Spain
The Atlas

Destinations

Browse where to go by trip role, region, or category. Every place carries an editorial judgment, not a star rating.

Trip Role
Region
Category
23 places
Sierra de Gata
Worth a Detour
Comarca

Sierra de Gata

Extremadura

Cáceres's northwest corner on the Portuguese border, where three villages speak a language of their own.

Monfragüe National Park
Recommended
National Park

Monfragüe National Park

Extremadura

Premier birdwatching wilderness offering a rare look at protected vultures and eagles in flight

Source Verified
Cuacos de Yuste
Quick Stop
Village

Cuacos de Yuste

Extremadura

The village below the monastery of Yuste, with water channels, flowered balconies and good restaurants.

La Vera
Worth a Detour
Comarca

La Vera

Extremadura

Paprika, chestnut groves and cold mountain streams under the Gredos range.

Las Hurdes
Worth a Detour
Comarca

Las Hurdes

Extremadura

Terraced valleys and slate villages in the mountains north of Extremadura, cut off for centuries.

Meandro del Melero
Recommended
Viewpoint

Meandro del Melero

Extremadura

A horseshoe bend of the Alagón seen from the road, and the view that made Las Hurdes known.

Villuercas, Ibores and Jara
Worth a Detour
Comarca

Villuercas, Ibores and Jara

Extremadura

Parallel ridges in eastern Cáceres where the geology is the sight, and a monastery town at the edge.

Las Mestas
Quick Stop
Village

Las Mestas

Extremadura

The oldest village in Las Hurdes, at the head of a valley where the road turns toward Salamanca.

Chorro de la Meancera
Recommended
Attraction

Chorro de la Meancera

Extremadura

A waterfall and swimming pool on the river Hurdano, twenty minutes on foot from the road.

Jarandilla de la Vera
Overnight
Town

Jarandilla de la Vera

Extremadura

The practical base for La Vera, built around a castle a Habsburg emperor stayed in.

San Martín de Trevejo
Overnight
Village

San Martín de Trevejo

Extremadura

A granite and whitewash village where they still speak A Fala, a language of their own.

Cáceres
Overnight
City

Cáceres

Extremadura

A serene, superbly preserved medieval walled city, with comparatively few visitors.

Source Verified
Mérida
Quick Stop
City

Mérida

Extremadura

A treasure trove of antiquity featuring the best-preserved Roman theater and bridge in Spain

Source Verified
Roman Theatre of Mérida
Essential
Archaeological Site

Roman Theatre of Mérida

Extremadura

Spain's foremost Roman archaeological site, centered on a great theatre and its surrounding ruins.

Source Verified
Jerte Valley (Cherry Blossoms)
Optional
Valley

Jerte Valley (Cherry Blossoms)

Extremadura

A fleeting, spectacular mountain event where millions of cherry trees bloom to blanket the valley in white

Source Verified
Guadalupe Monastery
Recommended
Monastery

Guadalupe Monastery

Extremadura

Spiritually significant monastery featuring ornate Mudejar cloisters and a rich colonial history

Source Verified
Garganta de los Infiernos
Recommended
Swimming Spot

Garganta de los Infiernos

Extremadura

Granite rock pools in the Jerte valley, scooped out by the river and ice-cold in July.

Gata
Quick Stop
Village

Gata

Extremadura

The sierra's working town, with a plaza, a market and none of the fuss of its neighbours.

Villuercas-Ibores-Jara Geopark
Recommended
Natural Park

Villuercas-Ibores-Jara Geopark

Extremadura

A UNESCO geopark of folded ridges: mountains you can read like a diagram.

Trujillo
Quick Stop
Town

Trujillo

Extremadura

A dramatic, uncrowded town featuring an imposing castle and the storied birthplace of the conquistadors

Source Verified
Monastery of Yuste
Optional
Monastery

Monastery of Yuste

Extremadura

Quiet monastic retreat where Holy Roman Emperor Charles V chose to spend his final days

Source Verified
Cañamero
Quick Stop
Village

Cañamero

Extremadura

A working village at the foot of the Villuercas ridges, with the geopark centre nearby.

Trevejo
Worth a Detour
Village

Trevejo

Extremadura

A ruined castle stranded on a rock above a hamlet of a few houses.

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