Out and about in Badajoz
Exploring Badajoz by hire car
Badajoz's strategic location on the Portuguese marshes, between Lisbon and Madrid, attracts visitors to its nearby UNESCO World Heritage sites of Mérida and Cornalvo. The whole area is awash with history and historic drives.
Today, the city's modern quarters expand far beyond the old town's ramparts. Sightseers head across the narrow Puente de Palmas (Palm Bridge) over the Guadiana River and through the Puerta de Palmas, a 16th century gateway, to reach the historic centre. The main sights are the imposing Gothic cathedral, and the ruined Moorish Alcazaba, containing the interesting Archaeological Museum.
The area around Badajoz consists of prehistoric dolmens, castles and little white villages among holm-oak and cork-oak forests. The ancient Roman provincial capital of Mérida, a UNESCO World Heritage site, stands out with its innumerable monuments; the National Museum of Roman Art is of particular interest.
The Roman pilgrimage road, known as Vía de la Plata (the Silver Road), is an interesting drive that links the nearby towns of Mérida, Cáceres and Plascenicia, then carries on across the country. Not far from this road are the nature reserves of Monfragüe and Cornalvo, noted for their more than 200 species of vegetation.
Cornalvo reserve also boasts a Roman archaeological site famed for its Roman theatre and the Roman dam of Cornalvo, declared a national monument in 1912. The four-kilometre long dam was constructed to resemble the shape of a horn.
On the drive along the Silver Road, the Arab walled old town of Cáceres has a magnificently preserved old quarter. Gold-stone mansions, homes of the nobility in the 15th and 16th centuries, line quaint narrow streets; one of the mansions contains the Cáceres Museum.
Exploring the cobbled streets of the nearby small town of Plasencia is an agreeable experience increased by many traditional bars serving tapas with heady local wine, known as pitarra. The cathedrals are the main sight, with magnificent façades and ornate choir stalls. From the cloisters, there is a good view of the chapterhouse tower, capped by fish-scale tiles.
Travelling by car from Madrid is made easy by the E-90 highway, running all the way to Badajoz and on to Portugal. The E-803 links the town with the hub of the southwest, Seville.
Badajoz website
