GETTING AWAY 01 · 2 DAYS - WHERE THE MAP ENDS

Two days where the map ends: La Raya

GETTING AWAY 01 · 2 DAYS

Home > EGetaway 01 · 2 days > Two days where the map ends: La Raya

2 days
35 / 45 km.
By car / motorbike

Two days amongst dolmens, border villages and landscapes that learnt centuries ago that a border can also bring people together.

There are borders that divide. And then there is La Raya, where, for centuries, the Portuguese and the Spanish have learnt to live whilst looking at one another from either side of the same line.

This getaway enters the region via Valencia de Alcántara, taking in medieval streets, Sephardic culture, dolmens and pasturelands, before continuing towards the Tagus and its border villages.

The first day focuses on those who came before: the early settlers, megalithic culture and a border that has shifted more than once. The second day takes us to the river, to Cedillo, Herrera and Santiago de Alcántara, where the landscape once again takes centre stage.

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➸ DAY 1 · MEGALITHIC MONUMENTS AND LANDSCAPE (35 km) · See map

Valencia de Alcántara

➸ DAY 02 · THE TAJO AS A BORDER (45 km) · See map

Valencia de Alcántara → Santiago de Alcántara → Herrera de Alcántara → Cedillo

🚩 Km 0 · Valencia de Alcántara

Start with a walk… The Gothic Quarter of Valencia de Alcántara

266 Gothic doorways make this neighbourhood the largest Sephardic labyrinth in the province. This is where the road trip begins: getting a little lost is all part of the plan.

🖐 Km 0 · Valencia de Alcántara

To understand the Gothic Quarter, the heart of Sephardic culture

After exploring the neighbourhood, it’s time to find out who lived here and what their lives were like. A brief journey through Sephardic history before leaving Valencia. And no time machine required.

⛪ Km 0 · Valencia de Alcántara

Rocamador Church

Rocamador provides a monumental finale to our tour of Valencia. After centuries of watching travellers, kings and borders come and go, we’ll just ask you to spare a few minutes before we set off. Remember, it’s a Site of Cultural Interest.

🚗 Km 02 · Drive carefully and stick your arm out with caution

Along scenic roads

Now the road begins. There’s no need to rush anywhere: the countryside, the rocky outcrops and the pastures are all part of the route. If you see something you like, you stop. It’s as simple as that.

🚶‍♂️‍➡️ Km 12 · A great walk

Berrocal de La Data Natural Monument

This ought to be one of the best photos of the day. Granite boulders, pastureland and impossible shapes. The rocky outcrop at La Data looks like the work of someone who was given too much granite and decided to use it all up. And, well, it turned out rather well.

🚶‍♂️‍➡️ Km 14 · First walk

Twin Dolmen

El Mellizo is one of the finest examples of megalithic architecture in the area. Its enormous granite “beret” has stood here for thousands of years. We’ll reach it via a narrow path after leaving the car for a moment.

🚶 Km 26 · Walking experience

PR-CC 88 Cross-Border Route

The PR-CC 88 trail winds its way through the megalithic landscape of Valencia de Alcántara, taking in pastures, granite outcrops and dolmens. You don’t have to walk the whole route: simply choose the section that takes your fancy and let the scenery do the rest.

𐦂𖨆 Km 28 · Rock art

Prehistoric Rock Art Trails: Puerto Roque

A change of scene: now the stories are painted on the rock. Puerto Roque still preserves examples of prehistoric rock art. Our ancestors were already decorating the walls. We’re still doing the same, but with a mortgage.

⚡ Km 35 · Time to sort through what we’ve seen

Early Settlers’ Interpretation Centre

After seeing dolmens and rock paintings, it’s time to make sense of everything you’ve just discovered. To do this, we’re heading back to Valencia de Alcántara. The centre helps you understand how the first settlers lived and left their mark.

END

Today we have explored the border from the mainland: medieval streets, Sephardic heritage, dolmens and paths that have connected this region for thousands of years. Tomorrow we will head towards the Tagus. And there we will realise that a border can also be a shared landscape. The river awaits us.