Camino Natural Del Guadiana

Day 4 of 5 of our adventure from Talavera de La Reina to Badajoz.

We woke up very early shortly after Medellín.
After a cold and wet night, at the first rays of sunlight we ate something and hit the road without waiting for the sun to dry our equipment.
For Roberto, the night was somewhat wet as the tent's raincoat allowed water to enter and wet his sleeping bag.
It was a very foggy morning.
Through the Camino Natural del Guadiana we follow the river downstream accompanied by the huge cultivated fields on its banks.
It didn't take long for the fog to lift and reveal a beautiful sunny day, however, the road proved to be a bit challenging as, despite being always flat, it had a lot of rocks. To overcome this, lowering the tire pressure helped to withstand the constant bumping.
Mid-morning we stopped in Villagonzalo for a coffee and to refill our water bottles.
Continuing our journey, we returned to follow the banks of the Guadiana full of flowers.
We pass through the beautiful town of La Zarza with the Peñas Blancas mountain range in the background.
We already had Mérida as a lunch destination but it was a long time coming for Tiago because he feeling tired and hungry.
We were welcomed in Mérida by some beautiful cycle paths, always close to the Guadiana River.
We stopped for a very late lunch and to buy groceries. We took advantage of the break to dry our equipment.
After lunch we fled Mérida where we already had some possible places to camp in mind.
After Mérida, we pass the Embalse de Montijo dam and follow its water diversion channel that serves to irrigate the endless cultivated fields.
Between paths that alternated between dirt and tarmac, we found our place to camp after a day with 76.89Kms near Torremayor, right at sunset and always next to the Guadiana.