Cepeda: Mushroom Trails, History and Local Traditions

The circular hiking route Sendero micológico Cepeda-Madroñal-Herguijuela de la Sierra connects Cepeda, Madroñal and Herguijuela de la Sierra and is 12.7 kilometres long.

Hiking and Trails

The Sendero micológico provides information about mushrooms and their relationship with people. The two valleys through which the route runs historically served as access routes from the Sierra de Francia to the Las Hurdes region and were traditionally used as mule tracks.

A different trail experience is offered by the Senda de los Mil Colores: it is an easy circular route of approximately 10 kilometres through the forests of Cepeda and Madroñal. The Dehesa de Cepeda offers up to ten different routes, which can be selected according to the hikers’ ability and experience.

For planning your day, the different route lengths, trail types and options can be compared, without giving natural history and the historical background of the trails the same emphasis.

Culture and History

The church of Cepeda was built from the 16th to the 18th century; Baroque features predominate stylistically. At the entrance to the village stands the Ermita del Humilladero, which houses a Renaissance altar from the 16th century.

The Torre de Cepeda is a freestanding civil and religious tower from the 17th century. In the past, the inhabitants were summoned to council meetings by the ringing of bells.

The ruins of the Casa de los Judíos preserve a Gothic arch from the 15th century and recall the former presence of the Jewish community in Cepeda. Outside the centre of the village lies the 15th-century Ermita de San Marcos.

The Molinos del Coso are grain mills on the Arroyo del Coso and date back to the 10th century. Cepeda lies above the remains of a pre-Roman Castro, a fortified hilltop settlement.

Festivals and Customs

The celebration of San Marcos in Cepeda includes a procession from the Humilladero to the church, an offering ritual and the verse-composition tradition of Las Relaciones.

La Alborada is a tradition on the eve of a wedding: friends and neighbours sing verses to the household of the engaged couple and then share food and drinks.

El Ramo is celebrated in Cepeda on Holy Saturday. Decorated branches are attached to the balconies of the chosen fiancées or people being courted.

Cuisine

One of Cepeda’s distinctive culinary specialities is Limón serrano. The dish is a salad of lemon and orange with egg and meat or chorizo, seasoned with salt, oil, wine, vinegar and a few pennyroyal leaves.

When searching for a holiday apartment in Cepeda, you can compare travel dates, room categories and cancellation policies on the respective offer pages. Depending on the focus of your trip, this information can be considered alongside the different hiking trails, historic buildings, festival traditions and the Limón serrano dish.

More local pages:Santibáñez De Béjar, San Pedro De Rozados, Topas, Pereña De La Ribera, Matilla De Los Caños Del Río, Navacarros, Sorihuela, Salamanca

To the higher-level travel overview: Salamanca.