Why is the Spanish football world now looking to a town in Ávila with 426 inhabitants?

Sport is a great way to put many places on the map and make fans want to explore them. On this occasion, the public eye will be focused on San Juan de la Nava, a town in Ávila located on the southern slopes of the Sierra de la Paramera , on July 1st. The town was chosen by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to announce the schedules for its fourteen competitions.

According to the latest data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), the small town in Ávila has only 426 inhabitants, which is why the RFEF chose it as a place of honor to pay tribute to the so-called " empty Spain."

A town surrounded by granite

Because there is a large amount of granite in the town's area, the predominant buildings since its founding have been made of this stone. They are mostly masonry buildings where the strongest rock is used for doors, corners, and windows.

When you look at the town from a distance, you get a panoramic view in which the grayish and reddish buildings distributed throughout the area form a beautiful landscape and the constructions seem to rise from the earth itself.

What can you do in San Juan de la Nava?

Being a territory that lies between mountains and water (due to the presence of the Alberche River), it offers various routes to enjoy amidst beautiful natural landscapes. Highlights include the flour mill trail, which runs through the landscapes of Cerro de la Chorrera, as well as the mushroom trail through the concentrations of Scots pine trees.

Likewise, during your stroll through its streets, you can visit the bridge over the Yerma stream, located near the remains of the flour mills that the town houses; the town hall, with two floors and an atrium supported by large arches; and finally, the Church of San Juan Apóstol, with a very simple structure but a large, handcrafted wooden Baroque altarpiece inside.