Cáceres · Extremadura
Granadilla
- Province
- Cáceres
- Declared
- 1980
- Status
- Conjunto Histórico
- Population
- 35
- Elevation
- 804 m
Granadilla is a heritage town in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. It was designated a Conjunto Histórico (Spain's national heritage designation for historic ensembles) in 1980. Population 35 (2020), elevation 804m.
Granadilla is a complete medieval walled town where nobody lives: emptied in 1965 when the surrounding land was flooded for the Gabriel y Galán reservoir, then adopted by a Spanish government restoration programme, it stands as a unique open-air experience — a fully preserved medieval streetscape where you can walk freely through a ghost town without another visitor in sight.
Key facts
- Province
- Cáceres
- Heritage status
- Conjunto Histórico (declared 1980)
- Population
- 35 (2020)
- Elevation
- 804 m
History of Granadilla
Granadilla was established in the medieval period as a fortified settlement in the Ambroz valley, serving as a minor centre for the surrounding agricultural land. The town was reconquered from the Moors and had a Jewish aljama (community) in the medieval period, similar to nearby Hervás. It prospered moderately as a small market town through the early modern period.
In the 1950s and early 1960s, the Spanish government planned the Gabriel y Galán reservoir on the Alagón river; the reservoir would not submerge Granadilla directly but would cut it off from most of its agricultural lands. The government expropriated the village and relocated its approximately 900 inhabitants to new housing elsewhere, completing the evacuation in 1965. Granadilla has been uninhabited (except for a small caretaker team) since then.
From 1984 it became a UNESCO education programme site, used for training young people in traditional construction and conservation.
Heritage & Monuments
The walled enclosure of Granadilla is intact: the 13th–15th century walls with their towers survive virtually complete, as do the principal buildings within. The Castle, the Church of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, the street grid, and the shells of the houses are all visible. No buildings have been demolished since the evacuation; the UNESCO programme has stabilised structures and prevented further decay.
Walking through the empty streets and abandoned houses, where the vegetation has begun to reclaim some of the interiors, creates a profoundly atmospheric experience. The reservoir visible from the walls adds to the strangeness of a medieval town that lost its land to water. The site is open to visitors on a self-guided basis.
Practical Travel Info
Granadilla is 28 km south of Plasencia, reached via the EX-204 and a signposted turn. A car is necessary. The site is open to visitors most days; check seasonal opening times at the Plasencia tourist office.
There are no facilities in the village itself — bring water and food. Allow 1–2 hours to explore. Combine with a visit to Plasencia.
Traditional food & drink in Extremadura
- Torta del Casar
- — A soft, creamy sheep's-milk cheese so runny you scoop it from the rind with bread.
- Jamón ibérico de Extremadura
- — Acorn-fed Iberian ham cured on the dehesa oak pastures of the region.
- Migas extremeñas
- — Fried breadcrumbs with pork, peppers and garlic — rustic shepherd's fare.
- Pimentón de la Vera
- — Smoked paprika dried over oak, the spice that defines Spanish chorizo.
Watch: Torta del Casar
Location
Quick answers
Is Granadilla worth visiting?▾
Granadilla is a complete medieval walled town where nobody lives: emptied in 1965 when the surrounding land was flooded for the Gabriel y Galán reservoir, then adopted by a Spanish government restoration programme, it stands as a unique open-air experience — a fully preserved medieval streetscape where you can walk freely through a ghost town without another visitor in sight.
Why is Granadilla a heritage town?▾
Granadilla is officially designated a Conjunto Histórico, declared in 1980 — Spain's national protection for historic town ensembles (Conjuntos Históricos).
What is the traditional food in Extremadura?▾
Extremadura is known for Torta del Casar, Jamón ibérico de Extremadura, Migas extremeñas and Pimentón de la Vera. You'll find these regional specialities in and around Granadilla.
How big is Granadilla?▾
Granadilla has a population of about 35 (2020), and sits at 804 m above sea level.
What is there to see in Granadilla?▾
The walled enclosure of Granadilla is intact: the 13th–15th century walls with their towers survive virtually complete, as do the principal buildings within. The Castle, the Church of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, the street grid, and the shells of the houses are all visible.
What is the history of Granadilla?▾
Granadilla was established in the medieval period as a fortified settlement in the Ambroz valley, serving as a minor centre for the surrounding agricultural land. The town was reconquered from the Moors and had a Jewish aljama (community) in the medieval period, similar to nearby Hervás.
Nearby heritage towns
A cathedral city in Extremadura whose medieval walls, twin cathedrals, and cluster of noble palaces make it one of the most substantial historic centres between Salamanca and Cáceres.
Hervás contains the best-preserved Jewish quarter in Extremadura and one of the most evocative in Spain: a neighbourhood of medieval stone houses on steep alleys above the Ambroz river, where the Jewish community lived for two centuries until the expulsion of 1492 — and where the stone and the street pattern have changed very little since.
An ancient cathedral city in Cáceres province, its near-complete Roman walls still encircling a historic core of Gothic cathedral, ducal palace, and castle above the Alagón river.
Last updated 20 June 2026.