Japan is famous for its beautiful cherry trees. Spain should be too. If you missed this year’s almond blossoms, you can look forward to the cherry trees, the almond’s relative in the rose family, in full bloom. Cherries are no newcomers on these shores – it is said that Roman soldiers’ love for this stone fruit contributed to its widespread use on the Iberian Peninsula today. In this article, FindYourSpain will give you tips on excursion destinations that can offer both floral splendor and history.
It is not snow all of the white you see in the hilly landscape in the picture. This is what it might look like in the village of Extramadura in western Spain at the turn of the month March / April. Cerezas, as cherries are called in Spanish, are grown in many places in Spain. With a crop of just over 118,000 tons per year (2014), Europe’s second largest supplier of sweet cherries, the country is only beaten by Turkey – a country that is for the most part located in Asia.
Cherry landscape
If you want to see “cherry landscapes” in full bloom, there are a number of places in Spain that are worth a visit. You have to go some distance inland, away from the hottest areas. Cherries grow wild and are grown in many places in the northern hemisphere, but to thrive and bear fruit, they require a relatively cool winter and not too hot summers.
Humans have known cherries and eaten the fruits for at least 6-7000 years. Gradually, different varieties have been developed – locally and according to different criteria. In Asia, especially in Japan, for example, wild-growing cherries have been processed primarily with a view to making the flowers beautiful. The most common types of cherries in Japan are decorative, but do not bear fruit at all.
The first written source confirming that cherries were grown around the Mediterranean, we have from Ancient Greece: The Greek Theophrastus mentions it in his work on plant history written around the year 300 BC. Presumably cherries had already been grown in Asia Minor and Greece for several centuries when Theophrastus wrote about the stone fruit. In the ancient Roman Empire, at least, cherry trees were popular elements in gardens, and they were strikingly often found along the many roads built by the Romans. More on that later.
Eating cherries with soldiers
In Spain, you will find large-scale cherry cultivation in the Jerte Valley, southwest of the capital Madrid. On another side of the country, Catalonia offers its own annual cherry fiesta. While the pandemic has put a damper on all festival and activities, it usually takes place on the second Sunday in June in the city of Miravet. On the town square there are activities, including dancing, selection of the best cherry cake and much more. Local farmers show different varieties of cherries that give visitors an impression of the great variety in the prunus family. For a cherry is not just a cherry – there must be several hundred different varieties.
In the south of Spain, the Alicante region is known for tasty cherries. From here, local farmers export cereza to customers as far away as the Baltics and South America. You will find cherry trees growing in the northern parts of the province of Alicante and in the south of the province of Valencia – strikingly often in areas where the Roman legions advanced in their time. As is well known, the Romans began to make their mark on the Iberian Peninsula from approx. 200 years BC.
Cherries were part of the meals that the soldiers of the Roman legions received when they were on the move in their large empire. It is said that they made sure to spread cherry trees by spitting out kernels along the route. In several places around the Mediterranean it is said that if you want to find ancient Roman roads, just follow the cherry trees.
Taste a cherry blossom
Cuacos de Yuste, a small municipality with just under 900 inhabitants in Extramadura in southwestern Spain, is not a place you “just happen to stumble across”. It is best known for the monastery that Carlos the First of Spain, called Charles the Fifth farther north in Europe, retired to and later died in. The abdicated king was exhausted after ruling in a conflict-ridden time over the world’s first empire which was so big that the sun never set in it.
The monastery is open to visitors, but Yuste is also worth a visit if you are looking for scenic experiences. (You can read more about the monastery, opening hours, etc. here: “Monasterio de San Jerónimo de Yuste”.) The cherry blossoming on the mountainside is an impressive sight. In the nearby Valle del Jerte, which is also known for ecotourism, the local tourist office is happy to provide information on where to take in the views. The authorities have calculated that Valle de Jertes’ almost 3,700 cherry growers have between 1.5 and 2 million cherry trees to show off to visitors – there will be a lot of flower splendor at once.
If at all possible, the next few weeks are the right time to go on a “cherry blossom trip”. And remember: cherry blossoms are edible. You may not fill up on the delicate things, but they look great on top of ice cream, as cake decorations or in the salad. Try it!
Harry B., Find Your Spain!
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