Yes, Extremadura is really hot. No, Extremadura is not on the coast. That doesn’t mean you can’t visit the area from April to October or that you can’t enjoy a nice swim, though. The north part of this region southwest of Madrid offers many opportunities for adventure water sports lovers, like kayaking or canoeing, for example.
Today I’m sharing with you my very first canyoning experience. I hope it inspires you to give it a try!
When I received the list activities available for bloggers at the #TBMPlasencia I was decided to try something new. I had never tried adventure sports before and canyoning in Jerte Valley sounded like a fun activity to do on a hot day, so I signed up.
Getting ready for some fun!
About the activity
The activity was organized by #TBMPlasencia and Guia2, an adventure sports company based in Jerte whose three members are the only accredited canyoning instructors in Extremadura. We would be canyoning down the garganta de Los Hoyos, a tributary to River Jerte and near Jerte town.
It involved some abseiling and slides and, although it was aimed at beginners, I found it quite challenging. The activity lasted a bit more than 3 hours in total.
The experience
Me and my fellow bloggers Próxima parada: la Luna, Consejero Viajero, Flus Viajes and Viajando en Furgo were picked up by instructor Alberto in Plasencia city centre and driven to Jerte to get our wetsuits on and get ready for some fun. At 33 degrees our bodies were screaming out for some fresh water and we were delighted to arrive at the starting point of the route and hear the sound of water running, knowing we were soon going to get soaking wet.
I must admit I was very excited, but also quite nervous. I just hoped I wouldn’t break a leg or something. Instructors Alberto and Isabel were super-friendly, fun and supportive. Taking into account that many of us had barely done something similar before, they were very patient and encouraging.
Me and fellow bloggers Viajando en furgo
Time to abseil down a rock!
Jumping right in (and hoping not to lose my contact lenses).
I don’t know why, but I always thought wetsuits keep you dry. The feeling of getting wet little by little was weird and new to me. My left knee was wet. My right leg was dry, and so was my chest. My feet were soaked and extremely heavy. The water from natural streams in this area is freezing cold all year round. I’m not sure I would have dared to have a swim without the wetsuit!
My arms are generally quite weak (I can’t barely walk more than 10 metres carrying two full shopping bags) and the activity involved using your hands a lot. You abseil down rocks a few metres high and also need to use your hands to push your body down the stream over slippery rocks. And just at the second abseiling I hit my left hand against a rock. Ouch! The back of my hand turned black after a few days and the bruise is starting to disappear just now. But I didn’t break a leg, so that’s ok.
The activity ended up in a pool of water with this nice group picture and lots of cheering and clapping. Well done everyone!
We made it.
The experience was fantastic and I’m already thinking about going back with my boyfriend or friends and try canyoning in a different river. If you are looking for an adventure activity in northern Extremadura get in touch with Guia2. They know how to make people have fun.
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Thank you to Guia2 for the pictures.
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Irene Corchado Resmella
I'm a UK-based independent Spanish sworn and legal translator working as ICR Translations. On Piggy Traveller, I share my home region of Extremadura with the world to encourage travellers to discover a different Spain.