Puebla de Sancho Pérez

Just a few kilometres from Zafra, between the Castellar and de los Santos mountain ranges, Puebla de Sancho Pérez is famous for its El Raposo spa, and as the birthplace of the famous bullfighter Alejandro Talavante. And it is no surprise that this town produced such a major figure in the bullfighting world, as its bullring is considered by experts to be one of the oldest in Spain. You will notice that it is not a bullring with a chapel, but rather the Nuestra Señora de Belén chapel with a rectangular bullring backing on to it.

The locals -or "zorros", as they are known- head to this chapel to celebrate the Torrisco or Domingo de Quasimodo fiesta. This involves a procession around the chapel held on the Sunday following Resurrection Sunday.

The Puebla de Sancho Pérez parish church is dedicated to Santa Lucía and was built in the 16th century on the site of a Mudejar building.

The El Raposo spa is 6 kilometres from Puebla de Sancho Pérez. Its waters were declared a public utility in July 1926, because of their curative properties for rheumatic ailments and other conditions. The mud used at the spa is extracted from a nearby stream and stored in tanks to mature before use. Being outside the town itself, and in the middle of the countryside, the spa is an excellent place to switch off.

Puebla de Sancho Pérez also produces some of the region's best wines. One of the local food specialities is "los perritos". These are made for the feast of San Blas and are sweets made from egg dough in the shape of a dog.