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Tajo International Natural Park

4 reviews of Tajo International Natural Park

Beauty without borders

Excellent

"How austere, how solemn, how exciting is the Spanish Tajo.” So was our great river described in the 19th century by the English traveler Richard Ford as he threw aside the travelers’ conventions of the era and penetrated deep into the Spanish heartland.

I wanted use this phrase to begin sharing my experience about this amazing border-jumping project: The Tajo International Natural Park, a stretch of 25,000 hectares that, for the first time in European history, covers two different countries: Spain and Portugal.
After discovering this natural park, I also discovered the amazing people living in this nearly-forgotten territory, a people who’ve taken great lengths to preserve their stunning natural heritage. In the southeast of the province of Cáceres near the other Spanish “finisterre,” there’s an impressive park featuring a unique, endemic ecosystem where the Tajo River serves as the source for rocky mounts, green meadows, and endless hills harboring species like the black stork, golden eagle, and vulture nesting amid gorgeous fields of lavender and wild daisies. Here, nature reigns supreme.


But the International Park isn’t just known for its nature; it also boasts an interesting historical and cultural heritage in the form of the different towns along the river and on either side of the international border. The park is well-designed with information signs, routes, and viewpoints, and you can also do multi-day hikes, off-road driving, rafting trips, or just strap on your boots and head down any trail that strikes your fancy. If you come to enjoy the park, the options are endless.

Declared a Natural Park in Spain in 2006, the park earned its “international” status following an agreement between Spain and Portugal. The park now encompasses over 20 Portuguese and Spanish municipalities that house a wealth of natural, historic, artistic, cultural, and, above all, culinary wonders to be discovered.

In Cedillo, you can find the Hall of Nature, an Interpretation Center that reveals the history of the park through that of its people, and is a great place to begin your visit.

For me, the park is an excellent example of people crossing borders to join together and help protect and highlight the best their region has to offer.

It was an experience that I’ll never forget and that has encouraged me to investigate, as a traveler, a curious mind, but mostly as a person, this land of Extremadura to which I promise to return as soon as possible. Yes, I learned much in this park, not only about nature, but above all about the people, their work, and their commitment to preserving their heritage. Now, I won’t go on forever. Come and discover it for yourself.
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