As it is the Spanish region that shares the most Spanish border with Portugal (430 kilometers), Extremadura offers many possibilities to escape the routine. Explore one of the last natural paradises of Southern Europe. Go through monumental cities that are World Heritage. Savor gastronomy that surprises you by the fusion of flavors and influences. It's all this that Extremadura has to offer.
Few Spanish regions can count with as much biodiversity and as many protected hectares as Extremadura. More than 60 places preserve ecosystems that attract visitors from all over Europe, including the Monfrague National Park, the largest patch of Mediterranean forest in the world, and the Tejo International Natural Park, shared by Spain and Portugal. You can discover these two protected areas by car or off-road, on foot through several routes in different degrees of difficulty, by bicycle and on horseback riding, but also by kayak and canoe. 
Its extensive historical heritage is not far behind. There are more than 300 buildings declared as Cultural Interest, such as churches, palaces, bridges or archaeological remains.

Must visit & Major attractions:
On your trip you will also find three enclaves that UNESCO recognized for its relevance and its magnificent state of conservation: Mérida, with its numerous Roman monuments; Cáceres, one of the best-preserved medieval collections in Europe; and the Royal Monastery of Guadalupe, a magnificent building combining Mudejar and Gothic art that hosts a valuable art collection. 
In Merida, you can return to Roman times by crossing the 792 meters and 60 arches bridge over the Guadiana (the largest standing at the time) or visiting the theater with six thousand people capacity, where each summer the Classic Theatre festival takes place, it is one of the most prestigious of its kind in Europe.
Discover the cobbled alleys of Cáceres, photograph dozens of palaces, manor houses and churches and watch the storks flying between towers and steeples.
In the Guadalupe monastery, located in natural surroundings with great beauty, visit the cloisters, the church, the sacristy and the numerous museums that hold precious books, embroidery, reliquaries, goldsmiths and paintings by El Greco and Francisco de Goya, among other artists.

Gastronomy
Extremadura is a reference in the production of the Iberian Bellota Ham, an icon of Spanish gastronomy. There is a centuries-old culture behind this delicacy: the black pig farming in the cork oaks and holm oaks, the careful process of elaboration, the art of slicing ... Ham is part of a thousand and one recipes of the Extremadura gastronomy, a cuisine that mixes flavors and influences from outside, including those from Portugal.
Tapas are a subject taken very seriously in Extremadura and, intending to provide new experiences, they mix products from the fields with ham, Tora del Casar, La Serena, and Ibores cheeses, olives, mushrooms, olive oil, veal, tomato, lamb ... All these wonders can be tasted regularly in the restaurants and pubs of the region. 

Main events and festivities
São Jorge Night, Cáceres - April
Battle of La Albuera, Badajoz - May
Olivenza Bull Fair, Badajoz - March
Templar Festival, Jerez de los Caballeros, Badajoz – July