Estremadura It is a nearby destination, full of history and nature, highly recommended to enjoy a getaway in motorhome and get to know its corners, taste its gastronomy and be surprised by the enormous cultural and artistic heritage that surrounds it. Today we leave you with some recommendations.
Extremadura is made up of two provinces: Cáceres and Badajoz, and in each one of them we will find wonderful villages, protected spaces where we can be in contact with nature, museums and endless activities adapted to all audiences.
Badajoz and its Roman legacy
The province of Badajoz leaves us one of the best legacies of the Roman empire in the Iberian Peninsula: the old Emerita Augusta, today called Merida. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993, it is also the capital of the Autonomous Community.
The "jewel in the crown" is your Teatro novel, built under the patronage of Agrippa, son-in-law of the Emperor Augustus, between 16 and 15 BC and, at the time, could accommodate up to 6.000 spectators. Today (in non-pandemic times), it hosts each year the Mérida Classical Theater Festival, in addition to other performances and concerts.
In the same enclosure of Theater, you can visit the Amphitheater, dating from 8 BC, which served as the stage for very popular shows: gladiatorial games, wild animal hunts and fighting between wild animals.
Other Roman vestiges that you can find in the city are the Roman Circus, the Temple of Diana, the Aqueduct of Miracles or the Roman Bridge.
To spend the night, there is a motorhome area next to the Roman Theater enclosure. If you are looking for something more tranquility, you can travel about 40 kilometers, to the Medellin area, birthplace of the famous conqueror Hernán Cortés. It is an area in the middle of nature, surrounded by trees and located next to the Guadiana river and the Roman Bridge of this town. In Medellín, in addition, the visit to its Castle and the Roman Theater is well worth it.
Other visits in the province of Badajoz
The province of Badajoz has other cities with great attractions, such as Zafra, with a monumental historic center, and Olivenza, a walled city of Templar origin, bordering Portugal and with a wide representation of the so-called “Manueline art”. Zafra has motorhome area and in Olivenza there are several car parks without services.
And lovers water activities They also find their place in the province of Badajoz because, attention… it has a beach! No, we are not crazy. Extremadura has two Blue flags awarded to inland beaches: the Old Orellana, located in the Orellana Reservoir, and that of The Dehesa, located in the Alqueva reservoir, in the municipality of Cheles.
Cáceres, a million possibilities to choose from
If Badajoz surprises, the province of Cáceres is not far behind, in terms of heritage, culture and natural areas. In fact, our advice is that you spend enough time in both provinces because they have so many corners to discover and, before leaving, you will already want to return.
Our visit to Caceres begins in the capital that gives it its name and UNESCO World Heritage City since 1986. Take a walking tour to see the impressive set of walls and defensive towers, its Roman, Almohad and Jewish past, its civil and religious architecture, and a spectacular set of palaces and noble houses unique in Europe. Contemplate the views from its vantage points and make a stop at one of the terraces of the Plaza Mayor, to enjoy the fantastic leisure atmosphere of the city.
To spend the night, you have a public motorhome area and free within a walk of the center.
Alcantara and its Roman Bridge
Another highly recommended destination within the province of Cáceres is Alcantara, located on the banks of the Tagus River, at its confluence with the Alagón, and famous for its Roman Complex, in which the impressive XNUMXnd century bridge and declared National Monument in 1924. It consists of six arches supported on five pillars and measures 71 m. from the river bed to the Arc de Triomphe, 198 m long and 8 m wide.
Alcántara has a free motorhome area outside. In addition, on the sides of the Roman Bridge there is a parking space to visit it.
Very close to the Roman Complex, continuing along the road and taking the detour to a campsite, we can visit the La Cantera natural pool, a bathing area located in an ornithological paradise. It is a lake with spring waters, artificially formed in a quarry that for decades was used to extract aggregates for the construction of the Alcántara dam.
Los Barruecos, a natural paradise
Continuing with the natural spaces, another highly recommended visit is that of the Los Barruecos Natural Monument, in Malpartida de Cáceres. The outcrops of the granite batholith create in the landscape a series of 'islands' where the fauna and flora find a refuge in the middle of a landscape so spectacular that even the creators of the television series Game of Thrones some of his scenes were shot there. The area is a paradise for different animals, especially birds, such as the White stork, which forms the largest colony in Europe in a natural state. And if you like art, be sure to visit the Vostell Museum of Contemporary Art, founded by the Spanish-German artist Wolf Vostell, discoverer of the Dé-coll / age technique, father of Happening in Europe and initiator of the Fluxus movement and video art.
As in other protected areas, although there are parking areas where you can park your motorhome for the day, staying overnight is prohibited. Just 4 km away, in Malpartida de Cáceres, there is a motorhome area although it is located next to a road (a bit noisy) and, at present, its services do not work.
Monfragüe National Park
Speaking of natural areas, we cannot leave Cáceres without visiting the Monfragüe National Park, with 18.396 hectares, which was the first protected area in Extremadura and was declared a Natural Park in 1979 and a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2003. It is about a true sanctuary for bird watching, including black storks, Egyptian vultures, vultures or the imperial eagle itself.
Together with Campsite Monfrague, where you can spend the night, since inside the Park it is prohibited, there is a spectacular Interpretation Center where they will give you practical indications of the hiking routes and other activities that can be developed in the Park. We recommend a visit to Salto del Gitano, the most visited bird observatory, and the Castle of Monfragüe, of Arab origin, and from where you can see the vulture colonies up close.
Towns, regions, waterfalls ...
We have many points of interest left within the province of Cáceres, each of which deserves an article on its own. Do not forget to visit other places such as the spectacular Plasencia or the charming Hervás, which preserves one of the best Jewish quarters in Spain.
If you travel in spring, the cherry blossoms in the Jerte Valley are spectacular, as well as a walk to see some of its waterfalls, such as the Garganta de la Nogaledas, in Navaconcejo.
And what about the La Vera region where, in addition to its natural landscapes, we can enjoy a product as spectacular as paprika.
As you can see, there is much to visit and to know in Extremadura, an Autonomous Community that, in addition, with its almost 70 spaces of parking and overnight for motorhomesIt is a highly recommended area to go with our vehicles. Remember that, if you still do not have one, we put at your disposal our rental fleet. Get in touch with us and we will find the motorhome or camper that best suits your needs.