Extremadura Spring 2013
14th May 2013
We have just arrived back from a couple of weeks in Extremadura in Spain. It is a lot easier to get to the heart of the Spanish plains now that the road system has been totally upgraded. On previous visits you had to travel through a load of small villages and towns with poor signage and roads.
We prefer to fly to Seville rather than Madrid, they are about equidistant from the plains but Seville is far less conjested than Madrid. All the tour companies fly to Madrid and then have to endure the infamous Madrid ring road.
From Seville airport you just meet the road that bypasses most of Seville's heavy traffic and then just join the newly constructed 'Autovia de la Plata' (the motorway to the plains) which takes you right into the 'Steppe' country of Extremadura. The traffic is really light along the whole length of this road and it is a pleasure to drive along at 120km/hr on nearly empty roads. We stayed in a lovely 'Finca' just outside Montanchez, south of Trujillo, the accommodation was accessed up a 1 km track in a totally quiet and secluded situation among old Olive Groves and Vineyards. Wildlife abounded there and while sat on the terrace in the evening, relaxing or eating dinner with a very nice bottle of the local wine, Hoopoes, Bee Eaters and Woodchat Shrikes among many others were regular visitors.
It was an idyllic location and one which is highly recommended.
Please see the individual blogs for some of the wild life and also latest Images, Extremadura.
A full trip report will follow in due course.
We prefer to fly to Seville rather than Madrid, they are about equidistant from the plains but Seville is far less conjested than Madrid. All the tour companies fly to Madrid and then have to endure the infamous Madrid ring road.
From Seville airport you just meet the road that bypasses most of Seville's heavy traffic and then just join the newly constructed 'Autovia de la Plata' (the motorway to the plains) which takes you right into the 'Steppe' country of Extremadura. The traffic is really light along the whole length of this road and it is a pleasure to drive along at 120km/hr on nearly empty roads. We stayed in a lovely 'Finca' just outside Montanchez, south of Trujillo, the accommodation was accessed up a 1 km track in a totally quiet and secluded situation among old Olive Groves and Vineyards. Wildlife abounded there and while sat on the terrace in the evening, relaxing or eating dinner with a very nice bottle of the local wine, Hoopoes, Bee Eaters and Woodchat Shrikes among many others were regular visitors.
It was an idyllic location and one which is highly recommended.
Please see the individual blogs for some of the wild life and also latest Images, Extremadura.
A full trip report will follow in due course.