Things to know before travelling to Extremadura in autumn

Planning to visit Extremadura but don’t know what time of the year to go? Dreading the summer heat, unsure about winter, but strongly considering a trip in autumn?

In this article, aimed at travellers at the trip planning stage, I share some things to bear in mind before travelling to Extremadura in autumn and offer suggestions of what to see and do in the region from October to December.

​

Things to consider when planning a trip to Extremadura in autumn

Weather

Temperatures. Day autumn (Oct-Dec) temperatures in Extremadura go from still hot in October to cold by the end of December. The region lacks ‘proper’ shoulder seasons and both autumn and spring are fairly short. The weather goes from hot to cold very quickly.

In any case, temperatures can vary a little depending on the area and altitude. See some examples below:

Sunrise is relatively late. See the Mérida-London comparison below for reference:

The rather big difference between the minimum and the maximum daily temperature means that you need to dress in layers. In October, you might need to wear both a light coat and a short-sleeve T-shirt on the same day. In December, you can wear a thermal T-shirt and a light fleece for a late morning walk, but you will need warm shoes and a proper winter coat in the evening.

Skies. Cloud cover during autumn increases rapidly. For example, the chance of a mostly cloudy day in Mérida goes from 25% at the beginning of March to over 50% at the end of December. Generally speaking, during a trip to Extremadura in autumn, most days will be clear, but you should expect some cloud.

Rain. Late autumn and winter is the rainiest period in Extremadura. The average monthly rainfall in Mérida in November and December is not too dissimilar to that in Edinburgh but the daily chance of precipitation is quite a lot lower – meaning that while Mérida may get a similar amount of rain over a month, it rains less often, so you’re more likely to have a dry day.

Sights

Generally speaking, Extremadura ranks low in terms of adequately marketing sights, which can be quite frustrating for travellers coming from more customer-focused and digitally-aware countries such as the UK (as a long-term UK-resident extremeña, I can vouch for that). Things are changing slowly as Extremadura gains more international recognition as a travel destination, but some things are still pretty common:

• Official regional or local travel websites publishing huge chunks of wiki-type texts full of historical details about a sight, which still lack basic practical information such as opening times, how to get there, or contact details.

• Sights relying exclusively on a Facebook page (sometimes a profile) as their only online presence, yet still failing to make the basic practical information available or update their opening times.

• Last-minute changes to a sight’s opening times not being communicated anywhere online but only on a piece of paper stuck to the main door of the said sight.

• Wrong or not-updated opening times on Google.

• Having to call a number to find out basic information unavailable on their website or social media channels.

• Vague opening times, mentioning ‘summer’ or ‘winter’ opening times, without mentioning the exact dates.

• Only disclosing the opening times for the current season, making it difficult to have reliable, up-to-date information more than three months before a trip.

• Poor (and often automated) translations everywhere.

Is autumn a good time to visit Extremadura?

Deciding whether visiting Extremadura in autumn is a good idea will depend on your priorities, plans and interests as a traveller.

Things to do in Extremadura in autumn

Visit castles

While visiting castles is something I particularly enjoy when I go to Extremadura in winter, autumn is algo a good season to do so. Temperatures will still allow you to see castles at any time of the day (unlike in summer, when it’s way too hot from 12pm to 6pm). Landscapes can still look a bit dry in October, reaching a nice green greener by December.

Walks

Autumn is a good time for walking in Extremadura, with many different types of routes to choose from, depending on your area of choice. Valle del Ambroz is said to be particularly beautiful during autumn (still on my autumn bucket list). Some autumn walks I can recommend are Ruta de la Herrería, Ruta de la Sierra, and Senda de las Pozatas.

Autumn events

Several areas in Extremadura autumn festivals lasting from two to four weeks around November, and featuring activities such as guided tours, concerts, tastings, crafts markets, photo competitions and more. Valle del Ambroz has Otoño Mágico, Sierra de Gata has Échate a sonar, Valle del Jerte has Otoñada, and Villuercas-Ibores-Jara has Geodisea.

Medieval Festival. Cáceres holds its Mercado Medieval de las Tres Culturas over four days in mind-November (2025 dates still to be confirmed), so keep that in mind if you plan to include Cáceres in your trip to Extremadura in autumn. The festival takes place in the historic centre and the activity programme usually includes daily parades, live music, markets, street performances, workshops, talks about medieval topics and children activities.

Los Escobazos. During this unique festival, taking place on the night of 7 to 8 of December in Jarandilla de la Vera, local residents set brooms on fire playfully smack each other with them. An image of the local Virgin is paraded to a square, where a bonfire is held and villagers sign, drink wine and keep celebrating all night. I have not attended this festival yet, so I cannot share my personal thoughts.

Nature

Extremadura is a great birdwatching destination all year round, but autumn is a particularly good time to see common cranes. They arrive in the thousands in Extremadura from northern Europe in October-November to spend the winter in the pastureland (dehesa) and the wetlands of central Extremadura. You can spot them on the ground while driving through Vegas Altas del Guadiana or La Siberia area, or flying back to the wetlands at sunset in large flocks. Other areas you might want to consider for birdwatching are the Monfragüe National Park, and the plains around Trujillo.

Late summer rains marks the deer breeding season, when male deer bellow to establish their territory and fight over females. In Extremadura this is known as la berrea (bellowing) and, although nature is unpredictable and dates can change, you’ll have a chance to hear it (or even see it, if you’re in luck) at the end of September and the beginning of October. Two of the best areas to witness the deer bellowing are Monfragüe National Park, Sierra de San Pedro.

Eat seasonal autumn food

Autumn seasonal produce in Extremadura features wild mushrooms, different types of squash including pumpkin, game meat (deer, rabbit, wild boar, quail, partridge), quince, chestnuts and pomegranates.

If you’re keen to try local seasonal food during your trip to Extremadura in autumn, look out for dishes containing the ingredients above when checking out restaurant menus.

On top of that you should, of course, try the classic staples: anything and everything Ibérico (ham and other cold meats, as well as pork cuts in all its variations), the incredible variety of local cheeses, and wines.