Santibáñez El Alto: Castle, Heritage and Trails

Santibáñez El Alto lies 679 metres above sea level in the Sierra de Gata. For planning purposes, several themes can be distinguished: the history of the castle and fortified settlement, religious and other historic buildings, the landscape of Los Pajares, and trails and festival dates. This can help you decide whether local history, a specific route or a particular date should be the focus of your stay.

Castle and fortifications: a history in several phases

The Castillo de Santibáñez el Alto has Arab origins dating back to the 9th century. The settlement was fortified, and the castle was rebuilt in the 11th and 12th centuries by the Templars of the Order of Pereiro. The Order of Alcántara later carried out further alterations. The fortification of the settlement and the building history of the castle are therefore two distinct aspects.

Today, the castle's parade ground is the village cemetery. The castle also serves as a viewpoint over nearby mountain ranges, including Pico Jálama, Puerto de Perales and Las Jañonas. In Santibáñez El Alto, the castle is therefore connected not only with local history, but also with views of the named landscapes in the surrounding area.

Church, chapel and rollo

The parish church of San Pedro Apóstol is near the castle. Its Chapel of the Nobles has a stone rib vault and a Talavera tile frieze. The Ermita del Santo Cristo de la Victoria offers a different architectural accent: this small, square building dates from the 17th century and contains an elaborate depiction of Christ crucified.

The Rollo of Santibáñez el Alto is a 16th-century judicial column. It stands on three steps and is topped with a cross. Another historical detail can be found on the façade of a house near the bullring: two human heads are set there. According to the current owner, they depict a Moor and a Moorish woman. She says that the heads originally came from the castle's palace building, where they served as guards at the main entrance.

Los Pajares and the landscape

Los Pajares is protected as an Asset of Cultural Interest (Bien de Interés Cultural) in the category of a Place of Ethnological Interest (Lugar de Interés Etnológico). The landscape there includes dehesa, pastureland and Mediterranean vegetation, including wild olive trees, oaks and holm oaks. Access to Los Pajares is via a partially paved road from the C-513.

An area in Santibáñez El Alto is also a wintering ground for cranes, ducks and gulls. Along with the landscape of Los Pajares, this is another aspect of the area: in addition to historic buildings, the topics described also include vegetation and habitats used seasonally.

Hiking trails and road connections

The SL-CC 204 Los Pajares circular hiking trail starts at Paseo de Calvo Sotelo and descends to the livestock quarter of Los Pajares. Both the starting point and destination are therefore specified to help you find your way on this local route. The Spanish section of the cross-border GR22 is longer: it runs for 227 kilometres, passes through 13 places in the north of Cáceres province and includes Santibáñez El Alto.

The third stage of the PR-CC 181 Valle del Tralgas is listed as running from Santibáñez El Alto to Torre de Don Miguel. The three hiking-trail descriptions therefore differ in scope and detail: from a local circular walk with a stated starting point and destination, to a long route through several places, and a stage between two places.

The scenic EX-205 is a road connection. It links Santibáñez El Alto and Valverde del Fresno over 37 kilometres, passing through notable landscapes of the Sierra de Gata. For travel planning, it can be distinguished from the hiking trails: this is a road between two places, whereas the routes mentioned are described as hiking or long-distance trails.

Festivals and dates

The Los Santitos festival takes place on 9 and 10 June. It honours Roman patrons from the 2nd century and has long been associated with traditional capeas. San Juan Bautista is celebrated on 24 June with religious ceremonies and tambourine music. On 15 August, the Romería de la Virgen del Carmen takes place, with an outdoor gathering in the Dehesa Los Pajares.

If you are planning your trip around one of these festivals, check the programme for the relevant year. This lets you take the dates into account as a specific reason for planning your trip, while also deciding whether the castle and local history, the trails or the cultural landscape are most important to your stay.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Santibáñez El Bajo, Malpartida De Plasencia, Perales Del Puerto, Santa Ana, Madrigal De La Vera, Tejeda De Tiétar, La Garganta, Cadalso.

Go to the main travel overview: Cáceres.