Discover Guijo De Coria: Churches, Festivals and Nature

Guijo de Coria lies on an extensive plain south of the Sierra de Gata and north of the Río Alagón. Its church architecture, festivals and surrounding landscape offer different points of interest for planning a trip: these include the parish church’s architectural history as well as opportunities for birdwatching in Los Llanos del Guijo.

Landscape and Birdlife

The characteristic vegetation includes holm oak forests and scrubland with rockroses, rosemary, thyme, broom and mastic shrubs. Between Guijo de Coria and Calzadilla, Los Llanos del Guijo form the northernmost pseudo-steppe zone in Extremadura. Birdwatchers may spot great bustards, little bustards, stone-curlews and Montagu’s harriers there.

Churches and History

The Iglesia parroquial de San Esteban combines 15th-century Gothic elements with Renaissance work from the mid-16th century. It is considered a notable example of the art of northern Extremadura from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. Its 33-metre-high bell tower was built in 1536.

Beata María Ana de Jesús is also associated with Guijo de Coria: she was born here and was a 17th-century Franciscan tertiary. Her mystical work can be compared with that of Saint Teresa of Ávila. The 17th-century Casa convento de la Beata María de Jesús houses a museum with traditional objects.

Two other religious buildings lie near Guijo de Coria. The Ermita del Cristo del Valle, also known as the Ermita del Humilladero, is a chapel in a vernacular style and probably dates from the 15th century or earlier. The Ermita de Santa María de la Consolación dates from the 15th century; the municipal council rebuilt it in 2000.

Festivals and Dates

The pilgrimage in honour of the Virgin of Consolación takes place on the Saturday closest to 1 May. A procession goes from the Ermita de Santa María to the municipality’s Dehesa Boyal. A Mass is then celebrated, and the day is spent in the Dehesa.

The San Esteban festivities begin on 26 December and last for three days. They include a procession, after which people gather socially over drinks in the town’s streets. San Blas is celebrated on 3 February with a procession and a Mass. Cords are also handed out in exchange for a small donation; it is advisable to check locally before travelling to attend this celebration.

The dates fall at different times of the year: the San Esteban festivities begin in December, San Blas is celebrated in February, and the pilgrimage takes place close to 1 May. When planning your trip, you can therefore decide which festival occasion is of particular interest to you.

Routes around Guijo de Coria

For a route with a specified distance, the easy, one-way hiking route “Guijo de Coria luna 1” is an option in the area; it is 5.55 kilometres long. Another route starts in Guijo de Coria and passes through rivers, reservoirs and typical Dehesas of Extremadura before reaching Morcillo. The routes therefore highlight different points of reference: the length, one-way format and difficulty level for “luna 1”, and the destination and landscape for the other route.

The description of “Guijo de Coria luna 1” dates from July 2020. Check current trail conditions before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Casares de las Hurdes, Tornavacas, Miajadas, Benquerencia, Jarandilla De La Vera, Santa Marta De Magasca, Caminomorisco, Trujillo

For the broader travel overview: Cáceres.