day is spent in the dehesa.

The Ermita del Cristo del Valle or del Humilladero near Guijo de Coria is a chapel in a popular vernacular style, probably dating from the 15th century or an earlier period. The Ermita de Santa María de la Consolación near Guijo de Coria dates from the 15th century and was rebuilt by the municipal council in 2000.

Other local pages for regional selection: Acehuche, Garrovillas De Alconétar, La Aldea Del Obispo, El Gordo, Palomero, Pasarón De La Vera, Valdelacasa de Tajo, Brozas.

Routes

When planning your day, you can consider route format, length and landscape type as different characteristics side by side. One route begins in Guijo de Coria and passes through rivers, reservoirs and typical dehesas of Extremadura before reaching Morcillo. The easy, 5.55 km one-way hiking route “Guijo de Coria luna 1” runs in the surroundings of Guijo de Coria. The route “Guijo de Coria – Villa del Campo – Pozuelo del Zarzón – Dehesa – Guijo de Coria” is designated as a circular route starting and ending in Guijo de Coria.

For the higher-level travel overview: Cáceres.