Plasencia and the Monfrague National Park

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How to get there: Driving from Jarandilla de la Vera to Plasencia takes just 1 hour over the EX-203 motorway through a pretty landscape.

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Old Plasencia is surrounded by a large and solid 12th century city wall, and is virtually car-free. You park outside the old city, enter the old city through one of the seven puerta’s (gates), and wander through the lovely streets and squares. The Plaza Major (main square) with its 16th century municipal palace has a whimsical bell tower (pictured below on the right) that is worth observing when the hour strikes. The Plaza Major is also where the famous Tuesday market is held since many centuries.

There are many churches and palaces in the old town, but the ancient Roman/Gothic cathedral (Cathedral Vieja) and adjacent cloister with its gorgeous colonnade (pictured below on the left) as well as the new cathedral (Cathedral Nueva, 16th century, so not so new) with its striking altarpiece are well worth a visit.

The Monfrague National Park ( Parque Nacional de Monfragüe ) is one of Spain’s natural treasures, a relatively new national park. The rivers Tajo and Tietar meet in this austere but beautiful landscape. In addition to a varied wildlife that draws many birdwatchers, we noticed many flocks of sheep. Drive through the park on your way from Plasencia to Trujillo. Where to stay and dine
Again, the parador is the place to stay. Elegant and grand, the parador is housed in a former convent at the edge of the old city. For lunch and dinner, Restaurante Gredos on the Plaza Major serves some of the best tapas we have had in Extremadura (tapas pictured above in the middle). Enjoy the quintessential Spanish tortilla de patatas (egg omelet with fried potatoes), croquetas de jamon (ham croquettes), and champinones al ajillo (garlic mushrooms) with a fruity bottle of Viña Puebla crianza, Ribera del Guadiana while you sit on the simple terrace under the colonnade of the Plaza Major, feel as if you are one of the locals, and see life go by.

Next stop on your itinerary: Trujillo

Return from Plasencia to Jarandilla de la Vera

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