Navalmoral de la Mata – Culture, Festivals and Nature

In Navalmoral de la Mata, the main altarpiece in the Iglesia de San Andrés is a gilded wooden Renaissance altarpiece dating from the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

Culture

The Iglesia de San Andrés was begun in the 15th century and completed in the 16th century. Its organ dates from 1778 and has 54 keys and 16 stops.

The Ermita de las Angustias houses the Virgen de las Angustias, the patron saint of Navalmoral de la Mata. The chapel stands outside the town in open countryside on the old royal road; its original construction dates back to the 15th or 16th century.

The Rollo, also known as the Picota, dates from 1637 and symbolises the administration of municipal justice at the time. At the same time, it is a historic symbol of the municipal autonomy of Navalmoral de la Mata.

The Plaza Vieja dates from the 17th century and, together with the adjoining streets, formed the original town centre. Casa Comillas is an 18th-century building constructed to administer the El Espadañal estate. It houses the UNED, the municipal library and rooms used for the annual cultural events.

The Parque Municipal Casto Lozano is a one-hectare green space for recreation near the railway station and was inaugurated in 1940.

Museums and Festivals

The Museo del Carnaval is located on the second and third floors of the Centro Cultural «La Gota». It displays costumes, photographs and special objects that give visitors an impression of the local carnival.

The Carnavales moralos have held the status of Fiesta de Interés Turístico Regional since 1986, a regional event of tourist interest. The San Miguel festivities take place on the weekend closest to 29 September and include, among other things, an agricultural and food fair, a horse fair, parades, concerts, street performances and sporting events.

The Museo Arqueológico preserves around 800 objects from the Campo Arañuelo, La Jara and Los Ibores regions. Its collection ranges from the beginning of the Palaeolithic to Islamic culture and includes the Iron Age, as well as the Roman and Visigothic periods.

Nature

The Ruta de las Fuentes is 4.5 kilometres long, leads to the various springs in the Berrocal moralo and offers views of the comarca.

The Ejido Nuevo lagoon complex is a ZEPA bird protection area in the municipality of Navalmoral de la Mata and consists of four ponds. Aquatic birdlife of international importance, according to the criteria of the Ramsar Convention, is concentrated there.

The Charca Dehesa Boyal Navalmoral is a ZEPA wetland in the municipality of Navalmoral de la Mata. Aquatic birdlife of international importance, according to the criteria of the Ramsar Convention, is also concentrated in this area.

Getting Around

Navalmoral de la Mata is connected via the A-5 and A-EXA1 motorways; the A-EXA1 in turn connects the town with the A-66 Ruta de la Plata. The town is also connected to the Madrid–Badajoz railway line.

Other places: Casares de las Hurdes, Navatrasierra, Valencia De Alcantara, Pinofranqueado, Portezuelo, Zorita, Casillas De Coria, Villasbuenas de Gata

For the higher-level travel overview: Cáceres.