Badajoz province is a great place for castle-hopping, with over fifty structures to choose from. Castillo de Burguillos del Cerro, situated in the Zafra-Río Bodión area, is worth a place on your castle bucket list if you’re road tripping southern Extremadura.
This short guide includes a general overview, practical information and tips to help you plan your trip to Burguillos del Cerro and make the most of your visit to the castle.
Built in the thirteenth century over the remains of a Moorish fortress, Castillo de Burguillos displays an irregular plan and two distinct structures – the remains of an older outer wall and the castle itself.
The castle is open 24/7 and is free to visit. You can access the bailey, the keep, a secondary tower and smaller circular towers.
Visiting Castillo de Burguillos del Cerro
The castle can only be reached on foot. At the time of my visit (December 2023), the path to the castle was being paved. The latest information available from the local town hall (as of 26 April 2024) shows that works are still underway. At the end of the path, some stairs lead right up to the door.
Despite its decent state of conservation, the castle is not a health and safety compliant sight to visit. Think of uneven surfaces, crumbling stairs, no handrails or ropes, big gaps, and extremely low walls. Moreover, the castle is always unattended and you’ll likely be the only visitor, especially if you go in the morning or on a weekday.
Bear all that in mind and remember that you’re visiting the castle at your own risk.
Tourist Information Centre (Oficina de Turismo)
Location: Calle Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, 3 (inside Universidad Popular)
Opening times: Monday-Friday from 9am to 2pm, Saturday-Sunday from 11am to 2pm and from 6pm to 8.15pm.
Contact details: (phone) +34 924 54 14 11; (mobile) +34 635 23 67 61. Contact them ahead of your trip to Burguillos if you have any questions about the castle or other local sights.
How to get to Castillo de Burguillos del Cerro
The castle is located to the north of the town and can only be reached on foot from this path off Plaza Alta. The path goes past a former church (now a traditional architecture interpretation centre) before climbing up to the castle.
Where to park: there’s a lot of free on-street parking in Avenida de la Paz, which is barely 5min away from the centre of Burguillos.
Burguillos del Cerro is a small town situated in the Zafra-Río Bodión area of Badajoz province. Jerez de los Caballeros and Zafra are both under 20min away by car on the EX-112 road. Burguillos can be reached from Badajoz and Mérida by car in about 1h 10min.
Castillo de Burguillos del Cerro: highlights
Entrance
An ogive arch frames the main door to the castle. The coat of arms of the Zúñiga family (former owners) occupies a central position between the arch and a partially-preserved machicolation.
Bailey, keep and towers
The bailey still preserves part of the original floor of cobble stones and two water cisterns. From the centre of the bailey you’ll be able to easily identify all the towers you’re about to visit.
The keep is a two-part structure comprising a main square tower and a setback structure on top, something rarely seen in Extremadura castles. The terrace at the top offers the best panoramic views. A wall walk along the northern wall (a modern exposed brick restoration) connects the keep with an older tower (thought to be an original Moorish tower) and with a crenellated round tower. After reaching the round tower, retrace your steps back to the bailey via the keep.
Walk across the bailey past the remains of a small semicircular tower on the eastern wall, where an opening framed by an arch hints at a former second entrance to the castle. The secondary tower, accessed from the bailey via stairs, offers the best uninterrupted views of the town of Burguillos from its terrace. A wall walk along the southern wall connects the secondary tower with another round tower past the machicolation above the main door. I found this wall walk and the round tower to be particularly dangerous, since most crenels are missing from the wall.
The views
These are, more or less, the views you get in all four directions:
To the west
To the north
To the east
To the south
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Irene Corchado Resmella
Hi! I’m Irene (/ee-REH-neh/). Long since settled in the UK, I explore my Spanish home region of Extremadura with an inquisitive mind, a sharp eye, and the duality that comes with being both a local and a visitor. Then I write about it here to help you discover this beautiful yet overlooked part of Spain. If you have any questions after reading this article, submit a comment below! Read more about me.
