Guadiana River Dam and Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalup

Scenic road chapters

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Guadiana River Dam

   The Guadiana is Spain's quiet river, wide and slow, and at Mérida it has been tamed since Roman times. The label on this stop speaks of a dam, and there is a low weir across the river here, just beside the old bridge and the Moorish Alcazaba, but the thing that really commands attention is the Roman bridge itself. It is about 790 metres long and carried by some sixty arches, one of the longest ancient bridges still standing anywhere, and for two thousand years it carried the road toward the north and west across this very stretch of water.

   Read the complete Guadiana River Dam write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Guadiana River Dam is where the day begins. Next is Old Town of Cáceres.

2. 2. Old Town of Cáceres

   Cáceres has an old town so complete that film crews treat it as a ready-made set, and walking its streets at dusk, when the stone glows amber and the crowds have gone, you can see why. Inside the walls, built largely by the Almohads in the twelfth century, are dozens of fortified mansions, towers, churches and palaces, many built by noble families who made their fortunes in the conquest of the Americas. The towers once had battlements, but Queen Isabella ordered most of them cut down to curb the nobles' power. UNESCO listed the old town in 1986.

   Read the complete Old Town of Cáceres write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Old Town of Cáceres comes up about 79 km into the recorded legs. Next is Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalup.

3. 3. Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalup

   Planning note

   about 216 km into the recorded legs you reach Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalup. Next is back through Old Town of Cáceres.

4. 4. back through Old Town of Cáceres

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Old Town of Cáceres write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through Old Town of Cáceres, late in the day. Next is Guadiana River Dam.

5. 5. Guadiana River Dam

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Guadiana River Dam write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Back at Guadiana River Dam. That is the ride.