Things to do in Badajoz Spain

Badajoz is a city in Extremadura with a wealth of culture and history. Monuments such as the Alcazaba from its Muslim era and will allow you to immerse yourself completely in the history and art of the city. The city welcomes visitors with its culture and the warmth of its people. Come and discover the many places worth seeing in Badajoz, Spain.

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Things to see in Badajoz, Spain

Badajoz Old Town

The Old Quarter of Badajoz is also the oldest part of the city and one of the must-see sights. Located on a small hillside next to the Guadiana River, the old quarter stretches across the entire fortified interior of the city, which at the beginning of the 20th century constituted the entire city. It is the heart of Badajoz, Spain.

Alcazaba of Badajoz

This is one of the essential places to visit in Badajoz. The simple and austere building used to control the passage from the Castilian plateau to Portugal and Andalusia. Declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1931, the Alcazaba dates back to the Almohad period, hence its historical importance.

Nowadays, the Alcazaba is mainly made up of landscaped areas, with the ruins of old buildings such as the Consolación and Rosario hermitages, the old Calatrava church and the remains of some medieval fortified houses.

Plaza Alta

In the Middle Ages, the open space next to the Capital Gate was used as a market and souk. The city’s Jewish quarter was located around it. Furthermore, in 1699 Bishop Marín de Rodezno financed the reform promoted by the council. This Renaissance square is one of the most important places in Badajoz Spain and is thought to have been built over the Islamic city that was attached to the walls of the Alcazaba. It has had multiple functions throughout history: horse races, executions, and it even housed a food market.

The Giralda of Badajoz, Spain

It was built in several phases between 1923 and 1933, according to a project by Luciano Delage Villegas and Rodolfo Martínez. Built in neo-Mudejar historicist style, the Giralda had both residential and commercial functions.

It was built in the 1930s in the Plaza de la Soledad, recreating part of Seville’s famous Giralda. Today, it has been refurbished and is the headquarters of Telefónica, although it is still an important part of Badajoz heritage.

Badajoz Cathedral

During the reign of Alfonso X, work began on the cathedral, which lasted until the 16th century. The upper parts of the tower, with Plateresque style windows, date back to this century. Inside, the choir stalls, the organ and the high altar stand out. It has a rich museum with sculptures from the Italian Renaissance, paintings by Luis de Morales and a valuable collection of tapestries.

Palmas Bridge and Gate

The Palmas Bridge was the first bridge to be built in Badajoz to join the two banks of the Guadiana, which was previously done by boats or by fords in the river. It was built at the beginning of the 16th century, although the destruction caused by the successive floods of the Guadiana over the centuries has led to numerous alterations and reconstructions that have changed its original appearance. Originally, it was a raised bridge, higher in the centre than at the ends. It had several portcullises or gates to control the passage and control the goods entering or leaving the city.

The Puerta de Palmas has been extensively refurbished to look the way it does today. Its interior façade has a chapel that was walled up for decades and dedicated to Na Sa de los Ángeles. The gate’s “cubes” have also served as a military prison. Although it was traditionally linked to the rest of the fortification, between 1905 and 1906 the two side passages for pedestrians were opened. On the buttresses of the central arch there is evidence of artillery impacts and various graffiti.

Travel Tip: To organize your trip we recommend using Passporter totally free. You can be inspired by the experiences of other travelers, choose the places that interest you most, create the travel route with a geolocated map, upload all important documents such as reservations and invite your friends so that everyone can participate in the organization of the trip.

What to see in and around Badajoz, Spain

Albuquerque

Nestled in the Sierra de San Pedro mountain range, very close to the border with Portugal, is Alburquerque. A beautiful town, full of white houses and narrow streets to get lost in. Alburquerque is a place with a great deal of history to discover. For this reason, a stroll through its old quarter and a visit to its wide range of monuments is highly recommended if you want to discover one of the charming villages of Badajoz.

The medieval Gothic quarter of Alburquerque is one of the places you can’t miss on your visit. Crowning the labyrinth of narrow streets that make up the historic centre of Alburquerque is the most symbolic monument of this town: the Luna Castle. This fortress stands out for its combination of different architectural styles.

Zafra

Although Zafra is technically a city, it could not be excluded from the list of Badajoz’s best villages. This is because it is one of the most charming places in the whole of Badajoz Spain. It is a town that exudes history and culture. Zafra was a key point during the Muslim period, due to its strategic location. Once we enter its white streets full of Mudejar architecture, we can appreciate its many periods of splendour at first hand.

To get to know Zafra in depth, we recommend walking from the Plaza Grande to the Plaza Chica. It is in this area where most of the town’s historic monuments are located, such as the Town Hall. But without a doubt, the place that arouses most interest is the Alcázar-Palace of the Dukes of Feria and current Parador Nacional de Turismo, a beautiful place to visit in Zafra!

What to see in Badajoz in one day?

If you have one day Badajoz you will be able to visit the most important places and discover the essence of this city in Extremadura. Here is a list of the essential places to see in Badajoz in one day:

• Old Town of Badajoz
• Alcazaba of Badajoz 
• Plaza Alta 
• The Giralda of Badajoz 
• Badajoz Cathedral
• Plaza de España of Badajoz 
• Palmas Bridge and Gate

What to see in Badajoz in two days?

If you have two days to discover the city of Badajoz, you can visit the most beautiful villages in the surrounding area in order to really get to know the province. On your second day you can visit:

• Mérida
• Alburquerque
• Zafra

How to organise what to see in Badajoz, Spain? 

If you don’t know how to organise your trip, or where to start when visiting the points of interest in Badajoz, sign up to Passporter for free and we will help you.

• Get inspiration from the experiences of other travellers.
• Create your own itinerary and add the app’s suggestions to it.
• Add the spots you are most interested in, as well as the restaurants and bars where you want to eat (you can use the points of interest listed in this post as a reference).
• Organise your itinerary by days and according to their location (you can take inspiration from the routes presented in the post).
• Check the travel budget that the app calculates for you based on your travel stops, restaurants, and leisure activities.
• Make the necessary modifications and you are ready for your trip.
• Finally, share your experience. Upload photos of each of the places you have visited to the app so you can inspire other users.

If you have any doubts about how to plan your itinerary, you can read our post: How to create your travel itinerary with Passporter.

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