El Payo brings together two clear travel-planning themes: hikes with different destinations and lengths, and a landscape shaped by oak forests. The municipality also has archaeological sites. If you’re looking for hotels for a trip to El Payo, you can first decide whether a hiking route, the natural landscape or cultural history will be the deciding factor.

Hikes with Different Destinations

The Ascensión Monte Jálama hiking traverse starts in El Payo and heads towards San Martín de Trevejo. The route, listed as a point-to-point hike, covers 22.1 km, with 750 m of ascent and 888 m of descent. These figures give a clear sense of the route: the ascent and descent differ, and it is not listed as a loop.

A 2020 travel description also mentions a hiking route of around 15 km from El Payo to the summit of Pico El Jalama. As a rough guide to distance, this is shorter than the 22.1 km route towards San Martín; the destinations also differ significantly. When comparing hikes, you can start by choosing between a summit route and the longer traverse listed as a point-to-point hike.

Puente del Gaz is a waypoint along the documented route. The route crosses the DSA-370 at kilometre marker 775; if problems arise, a participant can be taken from there in a vehicle.

Oak Forests in the El Rebollar Natural Area

The hiking area of El Payo, in the El Rebollar natural area, includes extensive stands of Pyrenean oak, also known as rebollo oak. El Payo is also home to habitat type 9230: Galician-Portuguese oak forests with Quercus robur and Quercus pyrenaica.

Quercus pyrenaica is the species known as Pyrenean oak or rebollo oak; Quercus robur is also included in the habitat designation. The oak forests give the natural landscape a distinctive focus. If you’re considering hiking and scenery together, both the route and the specific character of the woodland can help you choose your destination.

Archaeological Sites and Fishing

El Payo’s archaeological heritage is also clearly identified: the municipality is home to Tumba de la Peña del Indio and Tumbas de la Dehesa, both designated archaeological sites with rock-cut tombs and engravings. These sites add a cultural-historical dimension to nature and hiking interests if archaeological heritage is also a factor in choosing a destination.

Fishing for brown trout and other species is permitted in controlled stretches of river in the area of the Águeda Reservoir. Both the number of anglers and the catch quota are limited. The controlled fishing waters in the area of the Águeda Reservoir include Irueña Reservoir, Río Frío and Mayas. The controlled stretches of river are located between the municipalities of Martiago, Fuenteguinaldo and El Payo.

You need a free control permit for each day of fishing. Rules and permit procedures may change, so you should check the current requirements before your fishing day.

Discover more destinations: Villanueva Del Conde, Cabeza del Caballo, Guijo De Ávila, La Alberca, Calvarrasa De Abajo, Villar De Ciervo, Guijuelo, Villares De Yeltes.

For the overview of the wider region: Salamanca.