Silver Route 2025

Get ready for endless surprises on this trip to one of the most unknown and beautiful areas of our country. We "set sail" from Zafra, known as "La Sevilla Chica", which gives us the opportunity to visit the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (13th century), the convents of Santa Catalina, Santa Clara and del Rosario, the Casa Grande, the remains of the Arab walls and the Puerta de Jerez or the Palace of the Dukes of Feria, a majestic fifteenth-century castle that houses the Parador. To take the pulse of the city, you have to go to the Plaza Chica – where the famous Vara de Zafra is located, which formerly served as a reference for merchants for their measurements – and Plaza Grande, wonderful arcaded squares that are its nerve center with numerous bars and restaurants where you can enjoy the best of Badajoz's gastronomy. In the surroundings you can visit wineries, oil mills and live unique experiences such as discovering the world of bullfighting with a master and secreting adrenaline by standing in front of a bull in a capea or go on a ham safari through the Extremadura pastures. Just 5 kilometres away, "El Capricho de Cotrina" awaits you, one of the most curious constructions in Spain that is reminiscent of those made by Gaudí. Indulge your body in the Parador's restaurant, whose menu pays homage to the Iberian pig without neglecting the cheeses or the specialties of typical dishes of pastoral heritage such as migas or lamb stew.

Without leaving the lands of Badajoz, we reach Emerita Augusta, "little Rome" that tells us at every step of its splendid past when it was a flourishing and active colony of the Empire. A faithful reflection of this legacy are the National Museum of Roman Art, the Amphitheater, the Circus - one of the best preserved and grandest in the Empire - and the Theater, the prince of the monuments of Merida that has an incredible stage where performances are still held. Don't forget to visit the Roman House of the Amphitheater, the Roman House of Mithraeus, the site of the Church of Santa Eulalia, the Roman Bridge over the Guadiana, the Temple of Diana and the Aqueduct of Miracles. The Arabs also left their mark on these lands in their Alcazaba as well as the Visigoths, whose art you can discover in the Museum of Visigothic Art. To feel like a true Roman, there is nothing better than taking a relaxing bath in the baths of salubrious waters with massage included, and to avoid having to do penance one cannot pass through these lands without trying Iberian acorn-fed ham D.O. Dehesa de Extremadura pata negra. It would be a sin!

Heading north, we enter Cáceres territory to reach Trujillo, land of conquistadors -or discoverers, as they prefer to be called in those parts-. Extremadura expresses itself in this monumental town in a magical way. It opens its doors to us in its Plaza Mayor, presided over by the equestrian statue of Pizarro and flanked by Renaissance palaces. As we walk through its streets we will discover the palaces of the Dukes of San Carlos, the Marquises of the Conquest or the Marquis of Sufraga. Its old medieval castle of Arab origin, where the final battle of season 7 of Game of Thrones was filmed, tells us about old stories as well as the Pizarro House Museum, dedicated to the conqueror of Peru. Religious monuments also have their prominent place in this town, such as the churches of San Martín and Santa María La Mayor or the convents of Santa Clara and San Francisco Real. Half an hour's drive away is Cáceres, a city declared a World Heritage Site that stands out for its monumental and historical corners. Lovers of good food cannot leave without trying the torta del Casar, probably the best cheese in the world.

Plasencia, gateway to the fertile Jerte Valley, is our next stage. A strategic enclave on the Ruta de la Plata, it is a real gift. You will discover remains of the medieval walls, its towers (21 of the original 71 are preserved) and its gates, such as the Sun or the Santa María shutter. You will walk through the Plaza Mayor, the nerve center of hectic life, and in the tower of the City Hall you will find Abuelo Mayorga, an automaton built in the thirteenth century that is one of the symbols of the city. In addition, you will find one of the most representative monumental complexes in the area, made up of the Old Cathedral, with a Romanesque design, and the New Cathedral, whose surroundings offer beautiful corners. The medieval aqueduct of San Antón, the Episcopal Palace, the Palaces of the Marquises of Mirabel, Carvajal-Girón, de las Torres or the Convent of San Vicente Ferrer are other places of special interest in the city. In the heart of this historic city, within the fifteenth-century monumental complex built by the Zúñiga and Pimentel families, stands the Convent of San Vicente Ferrer, now the Parador de Plasencia. You will be greeted by an impressive building with vaulted ceilings, elegant stone walls and magnificent coffered ceilings that, together with its exquisite decoration, will take you back to another era. A little more than 20 kilometres away, it would be unforgivable not to go to the Monfragüe National Park and its Biosphere Reserve, a true sanctuary for bird watching where Mediterranean forests and the most significant species of Spanish fauna live. Likewise, Plasencia is an excellent starting point to get to know the Hurdes, the Sierra de Gata or the Jerte Valley, with its spectacular spring, when the cherry blossoms dye the valley a luminous white. Pay attention to its irresistible picotas and cherry liqueur! And another recommendation to take into account, the Parador has an exclusive night bar housed in the old convent cellar, where you can relax and enjoy the evening in the best of atmospheres.

We culminate the voyage reaching the Charro capital. Salamanca, university and cheerful, is full of corners and historic buildings. It is brimming with heritage and beauty. Walk to the centre of the Plaza Mayor, in baroque style, (18th century), open your eyes, let yourself be seduced by its beauty and harmony and enter its cozy and endearing cafes and taverns, such as the veteran Novelty, to have a drink. Discover among its many monuments the Casa de las Conchas (XV century), famous for its façade decorated with hundreds of these stone bivalves, the Old Cathedral (XIII century) and the New Cathedral (from the XVI to the XVIII century) and go up to its outdoor terraces to walk among gargoyles and bells; or the University (16th century), the oldest in Spain, on whose façade you can entertain yourself by looking for its iconic frog to make a wish come true. And, of course, you should not leave without feeling the magic of the Huerto de Calixto y Melibea, or visit the Casa Lis, a modernist palace with stained glass windows. In a city where the university bustle pulsates in its incessant cultural activity, it is a must to go out for tapas, a true religion, and do not leave the Parador without trying the morucha beef, the farinato or the Iberian ham from Guijuelo.