It’s an hour and a half drive for us and we embarked on it thanks to a Guardian article about food in Alentejo. To be more precise we made the journey because of an insightful comment on the Guardian article which advised if foodies in the Alentejo were after creative cuisine, they’d be better heading to adjoining Extremadura and the likes of Cáceres.

About Cáceres

Cáceres is an ancient city known for being at the centre of what was basically a continuous tug of war which lasted centuries, thanks in part to it being located on an important trading route. The Romans had a settlement there for a period and the Moors and Christians squabbled over it regularly. Being on a trading route brought in settlers from all points of the compass. The result is a lavish casco histórico whose architecture reflects the influences of those who inhabited it through the ages – there are Roman, Gothic, Moorish and even Italian Renaissance touches in its towers, palaces, fortifications, churches, and walls.

Arrival

Our hotel, the NH Palacio de Oquendo, had a lot going for it. The Palacio is located in a 16th century building in the heart of the old town – a lovely prospect when drooling over the photos before booking it. Less so when negotiating a maze of narrow streets which led tantalizingly close and then whipped us away in the wrong direction. Google sat nav was to blame, being more of a hindrance than a help. The annoyingly calm woman’s voice telling us to take roundabout exits that didn’t exist. Eventually one led us to Plaza de San Juan and we parked on the little square directly outside of our hotel. It was temporary. We dumped our bags and took to the streets again to reach a nearby car park. Luckily we’d already passed it once, by mistake, so it was relatively painless to find it again. Given the nature of the old streets, it took longer to drive to the car park than it did to walk back to the hotel from it.

Lunch in Cáceres

By the time we’d parked it was lunchtime. Cáceres is not the easiest place to choose somewhere for lunch. There is an overdose of inviting taperías with drool-inducing menus. Plaza Mayor, at the heart of the old town, is the sort of square which can bowl you over with a charm tsunami. Historically attractive, it has UNESCO World Heritage Site stamped all over it… plus there are plenty of restaurants. And there are also lots of touts standing outside of them. They might serve excellent food, but one too many invite to look at a menu had us retreating to the more laid back area around Plaza San Juan where the tapas degustación menu at BOS (Calle Maestro Sánchez Garrido 3) lured us in. Despite mixed reviews online, and a forgetful waitress, we relished a tapas bonanza which included strips of ibérico with caramelised onions, a mini burger with quail egg, spicy steak and gratinated salt cod salad served with a couple of cool and crispy local whites (tapas averaging €4.20).

Shopping in Cáceres

The Cáceres visit was immediately prior to a birthday jaunt to Albufeira, the birthday part involving three of the women in my life (wife, mother, and sister). Cáceres proved to be an exceptionally good hunting ground. The streets emanating from the old town playing host to indie fashion shops, displaying clothes with more individuality than the usual High Street suspects, and jewellers selling unique and arty Extremadura pieces at great value prices. Birthday shopping was completed in record time. Despite the wealth of historic sites to be explored there was more serious business to be taken care of first. I’d been having bad hair ground hog days for a month due to a lack of hairdressers in rural Portugal. Esther’s Unisex seemed promising. But 40 mins after my appointment and still no sign of being dealt with, I aborted and left Esther to her rows of women with aluminium foil strips twisted into their hair and a man who clearly aspired to be a ventriloquist’s dummy (all his facial hair had been dyed jet black). Thankfully Andy had come across an alternative, an old school but modern barber in the Canovas shopping centre. My simple ‘tres con la maquina aqui, aqui y aqui’ haircut was completed in almost the time it took me to give the instructions, and for a reasonable €10.

Dinner in Cáceres

We booked El 13 de San Antón (the name is also the address; open 9am to 5pm and 8pm to 1am Tuesday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm Sunday, closed Monday) because its degustación (taster) menu hooked us. It consisted of exactly the sort of contemporary take on traditional food we were looking for. Despite the reservation being for 9pm we were still amongst the first diners to arrive. By the time we left it was packed and buzzing with the sort of atmosphere which makes Spanish dining so enjoyable. None of that eating in library type nonsense. The taster menu consisted of a savoury sobrasada amouse-bouche; carpaccio of presa Ibérica with cured sheep cheese and orange marmalade; cold roasted tomato soup on a basil iceberg; ham and boletus risotto; ibérico steak, and torrija with English cream, coffee ice cream and Licor de Bellota. Not only did the meal back up the opinion of the person who’d commented on the Guardian article – the soup and risotto being stand out dishes – it was exceptional value at €29.90 pp, a price which included a bottle of wine, water and coffee.

Post dinner activity consisted of seeing off another bottle of local vino whilst wallowing in the warm and cosy charm of Plaza San Juan.

Breakfast in Cáceres

With breakfast in the hotel being ‘I’d have to obscenely pig out to make this good value’ prices, we simply popped outside to the plaza where most restaurants and cafés offered desayuno, opting for La Taperia (Sanchez Garrido 1; open 9pm to 1am, closed Monday) because it was the only one which actually looked open (breakfast clearly starts late in Cáceres). A brace of coffees each, chunky tortilla, toast and jam, and some complimentary slices of home made cake came in at a fraction of the price we’d have paid in the hotel.

Exploring Cáceres

Aside from eating, drinking and shopping, we did explore the old town in an anarchic ‘ooh, what’s up there sort of way’. Climbing from Plaza Mayor we followed cobbled alleys and narrow passageways, passing the Provincial Museum with its Muslim cistern, the Moorish Torre de Bujaco and the 16th century Carvajal Palace as well as a huge ball made from books, artistic graffiti and an old sign which seemed to consist of a bear in chains. In Plaza Santa Maria Andy remarked that Cáceres would be a great setting for Game of Thrones. An hour or so later a jeweller, whilst filling us full of information about the surrounding area, mentioned the city would be in the latest series of GOT. It quickly became evident there’s a depth and richness to Cáceres which require a greater investment of time.

24 hours in Cáceres was a taster visit where we learned a few things about the town. It’s beautiful and interesting, it’s friendly and the shopping is very good (there’s one shop where Andy wants to buy all the stock so we’re not mentioning it). One thing more than any other will draw us back before too long, the restaurant scene. Gastronomically, it’s simply our sort of place.

Jack is co-editor, writer and photographer for BuzzTrips and the Real Tenerife series of travel websites as well as a contributor to online travel sites and travel magazines. Follow Jack on Google+

Stroll Around the Old Quarter
The first thing likely to catch the eyes of most visitors to this charming city is its magnificent old quarter. Referred to by the locals as “la parte antigua”, its blend of architecture dating from the Roman, Moor and Visigoth periods of history is definitely worth seeing. Start your adventure in Cáceres’ Plaza Mayor and take in the view of the entrance to the cobbled old streets under the 18th Century Arco de la Estrella (star archway). From there meander through the alleyways at your leisure but make sure you see the 13th Century church of Santa Maria, a shining example of Spain’s unique gothic style.

La Cacharreria
If the Spanish summer sun is beating down particularly hard during your wanderings around Cáceres’ ancient town do yourself a favour and head for refreshment at La Cacharreria. This little taperia is one of the best kept secrets in town thanks mainly to its mouth-watering dishes (did someone say red shrimp fritters?) and a wine cellar that would make even the estabilishments of Paris quiver. Grab a high table and get the sirloin with paprika.
La Cacharreria, Calle Orellana n 1 bajo izq.

Museum of Cáceres
There’s plenty of free museums spread throughout the old quarter but the Museum of Cáceres, housed in La Casa de las Veletas, is a must-see due to its aljibe (ancient Moorish bath). Lit-up in floodlights, visitors can walk right down to its foundation and touch the very spot where the Moors’ bathed in the decadent archways and warm, heated baths centuries ago.

Baloncesto
Spain may be the World and European Champions of football but basketball is where the hearts and minds of this city’s locals lay. Watching their team, at home at the 8,000 seater stadium on Avenue de Montezuma, makes for a surprisingly fun night out. At only 10 Euros a ticket, head out with the rest of the city on Friday night and watch the players slam dunk their way to victory.

Coffee and Tapas at Liceo
My best choice for a café con leche in the whole of the town, this café cum restaurant is slightly off the tourist track (about two minutes walk towards the Colon roundabout) but well worth a visit. Head around mid-day and fight to get a seat among the business crowds pouring in to take portions of Spanish omelette, jamon tostadas and an array of bocadillos (sándwiches). Liceo’s modern decor and busy local atmosphere serve to remind that the city is still very much a thriving commercial hub in Extremadura.
Liceo, Avenida de la Virgen de la Montaña, 5.

Los Barruecos
It might be a little way out of the city (about 14km) but the monument of Los Barruecos, with its heavy granite boulders, is another must-see for visitors to the region. Home in the summer to a colony of White Storks, Los Barruecos is best known for the German artist Wolf Vostell, who made his home there during the 60s. A pioneer of the fluxus movement, Vostell’s old house (an old wool washing mill) has an array of weird and wonderful sculptures and art installations to discover. Makes for a fun few hours.

Catch a Concert in San Jorge
Head at the right time of the year and you might lucky enough to catch one of Cáceres’ free music festivals that take part slap bang in the centre of the old quarter. October has the Blues Festival and November the Irish Fleadh, but May is when the biggest influx of music lovers swarm to the city. That’s when the world famous Womad comes to town, showcasing the best in folk music from all over the globe. People come from all over Spain for this one.

Monfragüe National Park
Just like Los Barruecos you’ll have to travel a little further out of the city to reach Monfragüe , but you’re not likely to regret it. One of Spain’s major national parks, Monfragüe is famous with bird watchers for its population of raptors (it counts Spanish Imperial Eagles, Golden Eagles and Griffon Vultures among its residents). Elsewhere in the park you can enjoy spectacular views over the River Tagus, as well as hiking across its rocky outcrops and its oak tree forests.

Now I’ve divulged all the secrets of my favourite Spanish spots to you all there’s really nothing else for me to do but discover somewhere new. In a country as diverse as Spain I’m sure I’ll have little trouble!

Did I miss anything?

Guest blogger Will Peach is one of the site editors over at Gap Daemon, the gap year travel website for backpackers and young travellers. You can also catch him writing on My Spanish Adventure about what to see in Spain while learning the language and living on the cheap.