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Boutique hotels in Extremadura

Holidays in Extremadura, Spain

Extremadura Overview

Spain

Countryside
Wild, wild west
Country life
Muchas siestas

The sunshine state in a land that gets plenty, this uncrowded rural region gets fantastic weather when much of Europe is still shivering.

The lack of coastline has kept mass tourism at bay: this is a part of Spain where donkeys plod through quiet olive groves, and life passes slowly with the changing of the seasons. Sleepy fortified towns overlooking the Portuguese borderlands bear traces of Roman, Moorish and mediaeval glory and are graced by Conquistador mansions paid for with plundered Aztec and Inca gold. Today, the treasure troves of Pizarro and Cortés are matched by an El Dorado of regional delicacies to tempt a new breed of explorer.

Essentially Extremadura

Extremadura’s tracts of pastureland are criss-crossed by ancient drove roads called cañadas reales (royal roads) and vías pecuarias (drove roads), which were once used to transport vast flocks of sheep to market. They now make excellent hiking trails.

Local knowledge

Taxis
Best to ask your hotel to order one.

Tipping culture
Ten per cent is normal. Be aware: in ‘local’ places the waiters often do the sums in their head and you won’t get a written bill.

Siesta and Fiesta
You’ll need to embrace siesta in the summer heat. Some larger shops stay open but many close between 13h and 17h.

Packing tips
The strong sunshine means it’s wise to bring a hat.

Recommended reads
The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico by Miguel León-Portilla; Don Quixote by Cervantes.

Cuisine
Extremadura’s cooking is almost mediaeval: roast suckling pig, game (especially in autumn), and wild frog all feature on menus in the region. There’s also a good range of local gazpacho recipes, sheep’s-milk cheese and cured ham, including jamón de bellota, made from acorn- and herb-fed pigs. Yemas (candied egg yolks) and licor de cereza (cherry liqueur) are delicious if you have a sweet tooth. Ribera del Guadiana whites are the region’s most famous wines.

Currency
Euro.

Dialling codes
Country code for Spain: 34. Badajoz: 924.

Do go/don't go
You get really good weather from April to October – July and August are not crowded (because everyone has headed for the sea) but might be too hot for some people. Winters are generally mild with some snow in the hills.