# Cerca de Badajoz

Badajoz is on the border, and half of its routes cross into Portugal: Évora, Monsaraz and Marvão, in the Alentejo. To the east, the A-5 leads to Mérida, Cáceres and Trujillo; to the south, to Zafra, Jerez de los Caballeros and the Sierra de Aracena.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/badajoz/getaways

## Planes de un día
- [Mérida: theatre, museum and Alcazaba](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/merida/itineraries/roman-theatre-museum-and-alcazaba.md) (48 min en coche): Theatre and amphitheatre at 9:30 with the joint ticket, the National Museum of Roman Art free on Sundays, a charcoal grill beside the Alcazaba and an afternoon from the bridge to the aqueduct.
- [Jerez de los Caballeros: towers and citadel](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/jerez-de-los-caballeros/itineraries/towers-and-templars-with-a-guide.md) (1 h 1 en coche): A guided visit to San Miguel, San Bartolomé and the Templar citadel, the Museum of Sacred Art with its Holy Week display, lunch beside Santa María and back along the wall.
- [Zafra: squares, convent and spa](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/zafra/itineraries/squares-santa-clara-and-spa.md) (1 h 7 en coche): Plaza Grande and Plaza Chica with their measuring rod, the cloister of Santa Clara, the Zafra Única route, lunch in the Feria family's fortress and an afternoon on the thermal circuit at El Raposo.
- [Évora: megaliths with an archaeologist](https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/alentejo/evora/itineraries/almendres-megaliths-with-an-archaeologist.md) (1 h 15 en coche): Three hours with an archaeologist among the nearly one hundred Almendres menhirs and the great Zambujeiro dolmen, lunch in Évora and the afternoon at the cathedral and the Roman temple.
- [Évora: temple, cathedral and bones](https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/alentejo/evora/itineraries/roman-temple-and-bone-chapel.md) (1 h 15 en coche): Évora is an hour and a quarter from Badajoz and its walled centre can be seen on foot in a day: the cathedral terrace, the Roman temple, the Chapel of Bones and the aqueduct.
- [Cáceres: towers, palace and cistern](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/caceres/itineraries/bujaco-golfines-and-cistern.md) (1 h 22 en coche): The Torre de Bujaco, the Golfines de Abajo palace with a guide, the cistern at the Museo de Cáceres and lunch at the parador; an afternoon of squares and churches.
- [Cáceres and Trujillo: King's Landing and Casterly Rock](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/caceres/itineraries/kings-landing-and-casterly-rock.md) (1 h 22 en coche): A free film tour through the Cáceres of Euron Greyjoy, the Plaza de Santa María and San Jorge, Extremaduran lunch and, in the afternoon, Casterly Rock at Trujillo castle.
- [On foot from Castelo de Vide to Marvão](https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/alentejo/marvao/itineraries/pr3-trail-from-castelo-de-vide.md) (1 h 25 en coche): Almost ten waymarked kilometres between two border towns, with a final climb on a medieval cobbled path among chestnut trees. You eat in Marvão and walk the walls at sunset.
- [Marvão: chestnut fair](https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/alentejo/marvao/itineraries/roast-chestnuts-at-the-fair.md) (1 h 25 en coche): Roast chestnuts and producers' stalls along the streets of Marvão at its November festival, a climb to the castle and Alentejo lunch with the plain spread out in front of you. An hour and a half from Badajoz.
- [Marvão and Castelo de Vide](https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/alentejo/marvao/itineraries/walls-and-jewish-quarter-castelo-de-vide.md) (1 h 25 en coche): A morning in Marvão, the walled town on a granite ridge, with the castle and its cistern; lunch and afternoon in Castelo de Vide, 11 km away, with its medieval Jewish quarter.
- [Monsaraz: town, menhirs and potters](https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/alentejo/monsaraz/itineraries/menhirs-potters-and-alqueva-views.md) (1 h 29 en coche): A town of two white streets with a castle overlooking Lake Alqueva, a medieval fresco of the good and the bad judge, a menhir enclosure and Portugal's largest pottery village.
- [Monsaraz: lake beach and sunset](https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/alentejo/monsaraz/itineraries/summer-lake-beach-and-sunset.md) (1 h 29 en coche): A swim at the river beach on Alqueva lake, with lifeguards and a children's area, lunch in the shade and a climb up to the town when the sun goes down, to see the lake from the castle.
- [Trujillo: HABLA winery and sunset at the castle](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/trujillo/itineraries/trujillo-habla-winery-tasting-and-castle-sunset.md) (1 h 41 en coche): A three-wine tasting with tapas at Bodegas HABLA at 12:30, lunch in its gastrobar and, in the afternoon, the Plaza Mayor and the guided climb to the castle as the sun goes down.
- [Trujillo: square, medieval village and castle](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/trujillo/itineraries/trujillo-main-square-and-castle-with-a-guide.md) (1 h 41 en coche): A morning guided visit with four tickets, from the castle to the Pizarro House; lunch in the parador refectory and an afternoon of square, churches or kestrels.
- [Aracena: the Gruta and ham in Jabugo](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-de-aracena/itineraries/aracena-marvels-cave-and-jabugo-ham.md) (1 h 55 en coche): A ham cellar in Jabugo in the morning, the Gruta de las Maravillas at a set time, an Iberian lunch next to the cave and Aracena castle in the afternoon.
- [Aracena: chestnut groves and cave](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-de-aracena/itineraries/autumn-among-chestnut-groves-from-huelva.md) (1 h 55 en coche): A short route among yellow chestnut trees and pigs fattening on acorns at Castaño del Robledo, Iberian lunch in Aracena and the cave in the afternoon. An hour and a quarter from Seville.

## Destinos de 1 h a 1 h 30 en coche
- [Évora](https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/alentejo/evora.md), 1 h 15 by car: The capital of the Alentejo: a walled World Heritage centre, with a Roman temple, a cathedral with a terrace and the Chapel of Bones. It can be seen on foot in a day.
- [Marvão](https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/alentejo/marvao.md), 1 h 30 by car: A walled village high on a granite ridge, half an hour from Valencia de Alcántara. A castle with a cistern, white streets and views over two countries.
- [Monsaraz](https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/alentejo/monsaraz.md), 1 h 30 by car: A walled village above Lake Alqueva, next to the Badajoz border. By day, a freshwater beach and menhirs; by night, one of the darkest skies in Europe.

## The border is on the outskirts

Badajoz has the border on its outskirts, so routes divide between two countries. To the west, the Portuguese A6 crosses the Caia beside Elvas and continues across the plain to [Évora](/en/portugal/alentejo/evora); to the north-west, via Portalegre, you climb to [Marvão](/en/portugal/alentejo/marvao), and to the south-west, on the other side of Lake Alqueva, lies [Monsaraz](/en/portugal/alentejo/monsaraz). All three are towns of the [Alentejo](/en/portugal/alentejo) and fit into a Sunday, with one sum not to forget: Portugal is an hour behind.

To the east, the A-5 takes you in fifty minutes to [Mérida](/en/spain/extremadura/merida) and continues to [Trujillo](/en/spain/extremadura/trujillo); [Cáceres](/en/spain/extremadura/caceres) is an hour and twenty minutes away. To the south run the N-432, which goes to [Zafra](/en/spain/extremadura/zafra), and the N-435, which passes through [Jerez de los Caballeros](/en/spain/extremadura/jerez-de-los-caballeros) on the way to the [Sierra de Aracena](/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-de-aracena), already in Huelva.

Without a car there are fewer options, but there are some. Renfe Media Distancia goes to Mérida, with the station a quarter of an hour's walk from the theatre, and to Cáceres, with the station about two kilometres from the Plaza Mayor. On the other side, the CP regional links Badajoz with Elvas and Entroncamento. A bus reaches Jerez de los Caballeros, with few departures; Évora, Marvão and Monsaraz are, in practice, car trips.

## Mérida, the only one under an hour

**Less than an hour away** there is only Mérida (48 minutes): the theatre and amphitheatre, the National Museum of Roman Art and the Alcazaba beside the Guadiana. It is also the most convenient by train.

**Between an hour and an hour and a half** is almost everything else. To the south, Jerez de los Caballeros (61 minutes), with its Templar alcazaba and four Baroque towers, and Zafra (67), with the Plaza Grande, the Plaza Chica and the alcázar of the Dukes of Feria; they are about forty minutes from each other. To the west, Évora (75), Marvão (85) and Monsaraz (89). To the north, monumental Cáceres (82).

A little further on, **between an hour and a half and two hours**, are Trujillo (101 minutes), with its Plaza Mayor and castle, and the Sierra de Aracena (115), with the Gruta de las Maravillas and Jabugo ham. Aracena works for a day, but also for two nights.

**Further away** the trip calls for a weekend: [Monfragüe and its birds](/en/spain/extremadura/monfrague/itineraries/monfrague-birdwatching-weekend-from-madrid), about two hours twenty away, and, a little over three hours away, [Doñana and El Rocío](/en/spain/andalusia/donana-and-el-rocio/itineraries/donana-el-rocio-marshes-weekend) or [La Alberca and the Sierra de Francia](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/la-alberca/itineraries/la-alberca-sierra-de-francia-weekend).

## The Alentejo, green in spring

In winter the cities with plenty to see under cover work: Mérida, with the museum free on Sunday morning, and [Zafra with an afternoon at the El Raposo spa](/en/spain/extremadura/zafra/itineraries/squares-santa-clara-and-spa), a plan at its best from October to April.

Spring is the season of the Alentejo, with green countryside: Évora and the Almendres menhirs, explored [with an archaeologist](/en/portugal/alentejo/evora/itineraries/almendres-megaliths-with-an-archaeologist), and the walking route [from Castelo de Vide to Marvão along the PR3](/en/portugal/alentejo/marvao/itineraries/pr3-trail-from-castelo-de-vide). It is also the best time for the birds of Monfragüe.

In July and August the plain often exceeds 35 °C, and Évora, Cáceres and Trujillo are not recommended. What works is water: [the river beach on Lake Alqueva at Monsaraz](/en/portugal/alentejo/monsaraz/itineraries/summer-lake-beach-and-sunset), with lifeguards, and the climb to the walls when the sun goes down.

In autumn you go to the chestnut trees. In November, the [Marvão Chestnut Fair](/en/portugal/alentejo/marvao/itineraries/roast-chestnuts-at-the-fair) fills the town with stalls; from October to December, the [chestnut woods of the Sierra de Aracena](/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-de-aracena/itineraries/autumn-among-chestnut-groves-from-huelva) turn yellow and the pigs are in the montanera, and there is a [weekend for seeing them at leisure](/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-de-aracena/itineraries/sierra-de-aracena-autumn-chestnuts-ham).

## Évora, from the Roman temple to the Chapel of Bones

- **Without a car, in a day:** [Mérida on a Sunday](/en/spain/extremadura/merida/itineraries/roman-theatre-museum-and-alcazaba). Theatre and amphitheatre at 9:30 with the combined ticket, the free museum, grilled food beside the Alcazaba and the afternoon from the Roman bridge to the aqueduct.
- **Across the border:** [Évora, from the Roman temple to the Chapel of Bones](/en/portugal/alentejo/evora/itineraries/roman-temple-and-bone-chapel). An hour and a quarter along the A6, the cathedral terrace first thing and the whole walled centre on foot.
- **Towards the south:** [Jerez de los Caballeros with a guide](/en/spain/extremadura/jerez-de-los-caballeros/itineraries/towers-and-templars-with-a-guide). The Templar alcazaba and the towers of San Miguel and San Bartolomé in the morning, the Museum of Sacred Art and the wall in the afternoon. The tourist office is closed on Sunday: book the visit beforehand.