Silver Route

Sunday

Prepare yourself for endless surprises in this journey to one of the most unknown and beautiful areas of our country. We begin in Zafra, known as “Sevilla Chica” (Little Seville), which gives us the opportunity to discover the 13th-century church of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, the convents of Santa Catalina, Santa Clara and Rosario, the Casa Grande, the remains of the Arab walls and the Puerta de Jerez or the Palacio de los Duques de Feria, a majestic castle from the 15th century that houses the Parador. In order to really get to know the city, you should visit the Plaza Chica, where you will find the famous Vara de Zafra that used to be a measuring reference for the traders, and the Plaza Grande, some wonderful porticoed squares which are the major centres of the town with plenty of bars and restaurants where you will be able to try the best gastronomy of Badajoz. In the surrounding area you can visit wineries, mills and live unique experiences like discovering the bullfighting world with a bullfighter, having an adrenaline rush exposing yourself to a brave bull in a fight or going on a ham safari through the Extremaduran meadow. Just 5 kilometres away you will find El Capricho de Cotrina, one of the most curious buildings of Spain, which reminds of those designed by Gaudí.

Monday

Still in Badajoz we arrive in Emerita Augusta, “the little Rome” which reveals, step by step, its splendid past when it was an active and flourishing colony of the Roman Empire. A faithful reflection of this legacy is the National Museum of Roman Art, the Amphitheatre, the Circus -one of the largest and best preserved of the Empire- and the Theatre, the prince of all these monuments which has an amazing stage that still hosts shows. Don’t miss the Amphitheatre Roman House, the Casa del Mitreo Roman House, the ruins of the Santa Eulalia temple, the Roman Bridge over the Guadiana River, the Temple of Diana and Los Milagros Aqueduct. Arabs and Visigoths left their mark in the area too, as the Alcazaba Fortress and the Visigoth Art Museum show us. To feel like a true Roman, there is nothing better than having a relaxing bath in the thermal baths with healthful waters with a massage included. Also, you can’t leave this region without trying some acorn-fed Iberian ham D.O. Dehesa de Extremadura. It would be a sin!

Tuesday and Wednesday

Heading north, we enter Cáceres to arrive in Trujillo, a land of conquerors -or discoverers- as they prefer to be called around the area. Extremadura has a special magic in this monumental village. The gates are open in the Plaza Mayor, chaired by the equestrian statue of Pizarro and surrounded by Renaissance palaces. Strolling through the streets, you will discover the palaces of Duques de San Carlos, Marqueses de la Conquista or Marqués de Sufraga. Its old medieval castle of Arab origin, where the final battle in season 7 of Game of Thrones was filmed, and the Pizarro Museum-House, dedicated to Peru’s conqueror, evoke old stories. Religious monuments also have a prominent place in this town, such as the churches of San Martín and Santa María La Mayor or the convents of Santa Clara and San Francisco Real. Half an hour by car, you will arrive in Cáceres, a city declared World Heritage Site, that stands out because of its monumental and historic sites.

Thursday

We continue our way up and enter the La Vera region and its particular microclimate. The Parador de Jarandilla, of unparalleled monumentality and beauty, is a very special starting point to discover places such as the Monastery of Yuste, where the Emperor Charles V spent his final days. If you are a nature lover, you can enjoy wonderful places such as Garganta del Jaranda or Garganta de la Olla, with its natural pools where you can have a swim during the summer, or nearby villages, including Valverde and Villanueva. Dedicated food lovers can’t leave without trying the Torta del Casar cheese, probably the best cheese in the world, some good pata negra bellota ham and buying the “red gold” of the region: the precious paprika.

Friday and Saturday

Plasencia, located at the end of the fertile Valle del Jerte, is our final stop. This strategic enclave in the Silver Route is a true gift. You will discover remains of the medieval walls, its turrets (there are still 21 of the original 71) and its doors, such as the one of the Sun or the shutter of Santa María. You will stroll through the Plaza Mayor, a major hub of the busy life of the city. In the Town Hall tower, you will find the Abuelo Mayorga, a figure built in the 13th century and one of the symbols of the city. Besides, you will find one of the most representative monumental complexes of the region, formed by the Romanesque Old Cathedral and the New Cathedral, the surroundings of which offer stunning spots. The medieval aqueduct of San Antón, the Bishop's Palace, the Palaces of the Marquesses of Mirabel, Carvajal-Girón, Las Torres and the convent of San Vicente Ferrer are further areas of particular interest in the city. Just over 20 kilometres away, it would be unforgivable not to go to the Monfragüe National Park and its Biosphere Reserve, a true sanctuary for bird watching where Mediterranean forests and the most relevant species of Spanish fauna inhabit. Plasencia is also an excellent starting point to discover the Hurdes, the Sierra de Gata or the Valle del Jerte, with its wonderful springtime, when the cherry blossoms paint the valley in bright white.