Dolmen of Guadalperal

The Dolmen of Guadalperal is a Stone Age burial site in the Valdecañas reservoir near Peraleda de la Mata in Cáceres province. The structure consists of a circle of large granite stones forming an egg-shaped chamber, with a long passage that once served as an entrance for burial rituals.

A German archaeologist uncovered the site in the nineteen twenties and conducted excavations before the area was flooded. In the nineteen sixties, the monument disappeared underwater when a reservoir was built to generate electricity and irrigate fields.

The name comes from the nearby village of Guadalperal, whose roots trace back to Arabic origins. Visitors can now see, when the water recedes, the lines and symbols carved into the upright stones, telling stories from a time when people buried their dead here.

Visiting depends heavily on the water level in the reservoir, which drops during dry years and exposes the stones. Those hoping to see the site should check current conditions beforehand, as it remains underwater most of the time.

The stones became so visible during the last major drought that activists called for moving the monument to a dry location. Romans also used the area later, as coins and grinding stones found among Stone Age tools show.