STAGE: Mérida - Alcuéscar

The crossing of Mérida provides us with a stimulating walk: Roman Bridge, Calle del Puente, Plaza de España, Santa Julia, del Arco, Plaza del Parador, Calle del Calvario, the railway subway, the Roman Bridge over the River Albarrega, and outside the city centre, the Roman reservoir of Proserpina, the largest in the empire and a place of recreation and bathing for the inhabitants and neighbours of Mérida.

After crossing the reservoir, the road runs through holm oaks and cork oaks to Carrascalejo, a small village with no services, but with a beautiful and well-kept church. A few kilometres away is Aljucén with its church of La Consolación, on whose north door we find allusions to the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago de Compostela. It is also a small town, but with the minimum services required by a pilgrim and which offers the possibility of interrupting the journey.

Just over 20 kilometres remain for the walker through one of the most beautiful pastures in Extremadura, within the limits of the Cornalvo Nature Reserve. Following the signposted path ‘cordel del gato’, we reach the Cruz de San Juan, and from there to Alcuéscar, the first landmark in the Cáceres region. Here, we can admire stately homes, such as the Encomienda de Santiago. Nearby is the 7th century Visigothic Basilica of Santa Lucía.