The Sanctuary Of Chilla, A Place Where Peace Is Breathed

The Sierra de Gredos hides true wonders, either for its natural diversity, which is home to countless landscapes and ecosystems, or for its varied rural and cultural architectural heritage. The Chilla sanctuary is one of those places where you can breathe peace and tranquility. Its location could not be more successful, on the hillside contemplating expectantly the wide southern plateau at its feet.

This is a place chosen by tourists and nature lovers to completely disconnect from the noisy cities and immerse themselves in an idyllic environment from which you will leave, without a doubt, more comforted.

The sanctuary of Chilla, at the foot of the Almanzor peak

The richness and attractiveness of the famous region of La Vera in Cáceres is well known to all. Well, this stop is located at the gates of this beautiful place. We are talking about an enclave that naturally acts as a gateway to a region rich in practically everything.

It is an incomparable natural place, where water and vegetation overflow in equal parts, a territory turned into an authentic constellation of small and beautiful postcard towns that are a true claim for their beauty and for their gastronomy.

Candeleda is the municipality to which the sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de Chilla belongs. It is also the last population center in the province of Ávila, on the southern face of the Central System. And just 7 kilometers from this, following a local road up the hillside, we will find, plunged in a deep valley, the hermitage and a few buildings that safeguard it.

As we approach it, after leaving a deep forest full of chestnut, ash and alder trees, the panorama becomes spectacular, as if a small star in the great sky appeared to us between the rigorous walls of the enormous central massif.

Brief history of the Chilla sanctuary

The Sanctuary of Chilla is a small hermitage located on the southern slopes of the Sierra de Gredos, at the foot of the central massif. You can reach it by following a paved local road that starts from Candeleda, at the exit of the town, in the direction of the province of Cáceres.

His legend relates that a pious shepherd to whom a goat had died and plunged into deep grief, out of fear of the animal’s owner, invoked the Virgin who appeared to him and rewarded him with its resurrection. For this reason, the town of Candeleda erected the hermitage in gratitude for such an extraordinary event.

The festivities that commemorate this event are traditionally celebrated on the second and third Sunday of September; the latter are called “candle festivals.” Among the different religious acts, there is a pilgrimage and a mass with a procession.

The pilgrimage leaves the town to the hermitage, and until there the image of the Virgin is carried in a procession towards a secluded esplanade among chestnut trees. In this place, a mass is celebrated presiding over the image from the place where it appeared to the pastor.

Then offerings are made to the Virgin — before agricultural products and livestock were donated — but today the offering is generally of a monetary nature. Immediately afterwards, the act ends with the restitution of the image to the hermitage.

Beyond a religious celebration

The devotion of the locals is intense and, every year, the influx of public is massive. On the other hand, secular acts such as capeas and other musical, cultural and playful acts are held in the afternoon and at night in the squares and streets of Candeleda.

The municipality has a rich and varied network of tourist accommodation and restaurants where you can taste the many typical products that this oasis in the center of the peninsula enjoys.

For example, next to the sanctuary stands the restaurant Refugio de Chilla, equipped with large windows from which you can see the wide southern plateau, and even the distant Montes de Toledo, on the clearest days. This is a place where the avant-garde is mixed in perfect balance with the traditional of the area; Tasting its famous roast kid shoulder is a great experience.

In the vicinity of the sanctuary there are also authentic hotel banners, such as the Navia hotel. It is a beautiful rural hotel with all the comforts nestled in the middle of the mountain, interesting for the summer months and not least for the cold winters with fireplace and seclusion. It is located in a place that is only seen in the movies.

Candeleda, “a people with great joy”

In this way the town of Candeleda has been sung in popular music, and it is not for less, because the wealth of this territory has no limits and enchants everyone who visits it. Camilo José Cela already said that “Candeleda is like Noah’s Ark of the three kingdoms of nature”, and what reason was he!

From the summit of Almanzor to the Rosarito reservoir, on the Tiétar river, its municipal area extends. And this extraordinary unevenness gives shelter to the most extensive list of mammals and birds that can be found in the Sierra de Gredos. It also leads to cozy corners such as the Chilla sanctuary, to which we recommend traveling on a weekend getaway.