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Extremadura

Exploring Extremadura is a journey into the heart of old Spain, from the country’s finest Roman ruins to mysterious medieval cities and time-worn villages. Mérida, Cáceres and Trujillo rank among Spain's most beautifully preserved historical settlements. Extremeño hamlets have a timeless charm, from the remote northern hills to sacred eastern Guadalupe and seductive Zafra on the cusp of Andalucía in the south.

Few foreign travellers make it this far. Spaniards, however, know Extremadura as a place to sample some of inland Spain's best food: roasted meats, the pungent, creamy Torta del Casar cheese and the finest Monesterio jamón (ham).

This is a region of broad blue skies and vast swathes of sparsely populated land with isolated farmhouses and crumbling hilltop castles. Wooded sierras rise along the northern, eastern and southern fringes, while the raptor-rich Parque Nacional de Monfragüe is Extremadura's most dramatic corner.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Extremadura.

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Teatro Romano
Mérida's most spectacular Roman monument, and the only one to once again fulfil its original function – by hosting performances during the Festival Internacional de Teatro Clásico in summer – the Teatro Romano is the city's indisputable highlight. It was built around 15 BCE to seat 6000 spectators. The adjoining (slightly less-dazzling) Anfiteatro opened in 8 BCE for gladiatorial contests and held 14,000; the gladiator-versus-lion fresco in the Museo Nacional de Arte Romano was taken from here. The centrepiece of the theatre is the dramatic and well-preserved two-tier stage building of Corinthian columns; the stage's facade (scaenae frons) was inaugurated in CE 105. Statues of gods frame its central entryway, with the right-hand figure being interpreted as both the Graeco-Egyptian god Serapis and Pluto, and the left-hand one considered to be either a muse or Proserpina.
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Palacio de los Golfines de Abajo
The sumptuous home of Cáceres' prominent Golfín family has been beautifully restored. Built piecemeal between the 14th and 20th centuries, it's crammed with historical treasures: original 17th-century tapestries and armoury murals, a 19th-century bust of Alfonso XII, and a signed 1485 troops request from the Reyes Católicos (Catholic Monarchs) to their Golfín stewards. But it's the detailed, theatrical tours (Spanish, English, French or Portuguese), through four richly decorated lounges, an extravagant chapel and fascinating documents room, that stand out.
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Puente Romano
Don't miss the extraordinarily powerful spectacle of the Puente Romano spanning the Río Guadiana. At 792m in length with 60 granite arches, it's one of the longest bridges built by the Romans. It was constructed in 25 BCE when Emerita Augusta (modern-day Mérida) was founded, and then partly restored in the 17th century. The 20th-century Puente Lusitania, a sleek suspension bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava, mirrors it to the northwest. The best Roman bridge views are from the Alcazaba's southwestern ramparts.
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Museo de Cáceres
The excellent Museo de Cáceres, spread across 12 buildings in a 16th-century mansion built over an evocative 12th-century aljibe (cistern), is the only surviving element of Cáceres’ Moorish castle. The impressive archaeological section includes an elegant stone boar dated to the 4th to 2nd centuries BCE, while the equally appealing fine-arts display (behind the main museum; open only in the mornings) showcases works by such greats as Picasso, Miró, Tàpies and El Greco. It's one of Spain's most underrated collections.
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Museo Nacional de Arte Romano
Even if you visit only a handful of Mérida's sights, make sure one of them is this fabulous museum, which has a superb three-floor collection of statues, busts, mosaics, frescoes, coins, pottery and other Roman artefacts, all beautifully displayed alongside information panels in Spanish and English. Designed by Navarran architect Rafael Moneo, the soaring arched brick structure makes a stunning home for the collection, its walls hung with some of the largest, most beautiful mosaics.
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Torre de Bujaco
As you head up the steps to the Ciudad Monumental from the Plaza Mayor, turn left to climb the 12th-century, 25m-high Torre de Bujaco, home to an interpretative display on Cáceres' history. On the rooftop there's a fabulous stork's-eye view over Plaza Mayor. From here, you can also walk across the top of the 18th-century Arco de la Estrella.
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Plaza de Santa María
As the closest square to the Plaza Mayor, the Plaza de Santa María and the surrounding tangle of lanes provide most people's introduction to the Ciudad Monumental. This is also arguably the most impressive of the old town's three main squares, with medieval palaces, elaborate Renaissance facades and public buildings at every turn, all overlooked by a dramatic Gothic cathedral.
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Alcazaba
Badajoz' majestic 12th-century, 8-hectare Alcazaba, the largest in Spain, lords over the city above the Plaza Alta. Guarding all is the Torre de Espantaperros (Scare-Dogs Tower), symbol of Badajoz, constructed by the Moors and topped by a 16th-century Mudéjar bell tower wrapped around an older original. Enter through the 12th-century Puerta del Capitel and wander around the sprawling restored ramparts.
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Templo de Diana
The soaring columns here are one of Mérida's most dramatic, incongruous sights, surrounded as they are by the buildings of a modern Spanish city. Inaccurately named, for it's now known to have been dedicated to the Imperial cult, this 1st-century-BCE temple stood in the municipal forum, where the city government was based. Parts of the temple were later incorporated into a 16th-century mansion built within it; there's a small interpretation centre (free entry, but with variable hours) in the mansion. The forum's restored Pórtico del Foro is 100m northeast up Calle de Sagasta.