To Cáceres

April 8, 2024

We had originally planned to cycle from Alburquerque to Cáceres in one day, a trip of about 44 miles. One of our reasons in splitting the trip into two days was the chance to visit the Natural Monument Los Barruecos, located a few miles south of the direct route to Cáceres. Described as a place with lakes & striking granite formations, with archaeological remains, plus grey herons & white storks, it seemed well worth a detour on a short day.

The weather had once again turned cloudy with predictions for rain today. We had a short ride to Cáceres, so looked carefully at the weather apps to see if there might be a rain-free window we could take advantage of. It looked like there would be clearing skies between 11-2, but by morning that window had shut and was predicted to be peak shower time!

We departed our wonderful La Tierra Roja about 10:45 on a chilly cloudy day – dressed in full rain gear hoping to ward off the rain gods. We were not successful – a steady rain began about halfway into the ride, a couple of miles outside Malpartida de Cáceres. We pulled into town and found a nice bar/café where they let me put Vivien George under the outdoor canopy. Hot coffee and warm tostadas helped ward off the chill during the worst of the downpour.

Preparing to leave La Tierra Roja - a wonderful place to stay if you ever find yourself in Aliseda

We knew we found a great spot to shelter from the storm when they insisted I put Vivien George in the outdoor canopy

And the bar/cafe even had a bicycle on ceiling

Waiting out the worst of the rain in Malpartida de Cáceres

The biggest downside to the storm was jeopardizing our trip to Los Barruecos. We discussed skipping the detour, but the sun poked through as we readied to depart our warm and dry café. Suzanne and I decided to take our chances with the weather and visit Los Barruecos while Janos went on to Cáceres.

Within the Los Barruecos National Monument, a network of small sand/dirt roads connects the small lakes and “striking granite formations” that Suzanne and I were keen to seen. However, cycling along these small roads was not advisable on this soggy day, so we stuck mainly to the paved surface. We passed a large stork wetland area harboring a score of nests and though we didn’t see the dramatic boulder formations that drew us to the spot, we had a nice quiet detour through a boulder-strewn landscape. It was well worth the detour.

The sun was out for most of the last ten miles to Cáceres, but the traffic got heavier as we neared the city. Suzanne spotted a Decathalon and we made another short detour to find her a new windbreaker, a bright yellow jacket which she immediately donned. We navigated our way through the city streets to our hotel located right on Plaza Mayor in the historical center of this medieval city originally founded by Romans.

We spotted some horses in the Los Barruecos National Monument

We also saw a small lake and a distant cow in the Los Barruecos National Monument

Blue sky, puffy clouds and sunshine as we headed toward Càceres

Decathalon stop for a new windbreaker for Suzanne

After a hot shower and a little rest, I ventured out for a little poke around the old town area of this UNESCO World Heritage City. I could have spent hours exploring the amazing cluster of historical sites, and certainly the city warrants a longer look. For now, I include some photos of this whirlwind excursion, apologize for the lack of identifying captions, and urge you to visit Cáceres for yourself.

Looking over Plaza Major to the surrounding countryside

Crossing Plaza Major on the way to dinner

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Today's ride: 24 miles (39 km)
Total: 462 miles (744 km)

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