Things to do
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Arco de la Estrella
Built at an angle so carriages could turn through it, this broad arch is the main gate from the Plaza Mayor into the walled town. A small statue of the Virgin of the Star sits above it, and the lane beyond climbs straight towards the Co-cathedral. Pass through once by day and again at night, when the square behind is lit.
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Cáceres Old Town
Granite mansions, fortified towers and carved coats of arms crowd a hill of narrow cobbled lanes inside the medieval walls, a World Heritage ensemble with almost no modern building inside it. Walk it twice: early morning for empty streets, then after dark when floodlights warm the stone. Storks nest on the towers from late winter into summer. Motor traffic inside the walls is restricted, and the car parks sit below the old town.
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Co-cathedral of Santa María
Inside the walls, on the square of the same name, this Gothic church holds a carved cedar altarpiece and a bell tower that visitors can climb for a view over the palaces; sightseeing visits pause during services. Outside the corner stands a bronze statue of San Pedro de Alcántara, whose toes have been polished bright by passers-by rubbing them for luck.
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Monfragüe National Park
Cliffs above the Tagus about 60 kilometres north of Cáceres hold one of Spain's great bird colonies: griffon and black vultures, Spanish imperial eagles and eagle owls. Watch the vultures from the Salto del Gitano viewpoint, a 300 metre cliff, then climb the castle's steps for the whole valley. The visitor centre is in Villarreal de San Carlos. A car is needed, and mornings bring the most movement.
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Museo Helga de Alvear
Contemporary art fills a sharp white building on the edge of the old town, drawn from one of the largest private collections of its kind in Europe: installation, photography, painting and video from the twentieth century to now. The galleries are cool and quiet, which makes them a sound choice for a hot afternoon, and a full visit runs to about ninety minutes.
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Museum of Cáceres
Housed in the Casa de las Veletas at the top of the old town, the provincial museum mixes archaeology with a fine art wing that includes works by Picasso and Miró. Its real draw lies underground: a vaulted Moorish cistern, its arches standing in still water, beneath the courtyard. A visit takes about an hour, with the cistern reached from the main building.
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Palacio de los Golfines de Abajo
Behind a façade studded with family shields, this fortified mansion is one of the few noble houses in the old town still furnished and open inside. Guided tours lead through the rooms, the courtyard and the family archive, which gives the bare granite streets outside a sense of how these houses were lived in. Tours run at set times, so check them before arriving.
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Plaza Mayor
Arcaded on one side and open to the walls on the other, the main square is where the old town meets the newer city and where Cáceres comes out in the evening. Terraces line the arcades, and the Arco de la Estrella and the Torre de Bujaco face them across the paving. Come at dusk, when the walls are lit and the café tables fill.
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Torre de Bujaco
Rising from the walls above the Plaza Mayor, this square tower is one of the few stretches of the defences open to climb. A small interpretation centre inside explains the walls, and the battlements give a close view down onto the square and across the rooftops of the old town. Allow half an hour, and combine it with the walk through the Arco de la Estrella beside it.
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Trujillo
Fifty kilometres east of Cáceres, this hill town of granite palaces gathers around one of the handsomest main squares in Extremadura, watched over by an equestrian statue and topped by a Moorish castle. Climb to the castle for the plains below, then come down for lunch under the square's arcades. A half day covers it, and a car makes it an easy trip.
