Side trip to Los Barruecos

Fifteen minutes by car west of Cáceres, the small town of Malpartida de Cáceres offers two extraordinary sights—one natural, the other surreal. The Monumento Natural de los Barruecos is an array of enormous granite boulders surrounding artificial ponds once used by the local wool industry. Today it is a protected habitat for aquatic birds, including white storks, cormorants, and black-winged stilts. The dramatic landscape hosted a dragon-filled battle scene in the TV epic Game of Thrones. Fans can take a themed hiking route to explore the film locations.

Back in the 1970s, the German Fluxus artist Wolf Vostell was captivated by the site’s rugged beauty and stayed on to transform the 18th century former wool-washing factory into the Museo Vostell Malpartida (Calle los Barruecos, s/n; tel. 92-701-08-12; 3€ adults, 1.50€ seniors and students, free for children under 12; Tues–Sat 9:30am–1pm and 4–6:30pm; Sun 9:30am–2pm). His rambling collection of installations critiquing 20th century consumerism—including the famous Cadillac surrounded by empty plates—stand in contrast to the silent, brooding wilderness.