Extremadura

Extremadura (Extremaduran: Estremaúra) is a region of Spain. Extremadura is characterized by the joviality of its people, so in any corner of the land of Extremadura there is a place of fun.

Cities

Caceres

• 1 Mérida — featuring a Roman theater and Museum of Roman Art
• 2 Badajoz — the region's largest city and economic centre, home to a Moorish castle, the powerfully armed fort of San Cristobal, and the Badajoz Cathedral, which resembles a fortress with massive walls
• 3 Caceres — medieval town and museums
• 4 Plasencia — has the remains of a 16th-century aqueduct
• 5 Trujillo — medieval town and home of Francisco Pizarro, the conquistador of the Inca empire
• 6 Zafra — it has a medieval quarter, which surrounds the fortress, and many winding streets and historical buildings to explore

Other destinations

• 1 Monastery of Saint Mary of Guadalupe in Guadalupe — a huge hill-top monastery/cathedral and great parador.
• 2 Monfragüe National Park This Park features cliffs, rivers, forests, eagles and rare vultures. The iconic Monfragüe Castle is perched atop a hill and offers a glimpse into the region's history.

Understand

Climate

The climate of Extremadura is characterized by its very hot and dry summers, with great droughts, and its mild winters due to the oceanic influence from its proximity to the Atlantic coast of Portugal.

Talk

The only official language is Spanish (whose local dialects are collectively called Castúo), but other languages and dialects are also spoken. The Fala, a Galician-Portuguese language, is a specially protected language and is spoken in the valley of Jálama. The Extremaduran language, the collective name for a group of vernacular dialects related to Leonese, is endangered. Local variants of Portuguese are native to Cedillo and Herrera de Alcántara. Portuguese has also been accounted to be spoken as well by some people (mainly those born before the 1940s) in Olivenza.

See

Rock art in Siega Verde

• 1 Prehistoric Rock-Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde. A UNESCO World Heritage Site near Ciudad Rodrigo and shared with Portugal.  

The Dolmen of Guadalperal during the drought of summer 2019

• 2 Dolmen de Guadalperal. 24/7. Archaeological rock formation similar to Stonehenge but on a smaller scale. It's almost permanently submerged in a reservoir, with the tips peaking out. In periods of drought, the water reclines and the dolmen can be observed in its full glory. The dolmen was completely visible in 2019 for the first time in 50 years because of extreme drought in the region. Free. (updated Sep 2019)
• Visit the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves in Extremadura
  • 3 Monfragüe. (updated Dec 2023)
  • 4 Tejo/Tajo Internacional Transboundary Biosphere Reserve (Portugal/Spain). (updated Dec 2023)
  • 5 La Siberia. (updated Dec 2023)

Do

• 1 Cerro Masatrigo. A strangely symmetrical conical hill, 161m high, forming a peninsula of the La Serena dam basin. There are hiking and mountain biking trails.  

La Ruta de Isabel La Católica

If you plan on visiting the town of Guadalupe, in the Sierra de Guadalupe, you might consider hiking La Ruta de Isabel La Católica. This 17-km trail starts in the nearby village of Cañamero, which can be reached by bus. The well-marked trail winds its way past beautiful lakes and stunning hills before descending into Guadalupe. The hike takes about half a day.

Eat

Extremadura gastronomy is known mainly for its Iberian pork sausages, an animal that feeds on acorns in the pasture. No less important is the goat meat, the lamb with which the Extremaduran stew or game is prepared, with dishes such as partridges in the Alcantara way. There is also fish from rivers, such as the Jerte trout, tench or crayfish. But the Extremaduran dish par excellence is migas, prepared with the famous paprika from La Vera. Among the oils, the one from the Sierra de Gata stands out, and among the wines and cavas (sparkling wines), those from Almendralejo and Las Villuercas. The best cheeses are those from La Serena, Los Ibores and the unique Torta del Casar, the most expensive cheese in Spain. And for dessert there is nothing better than some cherries from the Jerte valley.

Practically every town or city has its grill, its wood oven, its barbecue, or its sausages.

Drink

In Extremadura there are excellent wines: quality wines are those that are protected by the DO Ribera del Guadiana. There are others, called pitarra (homemade wines), which can be somewhat rough.

The wines from the Ribera del Guadiana are produced in Tierra de Barros, Montánchez, Ribera Alta, Ribera Baja, Matanegra and Cañamero.

The most outstanding wines are: Bodega Las Granadas, with its red Torrejulia, Bodegas Martínez Paiva, its wine is Paiva, Bodegas Ruiz Torres, with Atelea, Compañía Vinícola de Extremadura, with Basangus, Viña Santa Marina, with its Santa Marina.

As for going out, in all towns there is a festive atmosphere.

Go next

• Alentejo — southern plains region of Portugal
• Andalusia – Spain's southernmost region
• Beiras – central Portugal
• Castile and Leon — historical region to the north