# Jerez de los Caballeros What to see in Jerez de los Caballeros: the Templar alcazaba, the Baroque towers of its churches, Balboa's house, the Templar Festival and where to eat and sleep. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/extremadura/jerez-de-los-caballeros · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Jerez de los Caballeros is the Templar town of Extremadura. On a hill south-west of Badajoz, among holm-oak dehesas, the Order of the Temple rebuilt a Muslim alcazaba in the 13th century and made it the capital of its bailiwick; in its keep, the Torre Sangrienta (Bloody Tower), tradition places the end of the last Templars. Centuries later, after the earthquake of 1755, its four parish churches raised Baroque bell towers of brick, glazed clay and blue ceramics that draw the town's skyline. Vasco Núñez de Balboa was born here, and it is acorn-fed Iberian ham country. It can be seen in an unhurried day. ## How to get there from Badajoz or Zafra By car. From Badajoz it is about 75 km, a little over an hour. From Zafra, about 38 km, about forty minutes, so they combine well on the same day. From Mérida, an hour and a half; from Seville and from Huelva, a little over two hours. The tourist office points to the EX-112 and the N-435 as the access roads. Without a car there are buses from Badajoz, Seville and other nearby towns, with few departures. The station is on calle Rodeo, a few minutes' walk from the Plaza de España. ## Where to park The upper town is cobbled and sloping, and the alcazaba is right at the top. Leave the car below, on the streets around the Plaza de España or the bus station, and walk up. The tourist office has information on car parks and a motorhome area. ## What to see in a day Start at the tourist office, in the Centro Cultural San Agustín, for the map and the churches' opening hours for the day. If you want a guide, the Tour Extremadura guided tour leaves from the Plaza de España: an hour and a half through San Miguel, San Bartolomé, the castle, the alcazaba and the wall, for €11 and free for under-12s. Book it beforehand. On your own, follow the route the tourist office suggests: enter by the Puerta de Burgos, with the statue of Hernando de Soto, climb to the alcazaba and the Torre Sangrienta, and come down through the Puerta de la Villa to the Plaza de España, presided over by the tower of San Miguel Arcángel. Next to the alcazaba is Santa María de la Encarnación, the oldest church, with a Visigothic inscription from the year 556. In the upper quarter, San Bartolomé has the most colourful tower, from 1759, and the font where Balboa was baptised. After lunch, the Museo de Arte Sacro, in the Palacio de la Vicaría, with the permanent exhibition of Jerez's Holy Week; it opens on Sunday mornings. And about 200 m away, the Casa Museo de Vasco Núñez de Balboa, his birthplace. ## Where to eat and sleep For Sunday lunch, the Restaurante Santa María, family-run for more than forty years, on the plaza de Santa María, next to the alcazaba; closed on Wednesdays. Caeriana, at the entrance by the Zafra road, serves holm-oak grill and fish. To sleep, the four-star Hotel Rural Arroyo La Plata, among dehesas 4 km away, with a restaurant; in the town, the Hotel Oasis and the Hotel Los Templarios, with a pool in summer. ## When to go In spring and autumn. Jerez's Holy Week is of National Tourist Interest, with processions through the four parish churches. In July, the Templar Festival turns the town for four days into the town of the Temple, with theatre in the castle. There is also a Salón del Jamón Ibérico y la Dehesa and a Noche en Blanco in October. In August, mornings and nights are better. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Zafra (a 33.0 km), Sierra de Aracena (a 50.9 km), Monsaraz (a 54.8 km · Portugal), Mérida (a 76.0 km) ## Qué hacer - **Templar alcazaba and Bloody Tower** (45 min · Everyone · On your own · free): From Muslim Xeris to the Templar bailiwick The alcazaba occupies the top of the hill on which Jerez grew. Its origin is Muslim, from when the town was called Xerixa or Xeris, and inside you can still read features of that first fortress. In 1230 Alfonso IX of León reconquered the town and gave it to the Order of the Temple, which rebuilt the fortress and wall and made Jerez the capital of its bailiwick, the district from which it administered its lands in the area. When the Order was dissolved, at the beginning of the 14th century, tradition places the last Templar resistance in the keep, and from that story it takes the name Bloody Tower. Later Henry II gave the town to the knights of Santiago, who made the last alterations. What you see on the climb The plan is pentagonal, with semicircular crenellated towers and the keep dominating everything. From above you see the old town from a bird's-eye view, with the Baroque towers of San Bartolomé and San Miguel standing out over the rooftops, and the dehesa pastureland that surrounds the town. Right next to it is the church of Santa María de la Encarnación, the oldest in the town, and on the same square, the Restaurante Santa María, in case the climb coincides with lunchtime. In by one gate and out by another The wall had six gates, and the tourist office proposes a simple route: enter by the Burgos gate, climb to the alcazaba and leave by the Villa gate. The Burgos gate takes its name from the road to Burguillos del Cerro; it is a pointed arch of granite voussoirs under the crenellated wall, damaged in 1706 and rebuilt in the mid-19th century. The Villa gate is the most important in the enclosure, with a semicircular arch, remains of a machicolation and an interior ramped, bent passage covered with brick vaults. They are at opposite ends, so walking between them is the best way to understand the medieval town. If you want to complete the circuit, the walk along the wall and its gates adds the Santiago gate, beside the chapel of the same name, and the remains of the others. When and how The wall, the gates and the surroundings of the alcazaba can be walked freely and without a ticket. The streets of the old town are cobbled and steep: comfortable shoes, and in July and August avoid the middle of the day. For a guided visit, ask at the tourist office, in the Centro Cultural San Agustín (924 730 372), which is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 18:30. If you come on the dates of the Templar Festival, check the programme first: much of the activity takes place in the old town. - **San Bartolomé church and its ceramic tower** (30 min · Everyone): Jerez is the city of towers: four parishes with four Baroque belfries built after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. The one at San Bartolomé, in the upper district, is the most colourful and the one that gets the most photos. It is on Plaza de San Bartolomé and is a Site of Cultural Interest. History The church began as a chapel. Gothic traces of that first 13th-century church survive, and an inscription in Gothic letters on its walls says that a chapel was finished in 1508. The present building is from the 15th century, with alterations in the 16th and 17th. The first tower fell in the 1755 earthquake. The one seen today was built in 1759 and is about 60 m tall, like that of Santa Catalina. What to see Outside, the tower mixes exposed brick, terracotta, plasterwork and blue-and-white glazed ceramic. The main façade is covered in tiles with ceramic discs that form borders of Baroque motifs. It is worth looking at it calmly, from the square and from the streets that run down. Inside, the high altar has a simple but ornate altarpiece, the work of José de la Barrera, placed in 1691. Look also for the baptismal font in which tradition says Vasco Núñez de Balboa was baptised, the Commanders' chapel and the tomb of Vasco de Xerez. From the top of the tower there are views over the whole old town. The climb is not always available: the tourist office asks that you enquire first. Hours and admission Turismo de Extremadura states that admission is free and that the hours should be checked at the tourist office, on 924 730 372. The parish publishes ticket information on its website. As a church in use for worship, it is visited outside services, in silence, in suitable clothing and without flash. Allow half an hour, a little more if you climb the tower. How to get there and what to combine San Bartolomé is in the upper part, outside the alcazaba's core: you walk there from Plaza de España along sloping streets. It is the natural partner of the Vasco Núñez de Balboa House Museum, and the Tour Extremadura guided visit passes through here. To see the four towers, add Santa María and San Miguel; Santa Catalina is outside the walls, in the lower district. - **Circuit of the wall by its gates** (1 h · 1.7 km · Everyone · On your own · free): The wall of Jerez de los Caballeros runs 1,700 m round the hill and keeps 18 of its 26 towers standing. It was built in Muslim times and rebuilt by the Order of the Temple after the conquest of 1230. Walking it by its gates is the best way to understand the city: it is free, can be done at any time and in an hour leaves you at Plaza de España. The six gates It had six gates and two remain complete, at opposite ends of the enclosure. The Burgos gate, to the east, takes its name from the road to Burguillos del Cerro. It has a pointed opening with granite voussoirs and pyramidal crenellations. It was damaged in 1706, repaired in 1707 and rebuilt in the mid-19th century. Beside it is the statue of Hernando de Soto, another conquistador from Jerez. The Villa gate, to the west, the most important, opens onto Plaza de España: a semicircular granite arch, remains of a machicolation and an interior ramped, bent passage covered with brick vaults. Next to it is the small chapel of San Antoñito. Of the other four, remains survive. The Santiago gate, or Alhóndiga gate, keeps part of its tower beside the chapel of Santiago and one of the round towers that is best seen. The Puerta Nueva, the last to be opened, in 1659, can be partly recognised among the houses. Of the Alconchel gate there are remains embedded in later buildings, and the Seville gate, to the south, has disappeared: it survives only in the layout of the streets. The route The tourist office proposes this circuit: Start at the Burgos gate, beside the statue of Hernando de Soto. Go up Calle Templarios. Reach the Templar alcazaba, with the Bloody Tower and views over the dehesa. Go down Corazón de María and cross the bend of the Villa gate to Plaza de España. Allow an hour at a leisurely pace. The streets are cobbled and sloping: comfortable shoes, and in summer, better first thing or at dusk. Dogs are allowed, on a lead. Practical and what to combine Gates and wall are free to access from the street at any hour; there is no ticket office. On the upper square, beside the alcazaba, is the church of Santa María, the oldest in Jerez. The office suggests linking with the palaces route, which ends at the alcazaba, and its website has interactive maps and a PDF plan. If you prefer a guide, the Tour Extremadura visit covers castle, alcazaba and wall. - **Plaza de España and the church of San Miguel Arcángel** (30 min · Everyone): Plaza de España is the living room of Jerez de los Caballeros: people meet here, have a drink on the terraces and many walks around the old town begin. It is presided over by the church of San Miguel Arcángel, whose tower is one of the four that give Jerez its nickname of city of towers. The square It is at the west exit of the walled enclosure, just where the Villa gate opens, the most important of the Templar wall, with its semicircular granite arch and its ramped, bent passage. Turismo de Extremadura also lists in the square the old town hall buildings among the city's historic buildings. It is the usual meeting point: the Tour Extremadura guided visit leaves from here. The church of San Miguel Arcángel It was begun in the mid-15th century and its construction dragged on until the 18th, which is why it mixes Gothic and Baroque. One of its doorways keeps the original Gothic. What you see most is the brick and glazed-clay tower, which peeks out from almost anywhere in Jerez. Like those of San Bartolomé and Santa Catalina, it is a Baroque belfry built after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, which damaged the old towers. Inside, the tourist office highlights the altarpieces, the frescoes and the dome. During Holy Week, of National Tourist Interest, San Miguel is one of the four parishes from which the floats set out and to which they return. How to visit The square is free at any hour. The church is a parish and is visited outside services; no hours are published, so ask at the tourist office, on 924 730 372. Respect worship: silence, suitable clothing and no flash. Allow half an hour for the square and the church. With a dog, the square is fine; the church does not allow them. What to combine The square is the natural end of the circuit of the wall by its gates that the tourist office proposes: you start at the Burgos gate, climb to the Templar alcazaba and come down through the Villa gate to here. A few minutes away are the Museum of Sacred Art and the Vasco Núñez de Balboa House Museum. If you come in July, the square and the streets of the centre fill up during the Templar Festival. The rest of the year it is a quiet place to stop mid-morning, with the San Miguel tower above. - **Church of Santa María de la Encarnación** (20 min · Everyone): Santa María de la Encarnación is the oldest church in Jerez de los Caballeros and the one that best tells what existed before the Templars. It is on Plaza de Santa María, hard against the alcazaba, at the very top of the old town, and is seen on the same walk as the fortress. History: from the Visigoths to the 16th century Its origin is Visigothic. Inside is preserved a column with an inscription from the year 556 recording the date of foundation: for the tourist office, it is the oldest religious testimony in the town. On that church the present one was built. Turismo de Extremadura dates it to the mid-15th century, with an extension in the 16th, which is the fabric you see today. That it stands beside the fortress is no accident. This was the church of the upper enclosure, that of the alcazaba the Templars rebuilt in the 13th century and which later passed to the Order of Santiago. What to see Outside, its tower is the most sober of the four in the city of towers: four stages of granite and rubble masonry, of robust appearance, above the main entrance. In contrast to the brick-and-ceramic towers of San Bartolomé and San Miguel, built after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, this one keeps the air of a fortress. Inside it has three naves and a Latin-cross plan, with Baroque decoration. Look for the column with the Visigothic inscription, which is the piece that gives the visit its meaning. How to visit It is a working parish, so it is visited outside services. Neither the tourist office nor Turismo de Extremadura publishes fixed opening hours: you have to ask at the tourist office, on 924 730 372, which is open Tuesday to Saturday morning and afternoon. The office asks for silence, suitable clothing and no flash during services. Allow about 20 minutes. What to combine Santa María is on the same upper square as the Templar alcazaba and the Bloody Tower, free to enter: the natural thing is to see both one after the other. From there you can do the circuit of the wall by its gates and go down through the Villa gate to Plaza de España. For eating nearby, see the Restaurante Santa María. The streets that climb up here are cobbled and steep. If you go with a pushchair or with someone with reduced mobility, ask the tourist office beforehand about the easiest access. - **Museum of Sacred Art and Holy Week exhibition** (45 min · Everyone): The Museum of Sacred Art brings together in one building what the churches and chapels of Jerez de los Caballeros kept for centuries. And recently it has added a permanent exhibition on Jerez's Holy Week, to see on any day of the year. It is one of the few visits in the old town with fixed hours and that is also open on Sunday morning. The building The museum occupies the Vicariate Palace, from the 18th century, which was the residence of the Vicar General of the Order of Santiago, the order that governed Jerez after the Templars. It is on Calle Fuente de los Santos 16, in the old town. The collection The pieces are arranged in five groups. In sculpture there are carvings of primitive workmanship, such as a 16th-century Virgin and Child. The choir books (cantorales) date from the mid-16th century, with ornamented musical notation. The goldwork and silverwork brings together liturgical objects in gold and silver used over centuries. There is painting from churches and chapels of the town, and a last group of reliquaries and altarpieces: urns, lecterns, altars, small altarpieces and Eucharistic urns. The Holy Week exhibition Jerez's Holy Week is of National Tourist Interest. The palace's new permanent exhibition brings together the heritage of its brotherhoods, pieces that previously only went out into the street a few days a year. It serves to understand it before seeing it in spring, or for those who cannot come on those dates: on Palm Sunday the Borriquita comes out, on Holy Monday the Empalaos process, and Holy Thursday, the early hours of Good Friday and the Easter Sunday Holy Encounter are the most intense moments. It is included in the museum visit. Hours and admission The tourist office's museums page gives these hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 19:00, and Sunday 10:00 to 14:00. It is closed on Mondays. The front page of the same website gives the afternoon as 16:30 to 18:30, so, if you go in the afternoon, confirm on 924 750 499. No price is published. Allow about 45 minutes. What to combine About 200 m away is the Vasco Núñez de Balboa House Museum: together they fill a relaxed morning. Then you can see the churches these pieces came from, such as San Bartolomé or San Miguel, on Plaza de España. If you arrive on a Sunday, when other places have no published hours, this museum is a safe bet in the morning. - **Vasco Núñez de Balboa House Museum** (30 min · Everyone): Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the first European to see the Pacific Ocean from America, was born in Jerez de los Caballeros. His birthplace, in the old town, is today an interpretation centre that tells his life in order: childhood in the town, the leap to the Indies, the years he governed territories on the Isthmus of Panama and his execution in 1519. It is a short visit that fits easily between the alcazaba and the churches. What you see inside The house is visited like a home of its time. The tourist office highlights three spaces. The 16th-century kitchen recreates what a Jerez house was like in Balboa's day, with the hearth and everyday utensils. The study evokes the explorer's workplace, with maps, letters and expedition plans. And a room gathers pieces from Panama, the country that keeps his memory and with which Jerez maintains the bond. It is not a museum of great collections, but a place to understand who the best-known son of Jerez was outside Spain. If you travel with children, the kitchen and the study help imagine life five centuries ago better than any panel. Hours and admission The tourist website's front page gives for the Birthplace Interpretation Centre hours of Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 18:30. Its museums page, however, refers you to the tourist office for the day's hours, and the office does not publish a price. The sensible thing is to call 924 730 372 first, especially if you go in the afternoon or on Sunday and Monday, when no opening is listed. Allow half an hour for the visit. How to get there and what to combine The house is in the old town, about 200 m from the Museum of Sacred Art, in the Vicariate Palace: you can see both in the same morning. The streets of the centre are cobbled and sloping, so leave the car outside the walled enclosure and walk up. To complete Balboa's story, go up afterwards to the church of San Bartolomé, where the font in which tradition says he was baptised is kept. From there you go down to Plaza de España and enter the Templar alcazaba. If you prefer to have it told to you, the Tour Extremadura guided visit talks about Balboa and the Conquistadors' Route. The tourist office is in the Centro Cultural San Agustín, at Plaza San Agustín 1, and gives maps and the up-to-date hours of all the monuments. Jerez is reached by car along the EX-112 or the N-435, and by bus from Badajoz and Seville. - **Guided visit to Jerez de los Caballeros** (1 h 30 · Everyone · Desde 11 € per person): Jerez de los Caballeros is much better understood with someone to tell its story. Tour Extremadura, a company of guides from Jerez itself, organises a guided visit of an hour and a half through the old town, the city of towers, leaving from Plaza de España. What you see The route goes through the churches of San Miguel Arcángel and San Bartolomé, with their Baroque towers, and climbs to the castle, the alcazaba and the wall, of Muslim origin and rebuilt by the Templars. Along the way you see stately palaces, chapels and corners of the old town, and from the wall, the views over the dehesas. More than the monuments themselves, the visit rests on the stories of Jerez: the legend of the Bloody Tower, where tradition places the last Templar resistance; the city's connection with Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the discoverer of the Pacific, and with the Conquistadors' Route; and the story of the Templars and of the bollo turco, the almond sweet typical of Jerez. The website does not make clear whether there is a tasting, so do not take it for granted. Price and what is included It costs €11 per person; under-12s do not pay. Entry to monuments and churches is not included: if you want to go into one that charges, it is paid separately. It lasts around 1 h 30. How to book Tour Extremadura does not publish fixed days or departure times, or the language of the visit. You book using the form on its website, stating the number of people and the date, on 634 686 903 or at info@tourextremadura.es. Always book and wait for confirmation before you go. For groups it has its own section, with no rates published in the listing. When and how It is a good first activity as soon as you arrive: afterwards you can go back on your own to what you liked most. The streets are cobbled and sloping, so wear comfortable shoes; in summer avoid the middle of the day. With children it works well, because the Templars and the Bloody Tower grab them, and under-12s go free. What to combine After the visit, go calmly into what the route sees from outside: the Museum of Sacred Art, the Vasco Núñez de Balboa House Museum or the church of Santa María. If you prefer to go on your own, the circuit of the wall by its gates is free. The same company offers visits in Fregenal de la Sierra, Zafra, Olivenza and Mérida. - **Templar Festival** (4 h · Everyone): Every July, for four days, Jerez de los Caballeros returns to the time when it was capital of the Templar bailiwick. The Templar Festival is a Festival of Regional Tourist Interest and in 2026 held its 23rd edition, from 9 to 12 July. The setting is the monumental zone around the old fortress, which is transformed into a medieval town. Why the Temple In 1230 Alfonso IX of León took the town and gave it to the Order of the Temple, which rebuilt the fortress and the wall. When Ferdinand IV decreed the dissolution of the Order, in 1312, tradition places the knights' last resistance in the keep of the alcazaba, the Bloody Tower, where they are said to have been beheaded. The festival recreates that past. What there is According to Turismo de Extremadura, the programme brings together parades and theatrical performances, the Three Cultures Market, medieval music concerts, lectures, guided visits of the historic area, food routes and Templar dinners. For children there are games, puppets and workshops. Along the streets you meet knights, beggars, falconers, clerics, merchants, musicians, minstrels and rogues, and visitors are encouraged to dress in period costume. The most awaited event is the open-air theatre at the castle, which recreates the end of the Templars. The tourist office presents it as "In the Name of Jerez". Tickets for the play are sold at the tourist office and at giglon.com; the street festival is free. Dates and programme It is always held in July, over four days, but the exact dates change each year. The town council chooses the poster by competition and the tourist office publishes the programme on its website. For questions, the phone number is 924 730 372 and the email is turismo@jerezcaballeros.es. Tips July in Jerez is hot: bring water and a hat for the middle of the day and check the programme to see which events are in the afternoon and evening. The old town is cobbled and sloping. On those days accommodation fills up quickly: book in good time at the Hotel Los Templarios, the Hotel Oasis or the Hotel Rural Arroyo la Plata. If you come at another time, the Templar story is understood just as well by climbing the alcazaba and the Bloody Tower, free to enter, or with the guided visit, which tells the legend of the tower. ## Dónde comer - **Restaurante Santa María** (Restaurant, Jerez de los Caballeros, €€). Qué pedir: the Iberian pork and the house's traditional cooking; ask about what is in season - **Caeriana** (Restaurant, Jerez de los Caballeros, €€). Qué pedir: meats grilled over holm-oak charcoal or the fish of the day - **Hotel Rural Arroyo La Plata Restaurant** (Restaurant, La Bazana, €€). Qué pedir: local produce and the cooking of the day; in good weather, the terrace ## By car: Towers, dehesa and a perfect day from Badajoz Jerez is an hour from Badajoz, about forty minutes from Zafra and a little over two hours from Seville and Huelva. The old town is seen on foot, but it is cobbled and sloping: leave the car below and walk up. The car is useful for the rural hotel in the dehesa and for combining the day with Zafra. Presupuesto orientativo: 55–100 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Hotel Rural Arroyo La Plata** (Small hotel): La Bazana, four kilometres south of the towers The hotel is in La Bazana, a small settlement about 4 km from the centre of Jerez de los Caballeros, on Calle Vistahermosa. Around it are dehesa and streams on the banks of the Ardila, the Guadiana tributary that crosses this part of the south-west sierra of Badajoz. By car you reach the old town in under five minutes; walking is not a practical option, especially at night. It is therefore a hotel for those travelling by car who want to sleep in the countryside, with the town at hand for sightseeing. It has four rural-hotel stars and fifteen rooms, and is run by Bossh Hotels, which also runs the restaurant. Fifteen rooms, some with a balcony The fifteen rooms have a private bathroom, air conditioning, flat-screen television, desk and free wifi. Some are spacious and have a balcony: if you want one, ask when booking. There are cots and extra beds for families. Check-in is from 12:30, an early time that is handy if you arrive in the morning, and check-out until 12:00. If you arrive earlier or leave later, they have luggage storage. Reception closes at 22:00, although access to the facilities is open 24 hours: if you will arrive late, let them know. Breakfast, dinner and terrace without going out Breakfast is continental, from 9:00 to 11:30. The hotel restaurant serves dinner on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and lunch and dinner Friday to Sunday, with local produce and a family atmosphere; on Monday and Tuesday, then, you will have to dine in Jerez. There is a bar with a terrace, where they show matches. The hotel also organises weddings, communions and corporate events, so on some Saturdays there may be a celebration. Parking and pets Parking is free for guests. The hotel does not accept pets: if you travel with a dog, look for another option. What you have five minutes away In Jerez, the Templar alcazaba and the circuit of the wall by its gates, the towers of San Bartolomé and San Miguel and the Vasco Núñez de Balboa house museum, who was born in the town. Park below and walk up: the old town is steep and has narrow streets. - **Hotel Oasis** (Hotel): A town hotel The Hotel Oasis appears in the official register of hotels of Extremadura and in the business directory that the Jerez tourist office links to. It is at Calle El Campo 18, in the lower part of the town, a few minutes' walk from Plaza de España, and has its own restaurant. What to know The municipal directory gives hours of 7:00 to 23:00 every day. Its website shows no information, so ask by phone, on 924 731 244, about the type of rooms, the price and whether there is parking. - **Hotel Los Templarios** (Hotel): On the way out towards Villanueva The Hotel Los Templarios is a three-star hotel on the Villanueva road, west of the old town of Jerez de los Caballeros, and appears in the official register of hotels of Extremadura and in the town's business directory. It is somewhat away from the centre, facing the countryside: its website highlights the views over the Extremaduran dehesa, which surrounds the town on all sides. It is a large hotel for the size of the town, with a restaurant, grill, café, pool and halls for celebrations. The rooms It has 48 rooms, all exterior and with views over the valley; two are adapted for people with reduced mobility. According to the hotel, the rooms have a private terrace and are equipped with free wifi, air conditioning and heating, plasma television with satellite channels, hairdryer and telephone. There is room service, and extra beds and cots can be requested, which the hotel confirms subject to availability. The search engine on its website accepts up to three rooms per booking, with children. Services Reception is open 24 hours, there is a lift and free wifi throughout the hotel, luggage storage, laundry service, tourist information and meeting and banquet rooms. The outdoor car park is free, something welcome in a town of narrow, cobbled streets like Jerez. The halls hold events for up to 600 people, with open-air spaces too, so in wedding season it is worth asking whether there are celebrations on the day you go. The outdoor pool opens in the summer season, surrounded by a sun terrace with loungers, and entry is free for guests staying. Eating at the hotel It has a restaurant, grill and café-bar, with regional dishes. According to the municipal directory, the café opens every day from seven in the morning, and the grill serves on Friday night, Saturday at midday and in the evening and Sunday at midday. The website does not publish a menu or prices: ask when booking. Booking and what is nearby You book on its website, paying directly at the hotel and with no booking fees, or on 924 731 636 and at info@hotellostemplarios.net. The website does not publish fixed prices or check-in and check-out times. From the hotel you go up to the old town, where the Templar alcazaba and the Bloody Tower, the church of Santa María de la Encarnación and Plaza de España with San Miguel Arcángel are. The circuit of the wall by its gates and the Vasco Núñez de Balboa House Museum complete a day. In July, the Templar Festival fills the town: book in good time. ### Servicios - **Jerez de los Caballeros Tourist Office**: In the San Agustín Cultural Centre · maps, guided visits and Templar Festival tickets ## As a family: Templars, walls and a Bloody Tower Jerez has what hooks a child: Templar knights, a wall with towers and a tower with a legend. The old town is small, but cobbled and sloping. ### What works best The alcazaba and the Bloody Tower, free to enter The circuit of the wall, from gate to gate The Tour Extremadura guided visit, free for under-12s The Templar Festival, in July, with medieval market and theatre ### Where to sleep Hotel Rural Arroyo La Plata, with cots and extra beds Hotel Los Templarios, with a pool in summer ### Where to eat Restaurante Santa María, beside the alcazaba Hotel Rural Arroyo La Plata Restaurant, Friday to Sunday ### Good to know With a pushchair, the slopes of the upper old town are hard going Santa Lucía park and Popagallina park are the ones the tourist office suggests for a family afternoon ### Qué hacer as a family - Templar alcazaba and Bloody Tower - Circuit of the wall by its gates - Vasco Núñez de Balboa House Museum - Guided visit to Jerez de los Caballeros - Templar Festival ## Consejos ### Ask for the churches' hours They are parish churches and open outside services: the tourist office tells you when. ### Combine it with Zafra Forty minutes away, to do the south of Badajoz in a day. ### Firm footwear The streets of the upper town are cobbled and sloping. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### What is there to see in Jerez de los Caballeros? The Templar alcazaba and the Torre Sangrienta, the wall with the Puerta de Burgos and the Puerta de la Villa, the churches of San Bartolomé, San Miguel and Santa María, the Museo de Arte Sacro and Balboa's birthplace. ### How long does it take from Badajoz to Jerez de los Caballeros? A little over an hour by car. ### Why is it called the city of towers? Because of the four Baroque bell towers of its parish churches, raised after the 1755 earthquake. ### When is the Templar Festival? In July, for four days; the dates come out every year on the tourism website. ### Are there guided tours? Yes. Tour Extremadura runs a one-and-a-half-hour one for €11, and the tourist office has information on others for groups and families. ### Can you go with children? Yes. The alcazaba, the wall and the Templar Festival appeal to them, and under-12s do not pay for the guided tour.