Extremadura
5
Day Itinerary •
Spain
Extremadura is Spain's most dramatic secret and five days lets you explore its full extraordinary range. The land of the conquistadors contains three UNESCO World Heritage cities, the finest Roman monuments in Spain, Europe's raptor capital, Spain's most remote mountain villages and a valley of cherry blossom so spectacular it has become one of Spain's great seasonal spectacles. This route covers the complete sweep of Extremadura. Caceres and Trujillo, the medieval cities built with Inca gold. Merida, the Roman capital of Hispania. The extraordinary northern mountains where Las Hurdes, the most isolated villages in Spain, survive in extraordinary landscapes. And the Valle del Jerte, where a million cherry trees bloom simultaneously for two extraordinary weeks in spring.
Best Time To Visit
March to June or September to November
Getting There
Fly into Madrid (MAD) then drive 3 hours or Badajoz (BJZ)
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout
Budget Per Day
Approx 55 to 90 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and driving
DAY 1
CACERES
MORNING
CACERES OLD CITY, THE FINEST MEDIEVAL WALLED TOWN IN SPAIN
The most complete medieval walled city in Spain. The old town within the walls contains 30 medieval towers, dozens of Renaissance palaces and virtually no modern intrusion. UNESCO World Heritage Site. The storks that nest on every tower from February to August are extraordinary. Arrive at dawn before the tour groups and the city is entirely yours. Drive: 10 min walk around old town
MIDDAY
THE CONQUISTADOR PALACES OF CACERES
The streets within the walls are lined with palaces built by conquistador families returning from the Americas. The Casa de los Toledo-Moctezuma was built by the son of Hernán Cortés and the daughter of the Aztec emperor. The Plaza de Santa Maria is the most beautiful square and the hidden Plaza de San Jorge behind the Jesuit church is the finest hidden corner. Drive: 15 min walk to food market
AFTERNOON
IBERICO HAM AND LOCAL WINE
Extremadura produces the finest iberico ham in Spain from pigs roaming freely across the ancient dehesa landscape. The market in Caceres and specialist shops around the old town sell jamon iberico de bellota at prices far below Madrid or Barcelona. Visit a local bodega for a tasting of Ribera del Guadiana wine, largely unknown outside the region.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Museo de Caceres contains an extraordinary 10th-century Arab cistern, a magnificent underground water storage system with horseshoe arches reflected in still water below. One of the finest surviving Moorish structures in Extremadura. Entry approx 1.20 euros and almost entirely unvisited.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Caceres old town Several excellent cafes in the medieval streets before the city comes alive. | Lunch: Restaurante Torre de Sande Finest restaurant in Caceres inside a 15th-century tower. Local game and Extremaduran produce. Book ahead. | Dinner: Meson El Asador, Caceres Beloved traditional restaurant. Roast lamb from the dehesa and local wine.
DAY 2
TRUJILLO AND MONFRAGUE
MORNING
TRUJILLO, THE CITY THAT CONQUERED AN EMPIRE
Birthplace of Francisco Pizarro, conqueror of the Inca Empire. The Plaza Mayor has a bronze equestrian statue of Pizarro donated by Peru. The surrounding palaces were built with Inca gold. The castle above has extraordinary views over the dehesa landscape stretching to the horizon. Drive: 30 min drive to Monfrague
MIDDAY
MONFRAGUE NATIONAL PARK, THE RAPTOR CAPITAL OF EUROPE
The finest place in Europe to watch birds of prey. The rocky Tajo gorge supports the largest black vulture colony in the world, alongside griffon vultures, imperial eagles and black storks. The Penon de Monfrague has hundreds of vultures circling at eye level. Free entry and extraordinary even for non-birdwatchers. Drive: 15 min drive to Roman bridge
AFTERNOON
ALCANTARA, THE ROMAN BRIDGE THAT CHANGED ENGINEERING
Built in 106 AD, 48 metres above the Tagus on six arches spanning 204 metres, with no mortar in the entire construction. A Roman triumphal arch stands at the centre. The bridge carried all traffic between Merida and Salamanca for 1,900 years. Free to visit.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Castillo de Trujillo cistern is a vast underground water storage chamber of Roman and Arab origin. Walk the castle walls at sunset for the most extraordinary view of the dehesa landscape turning gold in the evening light.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Trujillo Plaza Mayor Breakfast under the extraordinary arcaded plaza. Watch the storks on the church towers. | Lunch: Restaurante La Troya, Trujillo Most beloved restaurant in Trujillo. Generous Extremaduran home cooking at extraordinary value. | Dinner: Hotel Hospederia Alcantara The hospederia restaurant serves outstanding local lamb and river trout.
DAY 3
MERIDA
MORNING
MERIDA ROMAN THEATRE, THE GREATEST IN SPAIN
Built in 16 BC and still used for performances today. The adjacent amphitheatre held 15,000 spectators for gladiatorial combat. The Museo Nacional de Arte Romano designed by Rafael Moneo is built around the actual Roman remains. Entry approx 12 euros for the combined ticket. Drive: 15 min walk to Roman bridge
MIDDAY
THE ROMAN BRIDGE, MOORISH CITADEL AND TEMPLE OF DIANA
The longest surviving Roman bridge in the world, 792 metres on 60 arches. The Alcazaba Moorish citadel built in 835 AD using stones from the Roman city. The Arch of Trajan and the Temple of Diana stand free in the modern city, surrounded by apartment blocks, one of the most surreal urban landscapes in Spain. Drive: 15 min walk around
AFTERNOON
MERIDA HIDDEN ROMAN SITES
The hippodrome foundations, the Mithraeum underground temple, Villa Romana floor mosaics and dozens of Roman fragments visible throughout the modern town. The Basilica de Santa Eulalia crypt shows the complete Roman, Visigothic and early Christian sequence in perfect stratigraphic order. Entry approx 3 euros.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The combined Merida archaeological ticket covers the theatre, amphitheatre and Museo Nacional. Buy it at the theatre entrance. The museum alone is worth the full day. Rafael Moneo's extraordinary building is designed around the preserved Roman street running through its heart.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Merida old town Breakfast near the Roman theatre before the ruins open at 9am. | Lunch: Restaurante Rex Numitor, Merida Most celebrated restaurant in Merida. Extremaduran cuisine with local game and Ribera del Guadiana wines. | Dinner: Restaurante Nicolas, Merida Beloved local restaurant. Outstanding cochinito iberico and local cheese.
DAY 4
PLASENCIA AND VALLE DEL JERTE
MORNING
PLASENCIA, THE MEDIEVAL CITY OF TWO CATHEDRALS
Plasencia is one of the finest and most overlooked medieval cities in Extremadura. The extraordinary Old Cathedral is a 13th-century Romanesque-Gothic building that was abandoned half-built when the New Cathedral was begun in 1498 beside it. Both stand side by side, connected internally, in a state of extraordinary historic preservation. The medieval old town has an intact market square that has operated every Tuesday since 1264. Drive: 30 min drive to Yuste
MIDDAY
MONASTERIO DE YUSTE, WHERE AN EMPEROR CAME TO DIE
The Monasterio de Yuste is one of the most moving and extraordinary places in Extremadura. Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor who ruled half the world, retired here in 1557 when he abdicated the largest empire in history. He lived in a small apartment attached to the monastery chapel for two years until his death, able to see the altar from his bedroom window. The monastery is perfectly preserved and the scale of the imperial retirement compared to the scale of the empire is profound. Drive: 20 min drive to Valle del Jerte
AFTERNOON
VALLE DEL JERTE, THE CHERRY BLOSSOM VALLEY
The Valle del Jerte contains over a million cherry trees that bloom simultaneously for two weeks in late March to early April, transforming the entire valley white. Outside blossom season, the valley is equally beautiful, with dramatic mountain scenery, traditional stone villages and extraordinary cherries sold directly from roadside stalls in summer. The Garganta de los Infiernos nature reserve within the valley has extraordinary waterfalls and gorge walks.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Casa de Las Americas in Caceres, just opened as a cultural centre, houses an extraordinary collection tracing the connections between Extremadura and Latin America. The stories of individual conquistadors from local villages who went to the New World are told with remarkable historical detail. Free entry on certain days.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Plasencia old town Several excellent cafes near the dual cathedrals. The Tuesday market is extraordinary for local produce. | Lunch: Restaurante El Corral, Plasencia Outstanding traditional restaurant. Extremaduran lamb, local cheeses and Ribera del Guadiana wines. | Dinner: Rural finca or casa rural, Valle del Jerte Many traditional farmhouses serve dinner to guests. Local trout from the river and valley cherries in season.
DAY 5
LAS HURDES
MORNING
LAS HURDES, THE MOST REMOTE VILLAGES IN SPAIN
Las Hurdes is one of the most extraordinary and forgotten landscapes in Spain. A deeply isolated mountain region of tiny stone villages clinging to near-vertical valley sides above crystal-clear rivers, accessible only by narrow mountain roads. Luis Bunuel made a famous documentary here in 1933 (Land Without Bread) and the villages have changed surprisingly little since. The villages of El Gasco, Rubiaco and Fragosa are the most extraordinary. Drive: 30 min drive to El Gasco
MIDDAY
EL GASCO AND THE CHORRERO DE EL DIABLO WATERFALL
El Gasco is the finest village in Las Hurdes, a cluster of stone houses on a hillside above the Rio Malvellido with extraordinary views up and down the valley. A 45-minute walk from the village leads to the Chorrero del Diablo, a waterfall dropping 100 metres through a narrow rock gorge in extraordinary forest. Almost nobody visits. The walk is moderately strenuous but entirely free. Drive: 45 min drive to Granadilla
AFTERNOON
GRANADILLA, THE GHOST TOWN RECLAIMED
Granadilla is one of the most extraordinary places in Extremadura. A perfectly preserved medieval walled village that was completely evacuated in 1965 when the Gabriel y Galan reservoir was built below it, flooding the surrounding farmland. The village was emptied and abandoned but the buildings survived intact. Since 2000 it has been partially repopulated by an extraordinary programme of rural rehabilitation and is now slowly coming back to life.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Peña Falcón in Las Hurdes is a spectacular rocky peak accessible by a 2-hour walk from the village of Cambroncino, with extraordinary views over the entire Las Hurdes valley system. The walk passes through ancient chestnut forests and past 18th-century water mills still standing in the riverbed. Completely free and virtually unknown outside the region.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar in Pinofranqueado The main village of Las Hurdes. Simple local bar with strong coffee before the mountain drive. | Lunch: Restaurante La Hurdes, El Gasco Simple restaurant in the most remote village. Local river trout, goat cheese and wild herbs from the valley. | Dinner: Return to Caceres or Plasencia End the trip back in one of the great cities. A final plate of jamon iberico de bellota and a glass of local wine.
Where To Stay
Caceres, Night 1 Parador de Caceres, a 14th-century palace inside the old city walls. Approx 110 to 170 euros per night. Trujillo or Merida, Nights 2 to 3 Parador de Trujillo or Parador de Merida. Both extraordinary historic buildings. Approx 100 to 160 euros. Valle del Jerte or Las Hurdes, Nights 4 to 5 Rural casas rurales or traditional fincas from approx 45 to 80 euros per night.
Top Tips
1. Caceres old city is best at dawn and dusk. Arrive before 8am for completely empty medieval streets.
2. Extremadura in July and August can reach 42C. Visit all outdoor sites before 11am and after 6pm.
3. Buy jamon iberico de bellota directly from Extremadura producers. It is half the price of Madrid.
4. Merida combined ticket covers theatre, amphitheatre and museum. Buy at the theatre, not online.
5. Monfrague raptor watching is best 9am to midday. Bring binoculars for the vulture colony.
6. The Parador de Caceres and Parador de Trujillo are inside the historic monuments. Worth the splurge.
Total Budget
65 to 105 euros/day