Let’s
face it, Extremadura is not the most popular region in Spain. You probably
haven’t even heard about it until now. Even its name sounds inhospitable
(extrema: extreme, duro: hard). Wedged in between the beautiful country of
Portugal and the well-known Spanish region of Castile and Leon it lies flat and
covered with acorn trees for the black pigs as far as your eyes can see. There
are only three big towns to have a coffee break in while crossing through.
It
all changes though during spring when Jerte Valley in the North of the region
becomes white from all the blooming cherry trees. It is a sight that once you
see you will never forget. Thousands upon thousands of trees line both sides of
the trees, all of them full of blossoming flowers. The sight would lift
anybody’s spirit.
As
it goes with nature you never can be sure when the flowers open exactly but it
usually happens during the second half of March/first half of April. They are
only in full bloom for about ten days so you have to make sure that you catch
the magic of the thousands of tiny white flowers on time.
The
flowering time is only the beginning of the fun in Jerte Valley as all these
flowers will turn into cherries soon. And not just any kind of cherries. The ones
they cultivate here are the famous Picota type. It is special as unlike the
‘normal’ cherries which are harvested 30 days after flowering, this special
breed stays on the trees for almost a month longer. It means it gets more
sunshine making the fruit even sweeter and juicier. They are harvested by hand
which might be also an interesting time to visit the valley. Curiously, they
harvest only the fruit meaning that the stem stays on the tree! Just imagine a
tree with all the stems sticking out of the branches! Must be quite a funny
sight.
The
habitants of the valley know exactly the value of the treasure they have in
their hands. To make sure that the tourists get the best they can offer they
organise many events to make your stay enjoyable, for example the Cherry
Blossom Fiesta, which we also attended. Apart from stopping with your car on
any random spot in the valley to pose for photos amongst the white branches it
included many other activities as well, such as guided walks, cycling tours,
tasting sessions of the local products (yes, please!), paragliding over the
valley and many more!
Stick
around to read more about our adventures in this amazing place.
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