The best MTB trails around Pastores

The Alcázar Gate in Ciudad Rodrigo is one of the historic entrances to the city walls and has great heritage and scenic value. It was opened in 1507 by Antonio del Águila, warden of the Alcázar, when he built the defensive barrier in that area. It is located next to the Castle of Henry II of Trastámara, in the section of the wall facing the Águeda River, known as the Battery, due to the cannons that were once installed there.

The Plaza Mayor of Ciudad Rodrigo is the historical and social heart of the city, with a rich history that reflects its importance as an urban center: Since the Middle Ages, the Plaza Mayor has been the hub of public life: markets, proclamations, and council meetings were held there in the cloister of the former Church of San Juan. In the 16th century, public butcher shops were built, and it became a consolidated space for commercial and festive activities. Until then, the square was home to the Three Roman Columns, a vestige of the ancient Miróbriga, which had been a symbol of the city since the 13th century. In 1580, the square was expanded, incorporating the space that once housed the old prison and the Audiencia (Courthouse). It even had corridors for watching bullfights, a tradition that continues during carnivals.

The Puerta del Alcázar is one of the ancient access gates to the walled enclosure of Ciudad Rodrigo. This gate, along with others such as the Puerta del Sol and the Puerta de Santiago, was part of the city's defensive system.

High point bordering the Hurdes and the Sierra de Francia. If you continue along the ridge you will reach the Puerto de Esperabán. At the top there is a forest hut and incredible views. Recommended for mountain bikes, a bit more difficult for gravel due to the stones, incline and broken ground, but it could be done with gravel. A very hard port from the Castile and Leon side.

The port starts in Descargamaría, on the bridge over the Arrago River, heading towards Robledillo de Gata. The road is in perfect condition up to this beautiful town, but from here on the road surface is quite deteriorated and the width of the road decreases, but, yes, we gain in beauty, since we enter a beautiful area, leaving Robledillo on the left we will be surrounded by chestnut trees, pines, oaks, olive trees, rockroses, etc. A delight for the senses to travel along this little road without hardly finding a car. As for difficulty, as we said before, it exceeds 100 coefficient, which is a lot, a lot, but the climb is bearable. We will find two very hard kilometers, which are the ones that will basically mark that coefficient, at the exit of Robledillo, a full kilometer above 8% and a couple of kilometers higher, another kilometer above 7%. From there, the difficulty level remains around 4 or 5 percent, but alternating with several downhill or flat sections, which lowers the percentage.

The Esperabán pass is a mountain pass in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula, located in the Central System. The route that crosses it connects the Spanish provinces of Cáceres and Salamanca. This pass, which divides the provinces of Cáceres and Salamanca, is located at an altitude of 1,295 m. Access to the pass is paved and in good condition. The pass runs along the road that connects the town of Pinofranqueado with the farmhouses located on the banks of the Esperabán River. The last 7 km, with an average gradient of 8%, run along a perfectly paved forest track that was once used for transporting wood. The end of the asphalt, at 1,285 m above sea level, is just a few meters from the summit that gives the pass its name. We can climb to the highest point with MTB or gravel without problems.

nice views

Great views of the Sierra de Gata and Peña Francia