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Cáceres, Spain

Cáceres, Spain.

Cáceres is the capital of Cáceres province, in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. The medieval walled city has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also on the Via de la Plata (the Silver Route) path of the Camino de Santiago.

Tourist Attractions in Cáceres

Cathedrals and churches

• Church and convent of San Pablo (15th century)

• Convent of la Compañía de Jesus, in Baroque style, today used for art exhibitions

• Church of Santa María, cathedral built in the 13th century, in Gothic style

Church of Santa María.

• Iglesia de San Mateo, a 15th-century church built on the site of a former mosque

• Iglesia de San Francisco Javier (18th century), in Baroque style

Iglesia de San Francisco Javier.

• Iglesia de San Juan, large majestic church built between the 13th and 15th century

• Hermitage of San Antonio Iglesia de Santo Domingo

• Hermitage de la Paz

• Church of Santiago

Church of Santiago.

Museums

• Cáceres Museum - ALJIBE - housed in La Casa de las Veletas y la Casa de los Caballos in the historical quarter.

Casa de las Veletas, Cáceres.

• La Casa-Museo Árabe, between the Plaza San Jorge and the Arco del Cristo. Arab culture, art and remains.

• Museo Concatedral de Caceres, in the Plaza Santa Maria. Religious art.

• Museo Piedrilla - Guayasamín

Nature reserves and rural tourism

• Monfragüe National Park: It encompasses 85 km2 (33 sq mi) or 17,852 hectares. The park contains one of the largest areas of Mediterranean forest and scrub in Spain with over 1,400 different species of trees. A favorite with birdwatchers, the park has the world's largest colony of Black Vulture and Spanish Imperial Eagle.

A view of the national park with the ruined Monfragüe castle.

• Los Barruecos Natural Monument, 14 kilometres (9 miles) away from the city, in the locality of Malpartida de Cáceres. It has massive granite boulders with the only colony of White Stork nesting on them. There is also a medieval reservoir and a mill for wool washing. The building complex has been restores and houses a surprising collection of art by German artist Wolf Vostell, who was an important member of the fluxus movement. Spring brings an explosion of colour with the blossom of Spanish White Broom all pervasive in the area.

• The Cáceres and Trujillo plains are protected under the ZEPA (Spanish for Special Protection Area for birds or SPA) protection figure.

Palaces and stately homes

• Palacio de los Golfines de Arriba

• Palacio de los Golfines de Abajo. Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Fernando I lived here

Palacio de los Golfines de Abajo.

• Palacio del Comendador de Alcuescar

• Palacio-Fortaleza de los Torreorgaz, today a Parador hotel

Palacio-Fortaleza de los Torreorgaz.

• Palacio de Carvajal (15th century). It is now seat of the Patronage Office for Tourism and Handicraft of the province

Festivals

• The Festival of the Martyrs (La Fiesta de los mártires) is held in January.

• Carnival, The Festival of the Candles (La Fiesta de las Candelas) and Fiesta de San Blas are held in February.

• The Easter Festival Semana Santa is held during the week before Easter Sunday. Processions wind through the narrow streets in the historical center.

Semana Santa.

• The San Jorge Festival, held on the 22–23 April, involves a dragon being burnt in a bonfire in the town square (La Plaza Mayor), accompanied by a fireworks display.

Festa de São Jorge.

• WOMAD music festival is held at the beginning of May.

• Ferias de San Fernando is held at the end of May.

• Fleadh Cáceres is a new (2003) cultural event that occurs between October and November months. The idea comes from Fleadh Cheoil which is an Irish music event that happens every August in Ireland.

Restaurants, Bars and Clubs

• El Corral de las Cigueñas, c/ Cuesta de Aldana, 6. Lively bar in the old part of town. By day a relaxing place to have a drink with friends, by night the home of some of the best live bands in Cáceres. Enjoys a mixed crowd, and is popular among students.

• La Habana Café-Bar, c/ Pizarro, 1. 16:00 - 03:00. A lively bar which draws visitors for coffee and chat in the afternoons and drinks and dancing at night. Very lively at weekends and known for serving excellent Mojitos. The bar also has a great focus on art, housing the vibrant Habana Espacio Libre art gallery in an adjoining apartment.

Hotels and Hostels

• Palacio de Arenales (5 stars)

• Atrio Restaurant Hotel (5 stars)

• Hotel Barceló V Centenario, c/ Manuel Pacheco, s/n. Upmarket hotel based on the outskirts of Cáceres. Very good quality service. The only drawback of this hotel is its location, as it is quite far from the town's major attractions.

• Hotel Cáceres Golf, Carretera N-630, km. 558. Excellent hotel a few miles outside Cáceres town on a Golf Complex. Accommodation and meals are of an extremely high standard. The hotel is not well situated for those arriving without a car, as public transport to this area is limited.

• Hostal Hernán Cortés, Travesía Hernán Cortés, 6. Quaint little hostal in the modern area of town, behind the post office. Only 5-10 minutes walk from all the main attractions. The hostal is old-fashioned and basic. However, it is very clean and great value for money and has a very helpful and friendly staff. Perfect for a short break if you don't intend to spend much time indoors.

• Hotel Los Naranjos, c/ Alfonso IX, 12. Small budget hotel on the outskirts of the old town, just a few minutes walk from the Plaza Mayor.

• Parador de Cáceres, c/ Ancha, 6. Upmarket, state-owned Parador Hotel in the heart of the old town. Perfect location for all the major attractions in Cáceres. Very luxurious.

• NH Palacio de Oquendo, Pza. San Juan 11. This 4-star hotel is an entirely renovated palace dating from the 16th century, next to the main shopping area and within the Roman and Arabic walls.

Tourist Info

• The nearest major international airports to Cáceres are: Madrid Barajas, Seville and Lisbon. Each is around 250-300 km from Cáceres.

Domestic flights from Madrid (Barajas) and Barcelona (El Prat) serve Cáceres' nearest airport, situated at Talavera in the province of Badajoz, around 90 km from Cáceres. Talavera airport does not handle any international flights.

Airlines serving Madrid from the UK and Ireland: Aer Lingus, British Airways, Easyjet, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa. Airlines serving Madrid from the USA: American Airlines, Delta, Iberia, KLM.

• Cáceres is served by several trains daily originating in Madrid Atocha, Lisbon and Badajoz. Details of all services are available via the RENFE website. Trains in this area are quite slow in comparison to road transport. However, the journey does hold some speactacular scenery if time is not an issue. Cáceres Railway Station is on the outskirts of the city, 1-2 km from the city centre. Taxis are readily available, although it is an easy 10-minute stroll along the Avenida de Alemania to the city centre.

• From Madrid: Follow the A-5 motorway towards Badajoz/Portugal, leaving at Trujillo onto the new A-58 autopista. This motorway will take you directly to the suburbs of Cáceres where you can follow signs for Centro Urbano to reach the city centre.

• From Salamanca/the north: Take the A-66 southbound in direction Sevilla / Mérida. Leave the motorway at the north end of Cáceres (Ronda Norte) and enter the city using the N-630, which will bring you directly into the city centre.

• From Seville/Mérida/the south: Take the A-66 northbound and at the junction with the EX-100. Follow the signs onto the N-630 to lead you directly into the city centre.

• From Badajoz/Portugal: Leave the A-5 motorway and follow the regional EX-100 road to the outskirts of Cáceres. Follow the N-630 directly into the city.

• Cáceres Bus Station is on the outskirts of town, around 1-2 km from the city centre. Taxis are readily available, although it is an easy stroll along the Avenida de Alemania to the city centre.

• From Madrid: Buses leave Madrid several times each day from the Estación del Sur. The journey takes between three and a half to four and a half hours, depending on the service and time of day. Services usually take a 20-minute break in the town of Navalmoral de la Mata.

• From Seville, the south, Salamanca and the north: Buses from the Alsa company run this corridor, passing through Cáceres.

• Cáceres is a very compact city so it is unlikely that visitors will need to use public transport. All areas of the city are within 30 minutes walk of the centre.

• The small streets in the historical centre have many small shops selling typical products. The convents sell homemade sweets and pastries. Typical wines from Extremadura are affordable, full-bodied reds. Local liqueurs include cherry liqueur from the nearby Jerte valley, or other original liqueurs such as chestnut and blackberry. Other produce in the Province include sheep's cheese (Torta del Casar, is not made of goat's milk, but with milk from merino sheep), fig cake, chestnuts, hams and other pork products, lamb, olive oil, and paprika (pimentón de la Vera).

• Salt-cured ham and red wine are produced locally and are officially recognized by the Spanish government. Both goat's and sheep's cheese are produced by traditional methods and renowned throughout the country. Cáceres is also famous for its stews, roast meats (especially pork, lamb and game), fried breadcrumbs (migas), trout, pastries and honey. (Wikivoyage, Wikipedia)

Cáceres, Spain

Tourist Attractions in Cáceres

Restaurants, Bars and Clubs

Hotels and Hostels

Tourist Info

See also Cáceres in Pictures.

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