Baños de Montemayor can be explored through several distinct highlights: thermal springs with Roman history, preserved sections of the Roman road, and routes for walking and cycling. Local building and craft traditions, along with cuisine featuring regional dishes, round out the picture. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay, you can first decide whether thermal baths and antiquity, outdoor activities or local culture will shape your itinerary.
Thermal Baths and Roman Bathing Culture
The Balneario de Baños de Montemayor is a thermal spa and wellness centre whose origins date back to Roman times. Its thermal springs have been used since the 2nd century and are described as having medicinal mineral properties. The waters are characterized as calcium-rich, oligometallic, and containing sodium and sulphates. The Balneario offers thermal treatments such as bubble baths, underwater massages, inhalations, a Jacuzzi, manual massages, parafango treatments and swimming-pool treatments. As the availability of individual services may change, it is advisable to confirm current treatment options before your visit.
Roman Remains and Local Crafts
The Roman baths have been preserved in the former thermal bath building. Their circular room measures eight metres in diameter and is topped by a hemispherical dome with overhead lighting. Four oval tubs carved from granite are set into niches in the walls. The former thermal bath building also houses a museum with various Roman finds associated with the baths. In 1995, the Roman baths and the thermal bath building were designated a Bien de Interés Cultural.
Larger sections of the Roman road have been preserved at the northern and southern entrances to the town. The paved northern section is almost two kilometres long and was restored in 1973. The southern section includes the heavily modified Roman Puente del Cubo bridge, half a kilometre from the town. Its single arch spans 3.50 metres. Together, the longer paved stretch and the single bridge stand as distinct traces of the historic road.
Traditional half-timbered buildings can be seen in the Barrio de El Castañar, with façades made from chestnut wood, adobe and brick. Another local tradition is making chestnut baskets. The process includes heating, splitting, shaping and weaving the material; some decorations are burned into it. The architecture and craft thus reflect two different aspects of local culture.
Walking and Cycling Routes
The section of the Camino Natural Vía de la Plata between Baños de Montemayor and Béjar is 21.172 kilometres long and can be used on foot or by bicycle. The Vía Verde de la Plata, by contrast, follows the route of a former railway line and has three restored stations offering tourist services. In Baños de Montemayor, the Vía Verde includes a 400-metre-long tunnel illuminated by motion sensors. It begins at the Área Recreativa de la Antigua Estación de Tren, a recreational area at the former railway station with barbecue areas, swings and a viewpoint overlooking the valley. As individual facilities may change, check what is available before your visit.
Two hiking trails have different routes: the circular PR-CC 40 Pantano de Baños begins and ends at the 17th-century Ermita del Humilladero. The linear SL-CC 92 Camino de Arrieros starts at the Plaza del Ayuntamiento de Baños de Montemayor and passes through chestnut and oak woodland to the neighbouring village of La Garganta. On the first trail, the start and finish are in the same place; the second leads to La Garganta. Check trail conditions before setting out on either hike.
Water Activities and Local Cuisine
Activities such as canoeing and paddleboarding are offered at the Embalse de Baños de Montemayor; these may be seasonal. Local cuisine also gives your stay its own distinct focus. Dishes include Zorongollo, Patatas escabechás and Tomate al Perico. Iberian ham and cured meats are also part of the culinary tradition and are produced and aged using traditional methods. So, alongside thermal baths, architectural history and walking routes, you can also include regional dishes in your travel plans.
Discover more destinations: Madroñera, Malpartida De Plasencia, Perales Del Puerto, Casares de las Hurdes, Santibáñez El Alto, Barrado, Torre De Santa María, El Torno.
For the main travel overview: Cáceres.
