Santa María Square in Cáceres (Extremadura)

Cáceres

A picturesque medieval setting

Cáceres

This historic city of Extremadura, known as the “town of 1001 escutcheons”, is always worth visiting. 

You can feel like a time traveller as you walk along any of its narrow cobbled streets. Surrounded by mansions, Renaissance palaces and churches crowned by storks’ nests, you’ll understand why Cáceres is a World Heritage City. Get your camera ready to immortalise one of the prettiest historic town centres of Spain.

Life around the Plaza Mayor

We recommend that you enter the city through its traditional entrance: the 18th-century Estrella Arch, which is wide enough for carriages to drive through. Below you, you’ll see the wide Plaza Mayor, an arcaded square always full of life, with plenty of places to stop for a drink or a coffee.

In past centuries, the square was also used for bullfights, and before that, for jousting. Take a moment to snap a photo with the Bujaco Tower in the background. Next, a stroll around the old quarter reveals mansions: Golfines de Abajo, Carvajal, Toledo-Moctezuma (home of the daughter of the Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II), Casa de las Veletas (now the Museum of Cáceres, with works by Picasso and Miró, and the world’s second largest cistern well), and the Co-cathedral of Santa María, with amazing views from the belltower.You can also visit the contemporary art collection at the Fundación Helga de Alvear, or walk around the Jewish quarter, Judería Vieja with its narrow streets, whitewashed houses and windows full of flowers. A most pleasant experience.At the end of the day, the perfect place to take in the view of Cáceres is the Santuario de la Montaña, a shrine on the outskirts of the city. And in the evening, it’s fun to take a dramatised tour with troubadours retelling legends by moonlight.

Traditional recipes and lots of culture

For lunch or dinner, try traditional local dishes such as migas (fried breadcrumbs with chorizo and bacon) accompanied by a wine from the Ribera del Guadiana Designation of Origin, or one of the increasingly popular artisan beers, with a torta del Casar (one of the best cheeses in the world) or a potato sausage, morcilla patatera. More sophisticated fare is available in the city’s most famous restaurant, Atrio, which holds three Michelin stars. And if you want to try the famous convent pastries, the sweets from the Convent of San Pablo are very well-known.Cáceres also has an interesting cultural life. Depending on when you visit, you can go to the Womad Festival (in May), the Three Cultures Medieval Market (in November), the Classical Theatre Festival (in July) or traditional events such as Easter (in March or April. The city has a special Easter visitors’ centre).How to complete a perfect trip? Relaxing in the Arab baths, picking up a souvenir at the Casa Moraga Craft Centre or taking an excursion to the nearby Monfragüe National Park (about 60 kilometres away).

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How to get there - transport information


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How to get to aeroplane

How to get to train

  • Cáceres railway station is about two kilometres from the old town centre.

  • You can get to the centre of Cáceres by bus. The routes with the closest stops to the station are route 1, route 4 and route 8. It takes about half an hour to walk there.

  • Trains to Madrid (around 3 and a half hours), Mérida (around an hour), and other destinations.

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How to get to bus

  • The Cáceres bus station, which is right next to the train station, is about two kilometres from the city centre. You can get there on foot (about half an hour) or by bus (routes 4 and 8 and local routes 2, route 3 and RC)

  • The trip to Madrid takes about 4 hours.

How to get there by road

  • From Madrid, via the A-5 motorway (around 3 hours).

  • From Seville, via the A-66 motorway (around 2 hours and 45 minutes).

  • From Badajoz, via the A-5 and then A-66 motorways or via the N-523 road (about an hour and a half).

Practical information

  • The city is easy to explore on foot.

How to get around in bus

  • They usually operate between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.

  • Options: You can purchase a single ticket, a combined ticket (for transfers) or a 10-trip ticket.

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