Writing to you from the USA, this post is dedicated to the thousands of people who I’ve had to explain what and where Extremadura is.
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“But why are you moving THERE??” The young Spanish lady asked me as she was reviewing my visa paperwork.
It was 2014, and I was at the Spanish embassy in NYC, a month before my departure to Spain. Eager to discover something about this unheard of place I was moving to (other than Google results of farmland), I couldn’t wait to ask the Spanish people at the embassy questions about the region.
“I was placed there to teach English!” I told the lady, who was from Valencia. “So, do you know anyone who has visited Extremadura?” She gave me a kind smile and said, “nope.”
What did I continue to learn by talking to people?
Well, nothing.
Most Spaniards have never visited the region, and most non-Spaniards have never even heard of the region. Sure, it might not have the beaches of Andalucia, or a bustling metropolis like Madrid, or the lush dramatic landscape of Galicia, or the fancy cuisine of Basque Country…
But it’s got its own, truly unique, Spanish charm. Any of you who know anything about my adventures in Spain, knows that I’m 100% PRO Extremadura. And I think you should be too. So, why don’t we give Andalucia’s forgotten next door neighbor a little love?
First off, let’s understand where it is on the map:
Great! Now that we’ve got the geography lesson out of the way…
Why in the world should you visit Extremadura?
1. CASTLES… everywhere.
If you’ve always dreamed of stepping into a scene of Game of Thrones, pack your sword and armor… this is your chance! Every historically important village in Extremadura has a castle, most of which are still perfectly (and surprisingly) intact. You’ll find some town castles proudly perched on top of a dramatic hill overlooking its village valiantly, while others are the central focal point of all village social events. Take Fregenal’s castle, for instance: on Halloween it turns into a haunted house, on Tuesdays it turns into a fresh fish market, and on Saturdays the castle plaza turns into the village playground, with adults drinking cañas and kids playing tag.
2. The beautiful landscape
OR
Ahhhhh yes, the Extremeño campo. How I miss those barbeques in the midst of the endless green countryside, and the daily runs I used to go on through the rolling hills and past the abandoned medieval cottages, lost in the green abyss. You’ll see horses grazing on hay, Iberian pigs munching on acorns and the signature Encina and olive trees for as far as the eye can see. Oh, and THE SHEEP. If you wanna feel like Mary Bo Peep, this is your spot.
3. It’s jamón heaven.
I know, you’ve heard me talk about Extremadura’s jamón 27293829 times. But I can’t help myself! It is jamónlandia. It’s where Spain’s finest Iberian pigs eat the finest bellotas (acorns), die and go to cured heaven. Jamón Iberico is Spain’s edible gold, and Extremadura is one of the best places to eat it. Ask any Extremeño, and they’ll tell you that it is THE best, and the only place to eat it. You might be able to find great quality jamón in other parts of Spain (like Salamanca and Huelva), however, it’s often sold at twice the price for the tourists. Guess what? In Extremadura, there are virtually no tourists, so no tourist prices! In addition, all of the jamón is locally sourced, usually from its own village. Travel anywhere around Spain and read the label of your jamòn de bellota, and there’s a good chance it’ll come from a village in Extremadura.
4. Those quaint, charming villages.
Fairytale villages lost in the middle of rolling meadows? Check! If you want a medieval pueblo made of stone, go to a village in the northern province of Caceres. Or, if you love those classic southern Spain white villages, go to a pueblo in the southern province of Badajoz. Either way, you’re sure to get a taste of Spain in its most pure and traditional form. Below are some villages and cities I recommend checking out:
Villages in Cacéres region: Trujillo (my fave!), Plasencia, Guadalupe, Alcántara
Villages in Badajoz region: Jerez de los Caballeros, Zafra, Mérida, Azuaga, and of course Fregenal!
5. You’ll see España “Profunda”. Not that touristy stuff.
Did you know that Spain is the 3rd most visited country in the WORLD? Check out the stats by World Atlas. Tourists are like ants in Spain; anywhere you go, you’ll find them. That is, except in Extremadura. You won’t find any overpriced tourist restaurants, no kitschy souvenir shops, no sun burnt white dudes with Hawaiin shirts and fishing hats on…none of it. Just you and España profunda.
I love your posts!! I am from Extremadura (now living in Colombia) and I have to say that you really know what you are talking about: la España profunda, los jamones… Thanks for describing and promoting my land in this funny way!! And congratulations for this nice blog. 🙂
My pleasure! It really does deserve more love and I’m happy to get the word out there in any way I can 🙂 Amazing that you’re in Colombia now, enjoy!!!! Hope you keep following along 🙂 -Casie
Hello! , Extremadura is a beautiful place. I and my colleagues have created a Padlet with a lot of information about this place. We invite you to look at it!
https://padlet.com/AbrilPereira/xr1j2zfhvs1p7w5h
My boyfriend’s family is from a small village in Extremadura, so I hope one of these visits to Spain’s we’ll actually go together and explore! It looks beautiful and I’m a massive fan of jamón. So there’s that…
That’s awesome, I hope you guys get there soon! No doubt you’ll love it. And pleaseee, in honor of my terrible jamón withdrawals, when you go eat all the jamón you can possibly stomach for me!!! -Casie 🙂
Hi casie!!!, my villague(Burguillos del Cerro) is just in between Jerez de los Caballeros and Zafra,20 KMS from any of them…it has a templar castle,it´s the villague with more parties and bars of Spain!!,i bet you wasn´t there…
https://www.verpueblos.com/fotos_originales/7/2/2/00188722.jpg
Love the post! One tiny detail(as a former auxiliar to a former auxiliar): “In Extremadura, there’s virtually no tourists, so no tourist prices!” should be “there are” instead of “there’s”. Best of luck 🙂
Omg, thank you thank you for catching that! I’ve corrected it 🙂 Best of luck to you too and hope you keep following along! -Casie
My favourite parts of Extremadura are on the north of the region: la Comarca de la Vera, el Parque Nacional de Monfragüe, el Valle del Jerte, la Sierra de Gata… I also loved Guadalupe, Trujillo and Mérida, but the little villages and the landscape on the north just appeal more to me. I LOVE Extremadura.
Those are all beautiful villages and areas! Glad you appreciate Extremadura as much as I do 🙂 -Casie
Have you been to Puerto Hurraco? If so, did you like it?
No, I haven’t! Is that where you are from?
Is a bad joke…Puerto Hurraco is the place where was an slaughter some 25 years ago
By the way Casie,i wouldn´t say the sentence “España profunda” to a local, it has offensive connotations(like red-necks).
Extremadura tiene sitios extraordinarios como el parque de Monfragüe, Mérida romana, Cáceres renacentista, Garrovillas medieval. Pero sobre todo las personas, la gente de Extremadura es extraordinaria, generosa, muy buena gente. Casey, estoy seguro de que en Fregenal te reciben como a una hija mas del pueblo.
Por cierto ¿donde fue a parar aquel sombrero mejicano bajo el que aparecías nada mas llegar a España?
I have visited Cáceres, Mérida, Trujillo, Badajoz y Guadalupe. Very nice places.
Yes, they are all beautiful!
I love it. I live here in Extremadura, wouldn’t live anywhere else
I don’t blame you! I miss it every day!
Casie, if you ever get the chance to get back again someday, you need to visit Olivenza!! Not far from the city of Badajoz, very peculiar place mixing portuguese and spanish culture, it’s a really nice village!
Hola Ivan! I will 100% be back to Extremadura one day…es mi segunda casa, siempre volveré 😉 I will definitely make a point to visit Olivenza! The fusion of Spanish and Portuguese cultures make it sound super interesting. Te aviso cuando vuelva! 😉
Saludos desde Vietnam!
Casie
This was a great article. I’ve noticed that the Extramaduran accent sounds strangely familiar to the accent of my native Valparaiso, Chile.
https://padlet.com/ksanchezp01/gqqyovi6mn98v822
My name is Hugo
I STUDY IN I.E.S JARANDA AND HERE YOU ARE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT EXTREMADURA
I HOPE YOU LIKE IT