Cáceres sightseeing: 10 places not to miss

Cáceres has everything for a perfect city break – its walkable city centre is brimming with superb buildings of different historical periods and architectural styles, there are some interesting museums, and the food scene is one Extremadura’s best.

This Cáceres sightseeing mini-guide is aimed at helping first-time visitors plan their first day in the city. The ten unmissable places suggested below will keep you busy for most of the day, allowing you to leisurely explore the old town on foot and still have some spare time to add other stops as you go.

Plaza Mayor

The best place to start exploring the centre of Cáceres is the main square. It’s surrounded mostly by porticoed buildings including bars, restaurants, hotels, flats and several local administrative buildings such as the City Hall. But it’s the oldest, eastern side of the square where the main historical highlights are located, namely two twelfth-century towers, a pretty thirteenth-century church (Ermita de la Paz), and part of the city walls. The beautiful Arco de la Estrella at the top of the central stairs serves as the gateway to the Old Town of Cáceres, a World Heritage Site.

During medieval times, the square hosted markets, fairs, executions, bullfights and other events. Today, it hosts Easter celebrations, markets, and music and dance events such as the renown WOMAD festival.

Conjunto Patrimonial y Arqueológico de Bujaco

This archaeological ensemble comprises two twelfth-century flanking towers (Torre de Bujaco and Torre de los Púlpitos), part of the city wall and some Roman remains. Torre de Bujaco is one of Cáceres’ most recognisable symbols and a climbable tower offering some fantastic views of the main square and the historical city centre from its rooftop. From here, you can walk along part of the city wall and then  across and down to the courtyard at Palacio de Mayoralgo holding Roman remains.

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Location: Plaza Mayor, s/n

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​Iglesia Concatedral de Santa María

Cáceres’ most important Catholic church displays a mix of Romanesque, Gothic, Late Gothic and Renaissance styles. Main highlights inside include its sexpartite vaults, the main dark wood altarpiece, and an eighteenth-century organ. From the bell tower you can appreciate the details of the main historical buildings and churches and enjoy a good general view of the city and the surroundings.

A general ticket gives you access to the interior of the cathedral, a little museum, and the bell tower, which you can visit on your own with an audio guide. There are also two 90-minute guided tours available (in Spanish).

Location: Plaza Santa María, s/n

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Palacio de los Golfines de Abajo​

Situated a few metres away from the cathedral, this magnificent palace-turned museum is a good place to learn about the lifestyle, fashion and decoration trends and tastes of Spanish nobility. The guided tour offers great insight into the history of the noble family members who owned the palace for centuries, leading the visitor through beautiful spaces including sumptuous public rooms, soberly-decorated bedrooms, and an old book and document exhibition room. One of the main highlights is the sala de armas – an astonishing sixteenth-century room displaying hand painted portraits of different members of the Golfín family.

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Location: Plaza de los Golfines, 1

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Plaza de San Jorge

This iconic square lies south of Palacio de los Golfines de Abajo and is dominated by an eighteenth-century Baroque church (Iglesia de San Francisco Javier). A little alcove in a wall in front of the church houses an equestrian statue of Saint George (patron saint of Cáceres) slaying a dragon. Certainly way less impressive than the cathedral, this church is also open to the public and you can climb the tower to enjoy the views.

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Plaza de San Mateo, Plaza de San Pablo y Plaza de las Veletas

There are squares aplenty in the city centre and, if you wander about, you’re likely to see them all. But, just so you don’t miss out on the key ones, make sure to look out for these three squares below:

Plaza de San Mateo: a fifteenth-century square where can find the namesake church, three-Michelin-starred restaurant Atrio, and a former palace currently home to a fine arts school.

Plaza de San Pablo: connected to the other two squares, it is dominated by the Palacio de las Cigüeñas and its imposing tower.

Plaza de las Veletas: situated in the highest point of the city, the palace currently home to the local museum (Museo de Cáceres) keeps a historical gem underground – one of the best-preserved Moorish water cisterns in Spain.

Museo Helga de Alvear

Opened in 2021, this museum is a refreshing, welcome addition to the regional contemporary art scene, and has rapidly become an unmissable place to visit in Cáceres. The building itself is an award-winning architectural delight, while the permanent collection exhibits more than three thousand artworks by renown national and international artists. The museum organises frequent free Spanish guided tours and it can also arrange private guided tours in English and other languages.

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Location: (two entrances) Calle Pizarro, 10; and Camino Llano s/n (Plaza Marrón).

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​Judería Vieja​

The Old Jewish Quarter lies to the southeast of Plaza de las Veletas, outside the city walls, in the neighbourhood currently known as ‘barrio de San Antonio’. It’s a charming area of steep streets, small houses and whitewashed façades. The small San Antonio chapel was built over the remains of the former synagogue. Not far from the chapel you’ll find a visitor centre (Baluarte de los Pozos) comprising a typical house and a Moorish tower with great views, and a nearby garden (Olivar de la Judería).

Ronda Fuente Rocha

This road, located to the east of the Old Jewish Quarter, offers a great panoramic view of the Old Town’s skyline. From the viewpoint (Mirador de San Marquino) situated at the top of the stairs by the traffic light you’ll have decent views, too, although they are partially blocked by trees. For a better view, head a bit further up to the bench at the top of the green area (in Calle Marte).

Location: Ronda Fuente Rocha

Parque Gloria Fuertes and Paseo de Cánovas

If you’re looking for a green area for a stroll in the shade, head to this park and boulevard along Avenida de España. There are a few kiosks where you can buy snacks and drinks. The paseo holds a number of markets and fairs throughout the year.

Location: Avenida de España

Cáceres sightseeing map