Extremadura, stone, dehesa and a sky of birds.

Extremadura is the large, sparsely populated region of the west, between Castile and Portugal: two provinces, Cáceres and Badajoz, plenty of holm oak and cork oak dehesa, deep-cut rivers such as the Tagus and the Guadiana, and stone cities that grew rich on the conquest of America or have stayed almost intact since Roman times. It has three World Heritage sites: the monumental city of Cáceres, the archaeological ensemble of Mérida and the monastery of Guadalupe. And it has sky: vultures, eagles, cranes in winter and kestrels on the roofs of the villages.

Which part of Extremadura should I choose?

It depends on what you are looking for and how much time you have. For stone and squares, Trujillo: a Plaza Mayor of palaces, the medieval town and a granite castle, forty minutes from Cáceres; it can be seen in a day and shines more with a night. For nature and birds, the Monfragüe National Park, between Plasencia, Trujillo and Cáceres: the Tagus and the Tiétar cut a way between quartzite ridges and on its walls one of the largest colonies of black vulture in the world breeds. For water, terraces and mountain villages, the Jerte Valley, in northern Cáceres, between Gredos and the Sierra de Tormantos, with more than a million and a half cherry trees and the pools of the Garganta de los Infiernos. For a World Heritage monastery among sierras, Guadalupe, in the Villuercas-Ibores-Jara Geopark. For a Jewish quarter, chestnut trees and the Vía Verde by bike, Hervás and the Ambroz Valley. For the Roman city, Mérida, with its theatre and amphitheatre. For an entire medieval city inside its walls, Cáceres. And in the south of Badajoz, the arcaded squares of Zafra and the Templar town of Jerez de los Caballeros, forty minutes from each other.

Northern Cáceres is the mountain Extremadura: gorges, chestnut trees and timber-framed villages, cooler in summer. The centre is flat and dehesa, with Cáceres, Trujillo and Monfragüe less than an hour from each other. The south, the province of Badajoz, is the land of Mérida, of vineyards in the Ribera del Guadiana and of reservoirs, and looks towards Portugal and Andalucía.

How do you get there?

By car, along three motorways. The A-5 crosses the region from east to west, from Madrid to Lisbon, via Navalmoral de la Mata, Trujillo, Miajadas, Mérida and Badajoz. The A-66, the Ruta de la Plata, runs through it from north to south, from Gijón to Seville, via Plasencia, Cáceres, Mérida and close to Zafra. The A-58 joins Trujillo and Cáceres. For the Jerte Valley you enter along the N-110, which comes from Ávila and goes down to Plasencia.

By train, Renfe Media Distancia has services from Madrid to Badajoz via Cáceres, from Madrid to Badajoz via Ciudad Real and Mérida, from Mérida to Seville and from Zafra to Huelva. There are bus stations in the main cities, with lines between provincial capitals and to the large cities of neighbouring regions. The only airport is Badajoz, 14 km from the city, 47 from Mérida and 98 from Cáceres, with scheduled flights to Madrid and Barcelona.

For getting around within the region, the car rules. The parks, the valleys and most of the villages have no practical transport for a day trip. The exception is the cities: Cáceres, Mérida and Trujillo link up well by bus.

When to go?

In spring, without a doubt. From March to May the dehesa is green and in flower, the birds breed in Monfragüe and in the historic centres, and between late March and mid-April the Jerte Valley is covered in white blossom. In autumn, October brings the stag rut in Monfragüe and November the Otoñada in the Jerte, with chestnut trees and cherry trees turning red. Winter is quiet and mild on the plain, the time of the cranes.

Summer is another matter. In July and August the centre and the south easily top 35 °C at midday: in Monfragüe you go out only at dawn and at dusk, and in Trujillo the castle is left for the afternoon. If you go in summer, head north: the pools and gorges of the Jerte are the place.

How do I combine it?

With three or four nights, a good circuit of the centre and north of Cáceres fits. One example: a night in Trujillo for the square and the castle at dusk; a whole day in Monfragüe, less than an hour away, with the Salto del Gitano and the castle first thing; and two nights in the Jerte Valley, north of Plasencia along the N-110. From Madrid, Trujillo is less than three hours along the A-5 and the Jerte, via Ávila, a little under three. From Cáceres and Mérida, almost everything is a Sunday outing.

What is there to eat?

Dehesa and shepherd cooking: Iberian ham, sheep's and goat's cheeses such as torta del Casar, migas, lamb caldereta and, in the Jerte, cherries and picotas in June. The wines are from the Ribera del Guadiana, and several wineries open for visits with tastings.