Extremadura - Rate My Itinerary - Updated

Wow breen94 I love Spain and have been visiting only the big cities from north to south. Avila is a fine place to see for a few hours. I prefer Salamanca and Segovia. I have not been to any of the other places on your plan. Your itinerary looks super exciting but short and tight. Won’t you be jet lagged on arrival in Madrid? I have heard of must-visit Mérida from an American and his family whom I met in Sevilla. Go for it! Please post your experiences. Happy travels!

There’s a nice small castle in Oropesa and that’s the town’s only real site. Look up parking before going over. I stayed at the Parador that is beside the castle so parking wasn’t an issue.

I recommend not drinking and driving. The impaired limit is lower in Spain than in the U.S. The drive day to Mérida, especially with the site seeing in Trujillo, is very long coming off an overnight flight.

Hervás can be seen in an hour if need be. There isn’t a lot there. The same goes for Béjar, Plasencia is nice and one can get a good feel for it in a couple hours. Its cathedral is pretty. There are a couple large free parking lots; one being Parking la Isla.

The drive through the Jerte Valley may be a slower drive than you think since it is a two lane road. It is pretty, however. Getting to Garganta de Los Infiernos requires hiking and could take an hour each way. If it’s been a dry year there may not be much water there once you arrive.

To me it seems you are underestimating the amount of time you’ll be spending doing everything you want to do.

The first day sounds pretty epic. Are you flying into Madrid on an overnight flight? If so that sounds like a lot to do on the first day, especially the 8/9pm drive. It’s not great losing a day of the trip but you may want to hunker down in Madrid and get situated.

Breen94, I respect your enthusiasm for this trip and see that you are putting a lot of time into planning. Please take my comments as suggestions because you know what works best for you but I think that your pace is way too fast. I also don't know if this is your first trip to Spain or you have previous experience there as that also makes a difference. That first day is overloaded. Are you arriving from stateside or already in Europe.? That makes a difference as far as jet lag and the ability to drive long distances after a long flight. If arriving from within Europe that makes day one a little more doable, Your itinerary is very ambitious and I think you are trying to fit in too many destinations in too few days. Your pace is non stop and I would recommend cutting out something. Lunch stops at restaurants in Spain can be quite leisurely and take more time than you anticipate. Parking or finding parking can be difficult. Make sure to keep all of your belongings in the trunk out of site as you visit sites with your luggage in the car. I have been to many of those sites in Extremadura and think that you will require more time in each place. You obviously have a lot of interest in Extremadura but to me it seems like you are rushing to see as much as possible. Yes, I imagine your trip can be done as planned, particularly because you are driving a car, but consider slowing down. I often recommend Extremadura to my friends. You will like it.

I wish I could help you with logistics and whether you plan is reasonable in terms of time, but it’s been 20+ years since we visited Extremedura and twice stayed with friends in Jerte (1999 & 2005).

That said, Merida and the Temple of Diana are stunning at night and we had great tapas there. Enjoy walking out on the Roman bridge there, as well.

Hervas is a lovely, small town. Of course, as in all Spain, Jews were driven out in 1492 and there is but a sign of that history. Other, larger cities like Cordoba and Toledo have much more of a Jewish heritage legacy, if you are looking for that.

Los Pilones is a hoot for a dip in July. October might well be chilly. LATE NOTE: I got stuck in one deep pool (more than 6 feet deep) and had a challenge getting out of it - and I was a lot younger, then.

SECOND LATE NOTE - from https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/los-pilones

Most people allot around four to five hours for exploring, swimming, and hiking. Situated in the Reserva Natural Garganta de los Infiernos (known for its beautiful cascades and picturesque trails, despite the name), there are several hiking routes to Los Pilones, but one will get you there in a little under an hour. You can also easily access the trails from the main highway. The best time to visit is either in the spring (especially during the annual Cherry Blossom Festival) or summer, when the flora and fauna is in full bloom and water temperatures are better for swimming.

Not sure how well your timing for Wednesday will work out. You have a lot on your agenda including Avila and a lot of driving that day. (We never got to Avila. In our visits, we went to Salamanca and Segovia, instead, as day trips.)

(In 1999, not everyone could drive to Los Pilones and many had to hike about 4 km to get there, but that may well be different, now. Our friends had a friend who had a finca - an orchard - along that road so we were able to drive where others walked. As I look at this further on-line, it seems that access is still restricted, though perhaps you can get a guided tour with an operator who has access.)

Our friends from Jerte shopped in Plasencia with some frequency, but the one time we drove by it with them, we drove right by without stopping.

I agree with the comment above, by Pat, that your pace seems too rushed. That, plus the fact that my most recent visit to Extremadura was 2014, leaves me reluctant to give any general advice.

But I'll assume that the Roman remains in Merida, which as of my visit (2014) had already been there for about 2000 years, have probably changed little in the past 12, and so I was surprised at your plan to tour them all in a mere single morning; though of course it's feasible.

As for the Roman museum -- yes, it was definitely worth it when I visited. If at the time of my visit someone had said that it wasn't worth it, I would have interpreted that to mean "I didn't have the interest or the curiosity to appreciate it." Also, I don't know whether it's necessary to pay your tour guide to take you to the museum -- unless the museum has been relocated, you could just stroll there from wherever you take lunch. (Also, if you have the interest and can squeeze it in, you may want visit John Lennon street.)

I also agree with jaimeeslabio, above, about not drinking and driving. His reason is a good one (the lower "impaired-driving" limit in Spain), though my main personal reason for not doing so is that I'm reluctant to hop into a car after drinks, or after a tiring jet-lagging flight, and risk leaving behind a grieving local family that will legitimately regret my having set foot in their country.

One more comment about driving: in the medieval cities that you visit, you may find yourself spending valuable time in your packed schedule seeking parking, and then walking from wherever you park, to wherever you want to be. And choose a reliable rental company: i've read that the shadier companies may soak you even for a minor scratch, which can easily appear on your car when someone tries to squeeze into or out of the adjacent space in one of those cramped parking lots.

Wednesday:
Travel through the Jerte Valley and hike Los Pilones. See the Garganta de Los Infiernos (cool rock formation). Swim in natural pools if weather permits.
Travel to Madrid airport. Stop in Avila for lunch/dinner. See the medieval walls there.
Arrive in Madrid airport hostel and have a few drinks in the city.

Is this all taking place on the same day? Because how can you have dinner in Avila and then drive to Madrid airport and after that, have drinks in Madrid? You must know this but many restaurants do not open for dinner until 8;30pm.

Definitely save the alcohol consumption for when you are parked for the night and can walk from your accommodations to the restaurant or bar. This way you can have some wine and an apéritif and not worry about it.