Meandro Melero, the most beautiful landscape in Las Hurdes (Extremadura)

When you consider making a getaway to the Las Hurdes region, to the North of the Cáceres province, the main reason should be to do nature tourism.

The Hurdes It is one of those regions of Estremadura that will surprise you with its lush and green landscapes, far removed from the stereotypes you may have about what this community in the southwest of Spain is like.

If you get to The Hurdes To the south or to the east, where you will find some landscapes of the characteristic Extremadura pastureland, as you go deeper into the region you will see an increasingly mountainous landscape with great foliage and deep valleys.

The Las Hurdes forests They are mainly made of resinous pines that were planted in the 60s of the last century, in one of those forest repopulation campaigns that flooded many areas of Spain with non-native trees.

But previously in this region there was already a lot of vegetation with species that now share the spotlight with the pines.

Thus, in The HurdesYou can see chestnut trees, holm oaks, strawberry trees, cherry trees and olive trees, and also large areas of rockrose and heather thickets.

If your visit coincides with the spring season, you will surely be impressed by the large expanses of beautiful landscapes covered in flowers, especially white and yellow.

Rivers run through the narrow valleys, forming beautiful meandering landscapes, which emerge from high waterfalls known as jets.

To reach these jets you will have to go hiking trails more or less accessible, which lead you to corners that, due to their lushness, are more typical of the landscapes of Galicia.

Where and how to see the Melero Meander in Las Hurdes

ButWhat is the most outstanding corner of nature in Las Hurdes??

If there is an icon image of this region of the Cáceres province, that is the one of the Melero meander, whose existence I did not know until our recent getaway to Las Hurdes.

Located in the northeast of the region, near the town of Riomalo de Abajo, it is a meander of the Alagón river located in the final zone of the impoundment that creates the Gabriel and Galan swamp.

El Melero meander is located on the edge between the provinces of Salamanca and Cáceres, separated in this area by the course of the Alagón River, and very close to the tourist town of Salamanca La Alberca.

In fact, the surface of land that is surrounded by the meander is located in Salamanca, although you have the panoramic views of it from the viewpoints located next to a track that goes up from the aforementioned Cáceres town of Riomalo de Abajo.

When in our tour of Las Hurdes We arrived at the viewpoint, I assure you that we were really impressed by the beauty of the scene, even though we had previously seen it in photos.

And the truth is that this place, very little known outside of Extremadura, may remind you of other enclaves of nature that you can see even in countries like the United States.

In the times when the Gabriel and Galan swamp It has a greater volume of water, the meander becomes almost an islet in the river.

This place is also ideal for doing different activities such as canoe descent or catamaran cruises.

melero It is also a place for bird watching, and at the right time, to observe the rut.

Where to see waterfalls in Las Hurdes

As for jets that you can see Las Hurdes (waterfalls, chorreras), one of the most spectacular is the Miacera Jet, located near the farmhouse of The Gasco.

Miacera Jet

To get to this waterfall you will have to follow a route of about an hour, but in the end you will reach a gorge where the water falls from 150 meters high, colliding with the stone wall at the fall.

I also want to point out to you that on the road that goes up to The Gasco, which runs through a valley through which the Malvellido River, you will see some pretty terrace landscapes whose image will take you to Asian countries, as well as rugged meanders in the area of Martilandran.

Arrobatuequilla Chorrera

On our getaway we came to see another of the Most notable waterfalls in Las Hurdes, known as Arrobatuequilla Chorrera, where you arrive from the town of Rubiaco.

In this case, to get to the gorge you have a journey of about 20 minutes, yes, not accessible to everyone, but it is worth the effort to finally reach a beautiful corner of great leafiness.

Also noteworthy in The Hurdes other places where nature is combined with cultural enclaves.

One of these corners that we were able to see on our getaway was the Bridge of the Machos, built in the 13th century with slate stone.

Convent of the Angels in Las Hurdes

Located near Ovejuela, on the southwestern limit of the region, said bridge saves the Los Angeles River, and its function was the passage of cattle.

Nearby you will find another place that combines nature and cultural heritage, the remains of the Convent of the Angels, an old Franciscan monastery from the beginning of the 13th century.

There you will see a very leafy corner where among trees and great vegetation you will be able to see the remains of the constructions made in their day with the native slate stone.

El Gasco Volcano in Las Hurdes

Finally I will highlight another corner of nature also located next to The Gasco.

It is known as the El Gasco Volcano, since it was traditionally thought to be a volcano, but recent studies have shown that, in reality, it is the place where a meteorite must have fallen more than a million years ago.

Now it is a declared natural monument Place of Scientific Interest.