From the cradle of animal life to the Middle Ages

Villuercas-Ibores-Jara configures a geopark in the easternmost Extremadura. Rising between the Tagus and Guadiana basins, it appears as a mountainous massif of parallel mountains and valleys that is nothing more than the result of the folding of the earth’s crust when the continents converged to form Pangea some 300 million years ago. River erosion and modeling have given rise to a landscape of undeniable beauty that can now be enjoyed from a variety of vantage points. The mountains reveal the first steps in the evolution of animal life more than 550 million years ago while they serve as a refuge for unique flora and fauna. In them, the Chalcolithic, Roman, Arab or medieval vestiges accompany the magnificence of the Monastery of Guadalupe, serving as chapters in the historical and visitable story of this land.

This itinerary touches on memorable experiences: the formation of the mountains and the relief from the top of La Villuerca, the magic of the karstic formations in the Castañar cave, the evolution of animal life in the Cañamero and Navatrasierra visitor centers, the mining past in Logrosán, the conservation of flora and fauna in Guadalupe, Castañar de Ibor and Guadarranque and the historical legacy in Berzocana and the Guadalupe Monastery.