Listen, forget everything you think you know about borders. The first stage of the Grand Tour It is a delusion of grandeur in full swing Raya.

The route starts at Valencia de Alcántara, where you can pop in to Gothic Quarter. It’s not just a collection of old alleyways, mind you; it’s the largest Sephardic labyrinth in the province, with 266 Gothic doorways. Remember, every stone is asset of cultural interest. In this neighbourhood and at the nearby church of Rocamador, a festival is held the A Royal Wedding Every August, because if the daughter of the Catholic Monarchs got married here in 1497 and changed the map of Europe, the least we can do is celebrate it in style with some tapas. 

And whilst you’re out and about in this area, you won’t be able to ignore a few ‘rock formations’ that you’ll keep coming across: the so-called Megalithic culture in the International Tagus region, an extensive network of colossal megaliths built by ancestors who, without cranes or LinkedIn, erected the most impressive collection of dolmens in Europe. The Twin Dolmen and its iconic granite beret, for example, will make you seriously question the solidity of your current home. It is surrounded by the rocky outcrop from the natural monument of the Data, a geological absurdity where It all seems like a game played by giants.

Fancy a bit more history? Pop round to the Prehistoric rock art trails in Roque Harbour or the dolmens at the Era de la Laguna, where there’s no Wi-Fi, but the connection to the past is complete. And since you're here, proast yourself over the Dolmen Culture Interpretation Centre In Santiago de Alcántara, a modern burial mound-style building that explains how those blokes moved massive blocks of granite without having to go to the physio afterwards.

What else can you do? The choice is yours: make your own mark by hiking, MTB o cycle tourism by a natural path infinity. Do birdwatching extreme in the mountain range from St Peter's, walk along a scenic route heart-stopping or hop on the 'Balcón del Tajo' sightseeing boat to keep an eye on the Portuguese neighbours from the water. And if you’re into the cultural scene, you’ll be blown away by the street art from Critical wall, arthouse cinema in Outskirts, the rhythms of the Magusto or surrender to the space tourism under the clearest sky of the nature reserve. It’s on the outskirts, it’s the Raya, but it feels like the centre of the universe! Well, let’s not get carried away.