Caminomorisco, Spain: travel guide to the heart of Las Hurdes in Extremadura

Caminomorisco is a small municipality in the province of Cáceres, in Extremadura, set at around 490 metres in the rugged comarca of Las Hurdes in the far north of the region. With some 1,100 inhabitants spread between the main village and its scattered hamlets, it is one of the principal towns of a remote and beautiful mountain land of slate villages, rivers and forests.

For travellers searching for Caminomorisco, Las Hurdes, slate villages or natural pools in Extremadura, it offers unspoilt nature and a strong sense of a unique rural culture.

History and landscape

The village was long a forced passage for Moriscos expelled towards Salamanca, which is said to have given it its name; until the early 20th century it was known as Las Calabazas. The surrounding hills hold prehistoric remains, while the comarca of Las Hurdes became internationally known through the documentary film made here in the 1930s. Today its slate-built houses, terraced valleys and clear rivers form a landscape protected for its wildlife.

Things to see

Caminomorisco offers natural swimming pools on the river Alavea, the Chorrerón del Tajo waterfall and viewpoints over the valleys, while the nearby hamlet of Cambrón, with its old bridge, houses an interpretation centre devoted to the water and environment of Las Hurdes. The traditional architecture of stone and slate, and local products such as honey and olive oil, complete the picture.

Practical information

Caminomorisco lies on the EX-204 road in the heart of Las Hurdes, about 35 kilometres north of Plasencia and within reach of the Sierra de Gata and the border with the province of Salamanca, making it a good base for exploring this distinctive corner of Extremadura.