Discover Linarejos: Rock Art in the Sierra de la Culebra

Linarejos lies in the heart of the Sierra de la Culebra, designated a regional hunting reserve in 1973. The village brings together its landscape and cultural heritage as clear travel themes. Its rock art is particularly striking: Covacha del Portillón and Canchal de Melendro are located in Linarejos. Other highlights include the parish church, Iglesia de Nª Sª de la Purificación, and La Murujona cultural week, which is associated with Linarejos. If you are looking for a hotel for a trip to Linarejos, these themes can help you decide what you would like to focus on during your stay.

Landscape between the Sierra and Aliste

The natural viewpoint of Las Portillas offers views across the Sierra de la Culebra and lies at the transition between Linarejos and Aliste. This provides two perspectives on the landscape: Linarejos lies in the heart of the Sierra, while Las Portillas marks the transition as a viewpoint. If you want to understand the character of the area, this contrast distinguishes the village’s location from the view over the Sierra.

Rock art at Covacha del Portillón

Covacha del Portillón, also known as Covacha de Portillón, is a small quartzite cave near Peña Mira, the highest peak in the Sierra de la Culebra. On June 25, 1985, Covacha de Portillón was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural in the category of rock art. The cave contains schematic rock motifs: anthropomorphic, anchor-shaped and cross-shaped depictions, as well as bar and line forms in reddish and orange hues. Anthropomorphic motifs are human-like; anchor and cross shapes, along with bars and lines, describe other forms. The motifs can therefore be described by their shapes and colors, while the Bien de Interés Cultural designation provides a separate cultural and historical classification.

Canchal de Melendro and its classification

Canchal de Melendro is a Bronze Age rock art site in Linarejos. By comparison, Covacha is notable above all for its quartzite cave and schematic motifs, while Canchal is distinguished by its Bronze Age classification. Covacha del Portillón can be seen from the Melendro rock shelter. This line of sight adds a spatial perspective to the comparison. Thus, alongside the specific forms of Covacha’s motifs, there is Canchal’s chronological classification and the view from the rock shelter to the cave.

Church and cultural week

The parish church in Linarejos is Iglesia de Nª Sª de la Purificación. La Murujona cultural week offers another cultural connection and is associated with August 17 in Linarejos. If you are interested in this event, keep the date in mind as its associated time reference. The church provides a clearly identified religious connection, while La Murujona offers a calendar reference. Together with the landscape and rock art, these give you a choice of different themes to shape your stay in Linarejos.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: San Cristóbal De Entreviñas, Otero de Bodas, Badilla, Lubián, Malillos, Villarrín De Campos, Santa Croya De Tera, Puebla De Sanabria

For the main travel overview: Zamora.