Villalba De Los Barros: Castle, Church and Winery

If you’re looking for a hotel in Villalba De Los Barros, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on during your trip: the castle and church art, a winery tour, the patron saint’s festival or the area around the Embalse Villalba de los Barros reservoir. These topics differ in their timing and practical requirements. You can therefore plan your travel dates and daily itinerary around the interests that matter to you.

Castle, Church and Chapel

The Castillo de Villalba de los Barros, also known as Castillo de la Vaguada, was built of stone in 1418 by Don Gómez Suárez de Figueroa on a level settlement site above an earlier Arab fortification. Its outer barbican is square. The higher inner defensive area is arranged around a narrow courtyard; a square keep and attached semicircular towers define the ensemble. The castle is designated a Site of Cultural Interest (Bien de Interés Cultural, BIC) in the Archaeological Zone category and is considered an important historical and archaeological ensemble.

The Iglesia parroquial de la Purificación is a Gothic building originally constructed in the 16th century. Its single-nave layout, octagonal apse, ribbed vaults and chapels between the buttresses give the church interior a clear architectural structure. The church also houses a 13th-century Gothic depiction of Nuestra Señora de Montevirgen. The building and the image thus date to different centuries and offer distinct perspectives on the town’s art and architectural history.

Outside the town is the Ermita de Montevirgen, a rural chapel set in a natural landscape. Its layout includes a single-nave building, a vaulted chancel, a Camarín and an atrium. Compared with the parish church, its description offers a different architectural perspective: the chapel’s form and the listed architectural features come to the fore alongside the landscape.

Winery Visit and Festival Dates

Castúo Wines is based in Villalba de los Barros and offers tours of its winery. The tour starts with work in the vineyard and continues through winemaking and ageing to bottling. The offer also includes a wine tasting accompanied by an appetiser made with regional products. If a winery visit is part of your travel plans, you can make it a focus of your trip.

Virgen de Montevirgen is the patron saint of Villalba de los Barros. Her festival is celebrated every year on 7 and 8 September; the exact programme may vary from year to year. If you’d like to plan your trip for these dates, check the event programme for the relevant year. This helps distinguish the fixed dates from the changing programme of events.

Embalse Reservoir and Ruta Senderista por el Guadajira

Nature and water define the surroundings of the Embalse Villalba de los Barros reservoir. The reservoir lies on the Guadajira, a tributary of the Guadiana. The drive from the town takes about 20 minutes and follows a stony track that requires slow driving. As road conditions can change, check the state of the track before setting out. There are few services within 20 minutes of the reservoir. Plan what you’ll need for your visit before you set off.

The Ruta Senderista por el Guadajira also has a clearly defined timeframe: the first edition, held in May 2025, followed a ten-kilometre section running parallel to the river. This section formed part of a longer route connecting three towns. The starting point for the first edition was the former 16th-century Convento de Montevirgen, in the municipal area of Villalba de los Barros. Twenty-three points of interest were identified for this edition; virtual tours via QR codes were planned for four locations along the route.

A Local Culinary Note

Uñas de gato are homemade sweets made with almonds and eggs. As a distinctive culinary touch, they complement the architectural and landscape themes with a local speciality. Together with the attractions described and the festival dates, these different interests offer useful pointers for planning your stay and finding a hotel in Villalba De Los Barros.

Discover more destinations: Peraleda del Zaucejo, Medellín, Fuente Del Maestre, Helechosa De Los Montes, Ribera Del Fresno, La Morera, Medina de las Torres, Casas de Don Pedro.

For the main travel overview: Badajoz.