Sierra de Gata

If I had to define the Sierra de Gata in only a few words, I’d say it’s a paradise for hikers.

I’d never heard of it until a friend recommended it to us.

The mountains are dotted with villages like San Martín de Trevejo, Gata, Robledillo de Gata, Acebo, and Villamiel. All of them share certain traits like quaint homes and churches. There are well-marked trails between the villages and they’re a maximum of 4-5km long so it’s not too difficult.

Also, as a side note, the inhabitants of the villages also use the trails to go from one village to another so as to not use the car.

Sierra de Gata is another of the sub-regions in the province of Cáceres. It’s pressed against the Portuguese border, just south of Salamanca province. It has various villages that have been declared to be Historical Complexes and still preserve their traditional architecture. The natural surroundings are also amazing. I’d recommend a visit.

This summer we were on vacation for a week in the Sierra de Gata. It’s surprisingly unknown and we had a marvelous time there. The numerous natural pools really set this place apart, especially considering the hot weather when we were there. I’m from Huelva and there are some Paradise-like beaches not too far away, but we were looking for something different. We decided to follow the natural pool trail and we couldn’t have been any happier with that decision!.

We started the route at the Perales del Puerto natural pool. It was very big and delightful to jump in for a dip, taking in the Roman bridge that goes over it and the lush vegetation surrounding it. We had a great afternoon there and enjoyed a perfect temperature, while the rest of Spain was under excessive temperature warnings. The Sierra de Gata is like an oasis in the middle of scortching Extramdura, with its green mountains and the fresh water rivers flowing through this luxurious part of our country. We decided to stay in Acebo for the night, a small town with streets and houses built of stone. It was a dreamy place. The people were tremendously nice. Acebo itself has several natural pools that we also visited. We we got up we decided to walk through the local Buddhist community, Lalita, which is surrounded by incredible scenery.