Discover El Cabaco: Nature, Culture and Trails on the Peña de Francia

El Cabaco lies in the upper basin of the Río Yeltes at the foot of the Peña de Francia and is part of the Parque Natural Las Batuecas-Sierra de Francia. The town is also part of a biosphere reserve. The Peña de Francia is a 1,727 m-high mountain in the Sierra de Francia in the south of the province of Salamanca; its summit lies within the municipality of El Cabaco.

Nature

From the summit of the Peña de Francia, there are views of numerous nearby towns and the entire Campo Charro plain. Spanish ibex can be encountered on the Peña de Francia. The El Cabaco-Nava de Francia mycological trail passes through extensive holm-oak dehesas, across rivers and through damp valleys, as well as through a dense pine forest in the Parque Natural Las Batuecas-Sierra de Francia.

Culture and History

Las Cavenes in El Cabaco has been designated a site of special cultural interest, a Bien de Interés Cultural, in the archaeological site category. At the Centro de Interpretación de la Minería Romana del Oro de Las Cavenes, an exhibition on mining presents reproductions of tools, models, audiovisual media, archaeological artefacts and interactive games. Accessible information panels in Braille, audio guides in Spanish and English, a sign-language tour and materials in plain language are also available at the centre.

Starting at the Centro de Interpretación de la Minería Romana del Oro de Las Cavenes, signposted paths lead to the former mining area. The El Cabaco-Nava de Francia hiking trail also provides insights into traditional charcoal-burners’ paths and Roman gold mining. In El Zarzoso, within the municipality of El Cabaco, stands the monastery of the Franciscan nuns of the Regulated Third Order of Porta Coeli. It has been designated a site of special cultural interest, a Bien de Interés Cultural, in the monument category. The church of the Porta-Coeli Monastery is a single-nave Gothic building from the 15th century with simple star-ribbed vaults.

The Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia is located at the summit of the Peña de Francia. The summit complex includes three outdoor chapels, including the Capilla de la Blanca. In El Cabaco, people maintain the tradition of wearing Charro dress with jewellery such as necklaces, earrings and collier necklaces. Men’s dress includes the botón charro, which represents a rosary with ten spherical beads.

Trails and Experiences

The linear El Cabaco-Peña de Francia PRSA-8 hiking route is 8.7 km long, has an uphill elevation gain of 760 m and is of medium difficulty. The El Cabaco-Nava de Francia mycological trail is 13.7 km long, has an elevation gain of 220 m and is of medium difficulty, and also has a shorter 2 km variant in the vicinity of El Cabaco. The different trail lengths and elevation gains help you compare the scope of a day’s hike.

At the “Zarzosillo de Abajo” estate, Ganadería Adelaida Rodríguez offers guided tours of the farm for groups of two or more people. The estate has paths between the individual grazing enclosures, allowing visitors to move around comfortably and observe the animals of the Ganadería. El Cabaco is served by the Mogarraz-La Alberca / Salamanca bus route.

Other Places

To the higher-level travel overview: Salamanca.