Reservations

Luxury Travel

Reservations

Luxury Travel

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Lizzi’s Luxury Edit: Extremadura, Spain

Calling all history and movie buffs! Here is something very different, and an area of Spain most people have not heard of as it is little known to the British public.

I was lucky to visit Extremadura in May. We flew into Madrid, although you can also fly to Seville and transfer from there, which means you can start and end your trip with a few days in each of these beautiful cities. I understand that Madrid is THE place to go now, with its Prada Museum and many other iconic sights. It is supposed to be really buzzing!

The transfer to Extremadura is currently quite long, just over 3 hours, but this is all set to change with a new high-speed train which is almost ready. It will take you from Madrid to Extremadura, through glorious countryside, in about 90 minutes.

Extremadura includes lush green valleys and is dotted with charming old-fashioned villages. National Parks are home to spectacular birdlife and we saw some impressive birds of prey. Extremadura is also known as the “land of discoverers” as the majority of America’s discoverers came from this region, including Cortes, Pizarro and Francisco de Orellana.

We visited Plasencia, full of historic palaces and ancestral homes as it was once on the Silver Route. It also has a spectacular cathedral. Then on to Caceres, a World Heritage City because of its blend of many civilisations throughout history. It has an incredibly large walled medieval city, one of the filming locations for Game of Thrones. We took an early morning balloon ride over the city, which was amazing.

Our next stop was Merida, and we were lucky to arrive on the weekend of Emerita Lvdica, when Merida relives its Roman past, with mock gladiator fights and legionaries marching across the longest remaining Roman bridge. The Roman amphitheatre is one of the largest and best-preserved anywhere in the world and Merida is where the original gladiator from the film actually came from! 

On top of all this incredible history and sightseeing, the area is renowned for its cuisine, especially its cheeses and Iberian Ham, and it also produces fantastic wine. Wonderful hotels, many converted palaces, offer fabulous accommodation.

I’d go there before the secret gets out and more people discover this hidden gem!

Feeling inspired? See stunning Extremadura, Spain for yourself. Get in touch with Lizzi by emailing [email protected] to book your dream trip!

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