Net of Natural
Trails
Stage 30: Valdelacasa del Tajo - Peraleda de San Román
Description
Towards the town of hospitality
This Stage leaves Valdelacasa de Tajo crossing through hunting preserves and crop fields towards the village of Peraleda de San Roman.
The route kicks off at Valdelacasa del Tajo, where signs indicate the Nature Trail. It crosses the road that runs between Valdelacasa del Tajo and Peraleda de San Roman, the start and endpoint of this Stage, and continues along an easy track. Most of the time, the track is flanked by old stone boundary walls until it reaches an old stone bridge over the Zarzalejo Creek.
The Trail runs flat until it reaches a fork where it continues left, becoming somewhat narrower as it climbs up a moderately steep slope, with outcrops and loose stones that make the going more difficult.
When the route becomes flat again, it runs between private hunting grounds, where one can see typical game species, including deer (Capreolus capreolus) and partridges (Alectoris rufa).
Leaving the Valdemujeres farm and the hunting grounds behind to the right, the route heads towards open fields of cereals and olive groves. It continues along farm roads towards an intersection with the road leading to the town of Peraleda de San Roman.
After this short stretch on a paved road, the route veers right, then left, and after about 500 m, back onto a fork on the same road. After crossing the first branch of the road with care, the route proceeds to the right towards Peraleda. Close to this town is a stone cross on the side of the road, a funerary symbol that reminds us of the advent of the Roman occupation of this territory.
Once in Peraleda de San Román, known popularly as "the town of hospitality", you can stroll through its manicured streets and squares on the way to the Church of San Juan Bautista: the most prominent building in town. Notable also are the Romanesque remains of the church of San Román and the Church of Poveda, both from the fifteenth century.
The Route of La Jara, which runs from Peraleda de San Román to Garvín, and overlaps with this Stage until the endpoint, is notable.
Profile
Harshness of natural environment- 1. The environment is not risk-free
- 2. There are more than one risk factors
- 3. There are various risk factors
- 4. There are quite a lot of risk factors
- 5. There are many risk factors
Guidance along the route- 1. Well defined trails and crossings
- 2. There is a clearly marked trail and signage
- 3. Requires the identification of geographic features and cardinal points
- 4. Requires off-path navigation
- 5. The trail is interrupted by obstacles that have to be gone around
Route difficulty- 1. Walking on a flat surface
- 2. Trails with different types of path
- 3. Walking on stepped paths or irregular terrain
- 4. The use of hands or jumping over the terrain is necessary
- 5. The use of hands is required to progress
Amount of effort needed- 1. Up to 1 hour of continuous walking
- 2. Between 1 and 3 hours of continuous walking
- 3. Between 3 and 6 hours of continuous walking
- 4. Between 6 and 10 hours of actual walking
- 5. More than 10 hours of continuous walking
Highlights
Further information
Prehistoric engravings of Peña Castillo
About 4.4 km to the north of Peraleda de San Román, halfway between the Tagus and the town of Navaluenga, is a huge rock. Five sets of prehistoric engravings with a variety of symbols: horseshoes, stelas, crosses, etc.
Canchera de la Atalaya
On the right bank of the River Gualija are the foundations and several archaeological remains of a small, square irrigation beacon used to transmit warning signals and control the access to Ibores-Villuercas.
Church of San Juan Bautista
Se trata del templo parroquial de Peraleda de San Román. Construido con sillares de granito, presenta una única nave dividida en tres por arcos rebajados. A los pies de la nave se sitúa el coro. Consta de una torre compuesta de dos cuerpos y diversas capillas a ambos lados de la nave que acogen retablos de factura barroca, destacando el Cristo de la Vera Cruz, la Virgen del Rosario (1776) y unas tablas de San Roque, Santiago y San Blas. El retablo del altar está datado de mediados del siglo XVIII y principios del siglo XIXIt is the parish church of Peraleda de San Román. The single nave divided by three arches is built with granite ashlars. The choir is situated at the nave's narthex. The church consists of a two-staged tower and various chapels on both sides of the nave with Baroque altarpieces of the Cristo de la Vera Cruz, the Virgen del Rosario (1776) and paintings on wood of Saint Roch, Saint James and Saint Blaise. The altarpiece dates back to the mid-eighteenth and early nineteenth century.
The construction is thought to have begun in the late sixteenth century, but was not completed until the seventeenth century.
Alija Castle
Alija Castle, which dates back to the 7th-12th centuries, stands atop the hills overlooking the point where the River Gualija empties into the Tagus. It was initially used by the Berbers to control the ancient road that led to Toledo. It was subsequently repopulated by Christians as evidenced by the necropolis with anthropomorphic tombs carved into the rock. The nearby church, flanked by several towers, is also believed to be from the Christian period.
Few remains of this castle can now be seen. It is located at a strategic position on an old road that led to the Toledo plain after crossing several bridges.
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