Jertedalen in bloom

March 24, 2009 at 11:50 by Monica
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A visit to Jertedalen (Valle de Jerte) when the cherry trees are in bloom is a fantastic experience. Flowering generally occurs during the last two weeks of March to the end of the first week of April, depending on how the winter has been.

Jertedalen is located in the province of Cáceres in Extremadura between two mountain peaks, Tormantos Traslasierra in the southeast and the northwest, the nearest city is Plasencia in the southwest. Distance to Madrid is more than 20 mil. Through the valley runs Jertefloden who gave it its name. Valley location means that there is a microclimate that is ideal for cherry cultivation, winters not too cold and summers are not too hot. The valley extends about 70 km from Tornavacas in Barrado northeast to the south. Jerte is the valley's main city. The villages belonging Jertedalen are underlined in red on the map below.

Map Jertedalen, from Google Maps

Jerteregionen is the largest cherry producer in Spain, the cultivation occupies over 13,000 hectares. Last year was a disastrous when half of the estimated harvest of 18 billion kilograms were destroyed by the abundant rains that fell in May.

Below are photos from 22 March this year. Click minatyrbilderna below to see them larger. To see the full caption, move your mouse over the photos.

[Show as slideshow]

Svt's Play Report has a video clip from 20 March this year showing fägringen even better than the photos can do.

It can be quite difficult to find a hotel room during the short period of flowering is running, Jertedalen is a very popular place then. We therefore have to be out in time to find somewhere to live. Itself, we lived in a parador in a 1400-century castle, Jarandilla de la Vera . It lies not in Jerte without another valley, Valle de la Vera, about 4 mil from Barrado. However, there are quite a few rural guest house where you can rent rooms, some links in English: