The “Ordovician Zone” permanent exhibition in Navas de Estena traces a path from marine origins to the present day. The history of the Llega offers a different time frame, while the Boquerón del Estena route provides an active alternative. Geological history, institutional heritage and hiking thus come together as distinct themes.

Geological History and Culture in the Town Centre

The “Ordovician Zone” permanent exhibition opened in 2019 next to the tourist information centre in the town centre. It presents the geological and biological changes in Navas de Estena, from marine origins to the present day. Its scope differs from that of a single historical episode: the focus is on a development that stretches from marine origins to the present. The church of Nuestra Señora de la Antigua, one of the town’s cultural attractions, is also in the town centre. The exhibition and the church offer different perspectives: one presents geological and biological development, while the other is a specific attraction in the town centre. If culture is your priority, you can choose between a natural history topic and a named church.

The Llega and the Settlement

For several centuries, Navas de Estena was the seat of the Llega, considered one of Spain’s oldest regional institutions. One precisely dated period in the town’s history goes back to 1300: the brotherhoods of Toledo and Talavera met for the first time in “la aliseda del Estena”. Two years later, the brotherhood of Ciudad Real joined them. These gatherings established Navas de Estena’s stable settlement and are associated with the Llega. The sequence of dates provides two specific points of reference: first the meeting of Toledo and Talavera, then the accession of Ciudad Real. Alongside the Llega’s role as a seat over several centuries, these events form a longer institutional context. These time frames are connected in the town’s history, but they are not interchangeable.

Hiking the Boquerón del Estena Route

The Boquerón del Estena route can be walked independently or with a free guide-interpreter from the national park. The Quercus literary route is an easy, seven-kilometre out-and-back hike that follows the same path as the well-known Boquerón del Estena or Las Torres route. Here, the names refer to the same route; Quercus is described by its length and difficulty level. When choosing, you can consider two different details: the hike’s total length and difficulty rating, and the option of walking the Boquerón route independently or with free accompaniment. If you are choosing a hike based on its length and difficulty, seven kilometres is a useful reference; if you would prefer a guided walk, this is available as an alternative to going independently.

Location by Cabañeros National Park

The Quercus route passes through the municipality of Navas de Estena in the province of Ciudad Real. Separately, part of the municipality lies within Cabañeros National Park. Navas de Estena itself is just 200 metres from the entrance to the national park and is one of the areas in the Cabañeros Starlight destination.

Discover more destinations: Socuéllamos, Almadén, Castellar De Santiago, Torrenueva, Ciudad Real, Fontanarejo, Villanueva de San Carlos, Calzada De Calatrava

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