A cold and bright start to our second day at Monfrague. We kitted out the bikes and set off along a via verde (traffic free cycle route). The via verde starts just a few metres along the main road outside the campsite and follows the Madrd to Badajoz railway line. The via verde itself is most likely constructed on an earlier version of this railway line.

It’s a strange route because despite the length and quality of this off-road cycle track, there isn’t really a notable end point. In fact the start is only marked by a roadside cafe, the only spot for refreshments. The trail just ends; a few kilometers short of La Bazagona although it’s not clear that La Bazagona itself has any shops, cafes or services.

The route has no other facilities, such as picnic benches or toilets. It’s all incredibly unspoilt.

We had cycled for about the first 10 miles of the trail, without realising we hadn’t brought any puncture repair kit or any tools with of any sort with us. We decided that at 10 miles this would be the furthest either of us would want to walk back with a wounded bike! So we turned around at that point.

The countryside is great, but the most notable aspect of the ride was the sheer tranquility of the setting. Not a sound from a car or any agricultural machinery. Just stunning quiet broken only by birdsong, the occasional field of cattle and goats with their bells. Oh, and two trains passed by on the new railway line.

The warm weather stayed with us throughout the afternoon and we ate a BBQ back at the caravan.