Ten very good reasons to make Extremadura your next travel destination in Spain

WHEN it arrives to tourism, Extremadura is off the beaten monitor.

Couple of the 80 million international readers who visited Spain per year in pre-Covid occasions would undertaking to the area, for the lack of seashores or easy highway and rail connections make it challenging to compete with the a lot more accessible and clear vacationer points of interest of Mediterranean coastal resorts.

For numerous in Madrid or further afield it stays a region just one drives via on the way to Portugal.

But those who do make the work to visit, the rewards are great.

Here’s a appear at the top ten highlights that should really inspire you to examine Extremadura.

Roman ruins

The metropolis of Merida boasts the very best-preserved Roman ruins outside the house Italy, and devoid of the crowds.

Founded in 25BC Augusta Emerita as it was then acknowledged, served as the funds of Rome’s westernmost province, Lusitania.

Now a modern-day metropolis stands exactly where Romans when walked, architecturally unremarkable other than for the incredibly noteworthy truth that Roman ruins are in all places. A bridge stretches across the Guadiana river, it is 60 pristine stone arches producing it the longest Roman bridge on the peninsula.

Just about every July, it hosts the worldwide festival of classical drama with night performances in the Roman Theatre. Alongside you are going to uncover a Roman Amphitheatre, which luckily no for a longer time hosts the gladiatorial spectacles of historic Rome but even so is an awe-inspiring house.

The metropolis is also house to a amazing museum, comprehensive of the treasures identified as the city made, from a head of Agustus found in renovations of a local pharmacy to mosaics found inside the walls of a ham factory.

Browse Much more: All streets lead to Rome in Merida, one particular of Spain’s finest retained travel techniques

Caceres

A Unesco entire world heritage website and a person of the most beautifully preserved Medieval walled cities in Spain, this has extended been a place for foodies many thanks in section to the two Michelin starred cafe Atrio.

But for those who never want to fork out some €200 on the tasting menu, you can still try to eat terribly nicely in this provincial money.

The metropolis is complete of a new-wave of taperías featuring dishes of domestically grown develop to accompany the wine manufactured at wineries throughout the area.

The new Modern day Artwork Museum housing the Helga de Alvear selection, guarantees to transform the city into a vacation spot for art fashionable art enthusiasts way too.

Go through Extra: New gallery puts Caceres on the map as a destination for fashionable artwork fans as properly as foodies in Extremadura

The foodstuff

The financial system of Extremadura is still predominantly agricultural which bodes quite properly for people who count on to try to eat properly on their travels.

The region’s dehesa – rolling hills of holm oaks – are residence to Iberian pigs, fattening up on acorns. This means some of the greatest jamon is made right here but you will also come across regional Montanchez ham and patatera sausage as nicely as other charcuterie delights and pork cuts flavoured with the community pimenton.

In simple fact you will uncover Pimentón de la Vera, a paprika-like spice made of ground, dried peppers, as an component in numerous dishes and if you head to the hills of Jaraiz de la Vera you will uncover a museum committed to it.

Find out regionally foraged funghi and wild asparagus and consider the region’s signature dish migas extremeñas, a deliciously simple dish of fried breadcrumbs, garlic and peppers that is the final peasant foods.

Never miss the incredibly gooey sheep’s cheese Torta del Casar, its divine creaminess scooped out of its shell (pictured higher than).

As well as the location is residence to 1 of the only moral fois gras producers in the planet. 

The wine

Number of know that Extremadura is Spain’s fourth biggest wine developing area, which would make it a very interesting spot for wine lovers with heaps of more compact producers to be identified.

Wine tourism is escalating here and it is now achievable to check out bodegas for wine tasting.

Glance out for  Bodegas Habla outside the house Trujillo wherever you will discover two fabulous wines generating a title for them selves.  Habla de la Tierra and Habla del Silencio.

Trujillo

A fantastic medieval metropolis perched on a hill, Trujillo prospered with the return of conquistadores who returned to their birthplace and lavished riches from the new world in elaborate palaces dotted all over a grand square.

At its centre you will come across an impressive statue of just one the most renowned conquistadors of all – Francisco Pizarro, the conqueror of Peru. In truth rumour has it, the statue was made by a New York sculptor to depict Hernan Cortes as a reward to Mexico, who not shockingly declined it. So it was refashioned as Pizarro and now stands proudly in his hometown.

Guadalupe 

This fairly hilltop city flourished about the Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe, a pilgrimage web page that introduced Christopher Columbus here to give thanks on his return for discovering the new entire world.

The Monastery is open to the public who appear to marvel at its huge Mudejar cloister and a 3-tale Gothic cloister and stroll through  the beautiful gardens

It is also residence to one particular of Spain’s greatest paradors.

Birding in Monfragüe

The countrywide park of Monfragüe is a jewel in Spain, a mecca for character lovers and birdwatchers who come from all across Spain and outside of to look for out unusual species.

The towering cliffs of Monfragüe are house to Europe’s major population of Black vultures as effectively as resident Griffon vultures and visiting Egyptian vultures.

Rare Black storks come listed here to establish their nests in the craggy cliffs earlier mentioned the turquoise waters and there is a resident population of Imperial Eagles and Eagle Owls.

In the pastures bordering the park, birders come from all above Europe to tick off a sighting of the Great Bustard.

Zafra

Regarded as ‘the very little Sevilla,’ Zafra is a terrific modest city to wander around for an afternoon. Dominated by a 15th-century fortress, that starred as a locale in Activity of Thrones, the town has all the look of a whitewashed Andalucian pueb

lo blanco with slim cobbled streets and standard properties.

Almond blossom

Spring is the time to shell out a take a look at to the Jerte valley, an place of 70 sq. kilometres that is planted with over 1.5million cherry trees. In simple fact, Valle del Jerte is the greatest uninterrupted region in Europe coated with cherry trees and the finest time to capture the blossom in its full glory is for a several short months, commonly starting from the center in the direction of the end of March. Locals will notify you that autumn is in simple fact the best time to pay a visit to.

Handful of tourists

The closing reason to pay a visit to Extremadura is to find out it prior to anyone else does!

With so couple holidaymakers and only genuinely discerning types building the effort, you’ll be welcomed by locals who do their utmost to guarantee you’ll appreciate their land as a lot as they do.

Great food, great mother nature, interesting background. What additional could you want?

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