City in Spain
16 things to see11 of them free
One of Spain’s best-preserved medieval cities, with a UNESCO-listed old town of towers, palaces, and narrow streets inside Almohad walls. The Plaza Mayor de Caceres, the Arco de la Estrella, and the Co-cathedral anchor a walled quarter so intact it has served as a Game of Thrones filming location. The best part for a budget traveler is that wandering the walled old town costs nothing, and Extremadura’s prices sit far below the Spanish average. Skip the crowds of the south and pair Caceres with Merida and Trujillo for one of the cheapest history-packed loops in the country.
What to see
11 of these cost nothing at all.
The 12th-century Almohad defensive wall that rings the old town of Caceres, the structure that encloses the entire UNESCO-listed medieval quarter. Surviving stretches of the rammed-earth and stone ramparts reveal the Moorish layer beneath the later medieval cityscape, and they are free to walk and view from the surrounding streets.
18th-century arch serving as the main entrance from Plaza Mayor de Caceres into the walled medieval old town. Free to walk through at any hour, with no ticket and no gate to close.
The only surviving Roman-era gate in the walls of Caceres, set in the quieter eastern stretch of the old town near the river. Free to walk through at any time.
A Renaissance palace inside the walled old town of Caceres that now houses the Provincial Museum of Caceres. The reason to climb up here is underneath the building: an 11th-century Almohad cistern, or aljibe, with a forest of horseshoe arches and one of the best-preserved water systems of its kind anywhere in Spain.
Romanesque-origin parish church just outside the walled old town of Caceres, with a distinctive tower. Entry is free or low-cost, making it an easy addition to a budget walking route.
Gothic church at the highest point of the old town in Caceres, built on the site of the former main mosque. It stands on the Plaza de San Mateo, one of the quietest and most atmospheric squares in the walled quarter, and entry is generally free.
Gothic church just outside the walled center of Caceres, known for its Alonso de Berruguete altarpiece. Entry is free, which makes it an easy add for budget travelers walking the quieter routes beyond the old town gates.
The Co-cathedral of Santa Maria is the principal church of Caceres and the religious heart of its UNESCO-listed walled old town.
Baroque Jesuit church on the Plaza de San Jorge, one of the most recognizable landmarks in the walled old town of Caceres. Its twin bell towers and bright white facade are the only white monumental building in a historic centre built almost entirely from honey-coloured granite, which is why it ends up in so many photos of the city.
The old Jewish quarter (juderia) of Caceres, a maze of narrow lanes and whitewashed houses set against the lower walls of the medieval old town. The streets are public, so wandering through costs nothing.
The Palace of Golfines de Abajo is the largest noble palace in the UNESCO-listed monumental old town of Caceres, a building so big it absorbed the footprint of nearly twenty medieval houses.
A 15th-century palace in the walled old town of Caceres, notable for its round tower of Moorish origin and a quiet garden courtyard. It now houses the local tourism office, which makes it free to enter and one of the easiest budget stops in the historic quarter.
Renaissance palace in the walled old town of Caceres, named after Isabel de Moctezuma, a descendant of the Aztec emperor Moctezuma II. The facade is free to admire from the street.
The Plaza Mayor is the open, sloping square at the foot of the UNESCO-listed old town of Caceres, and it is the place every visit to the city begins. On one long side runs the line of medieval wall and towers, including the Torre de Bujaco, and the Arco de la Estrella cuts through that wall to lead up into the walled medieval quarter.
Site of a former southern gate in the old town walls of Caceres, named for the road that once led toward the Roman city of Merida. The gate itself was demolished in the eighteenth century, so there is no structure to enter and nothing to pay; the name survives on the street and as a local reference point.
The 12th-century Almohad tower that anchors the Plaza Mayor de Caceres and ranks as the most recognizable landmark in Caceres. Its rooftop terrace opens up panoramic views over the UNESCO-listed old town. Admiring the tower from the square costs nothing; climbing it carries only a modest fee.
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