Badajoz may seem not that interesting, but make no mistake! Located next to Portugal (and, more specifically, to Elvas), Badajoz is a true hidden gem. So, find out what to visit in Badajoz with this 1-day itinerary.

At the end of the post, I will also include some suggestions for accommodation and restaurants so you can plan your trip to Badajoz!

Badajoz is relatively small and thus perfect for a weekend getaway if you are nearby 😊

Visiting Badajoz is a perfect plan for all year round. However, temperatures are usually much higher during the summer (June to September). Therefore, and to make the trip more pleasant, you should visit Badajoz during spring and autumn. It is also worth mentioning the Carnival festivities, which bring thousands of people to the streets every year.

💡 EXTRA TIP: Do you have some extra time? Then why not take the opportunity to visit nearby Mérida? Located less than an hour’s drive from Badajoz, Mérida is another small city with a huge heritage from the Roman Empire that is well worth a visit!

Badajoz is really a small town so it’s perfectly doable to visit Badajoz in just 1 day. Anyway, if you’d like a more chill visit, you can always add 1 day to your itinerary, making Badajoz the perfect weekend getaway!

Although Badajoz has a small airport, it only has some direct connections with some major Spanish cities, such as Madrid and Barcelona.

Therefore, the best option to get to Badajoz is to fly to one of these cities with flights available to Badajoz.

Alternatively, you can fly to one of the nearest cities to Badajoz by car and from there rent a car to Badajoz. These are the closest cities to Badajoz: Lisbon (225 km) | Seville (213 km). Finally, these cities are also connected by public transport. However, it is simpler to get from Seville to Badajoz than from Lisbon.

Badajoz, despite being a small city, still has some interesting accommodation offers.

In my case, as I was only going to spend one night in Badajoz and very little time in the accommodation, I valued the price above everything else. I ended up staying at the Hotel San Marcos. It is a small and quite simple hotel, but neat and centrally located. But for 45€ for two people in August, it’s hard to do any better!
Even so, I share other options that might be interesting:

• Sercotel Grand Hotel Zurbarán
• Hotel Badajoz Center
• AC Hotel by Marriott Badajoz

Before starting this list of places to visit in Badajoz, here is a map version of the main points of interest in Badajoz.

We start this itinerary by one of the most emblematic squares in Badajoz. Here we can observe Soledad Church, built on the former Virgen de la Soledad hermitage, patron saint of Badajoz.

Despite the small size of this square, we find some of the most beautiful buildings in Badajoz here, such as the Tres Campanas Building (former commercial space converted into a restaurant/hotel), Casa Álvarez or La Giralda.

In Plaza de la Soledad, we also find the statue in honour of José Salaz Molina, better known as Porrina de Badajoz – a famous flamenco singer.

Despite being located in Plaza de la Soledad, Giralda de Badajoz deserves a special mention. It is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city, being a replica of the Seville Cathedral tower (known as La Giralda). The building used to house La Giralda department store, which has since closed. Currently, La Giralda is empty and you can only visit its exterior.

Next is Paseo de San Francisco – a pleasant green space in the city. Don’t miss the beautiful benches decorated with tile panels. Also, take advantage of your visit to this garden to visit the Santo Domingo Church.

Before getting to the next point on this itinerary, take the opportunity to pass through Plaza de Minayo, where we can find López de Ayala Theatre, a statue in honour of José Moreno Nieto and the Church of San Francisco.

Plaza de España is another must-see on a visit to Badajoz. Here you will find a few more buildings of great historical importance for Badajoz, such as the Cathedral of San Juan Batista, the Municipal Palace, the Town Hall, Casa Álvarez-Buiza, Casa del Cordón, among others.

Also here we can observe the statue that honours Luis de Morales – a famous artist from Badajoz.

However, the highlight is Cathedral of San Juan Batista, in the centre of the square. Its construction began in the 13th century and was only finished in the 18th century. In the Cathedral, you can visit the Cathedral Museum with its sacred art exhibitions. The ticket also includes a visit to the cloisters. The visit costs 4€ and can be purchased online here.

Taking two of the city’s most emblematic streets (Calle Moreno Zancudo and Calle San Juan), we arrive at the photogenic Plaza Alta. This square, which still vaguely reminds us of Plaza Mayor in Madrid, is another important square in Badajoz.

The Town Hall was once located here, before it was transferred to its current location. This space also served as a market and, for that reason, in some of the arches we can read some inscriptions like “carne de puerco” (which translates to pigs’ meat), among others.

Crossing Arco del Peso de Colodrazgo, we arrive at Plaza de San José. In addition to Casas Mudéjares, here you will also find the beautiful San José Convent.

Casas Mudéjares are some of the oldest houses in the city, dating back to the 15th century. The arches at the entrance of the houses indicate that these houses were originally occupied by merchants. They currently serve as the Badajoz Tourist Office.

It’s now time to visit what is one of the biggest monuments in Badajoz – the Alcazaba. For those coming from the Plaza Alta, I recommend entering through the beautiful Puerta del Capitel. The visit is free and we find various information along the way that explains the history of the ancient walls and citadel of Badajoz.

Despite doubts about the date of its construction (it is believed to have been built between the 9th and 12th centuries), this walled city played an important role in controlling the route between Portugal and the Iberian region.

The site is still of considerable size and from many of its towers, we are offered some of the best views of Badajoz. In addition, we also find here the Alcazaba Park or the Archaeological Museum of Badajoz (the former Dukes of la Roca Palace).

Inside the Alcazaba, we can also find the Library of Extremadura and a building belonging to the University of Extremadura.

💡 EXTRA TIP: Besides Puerta del Capitel, there are other gates of the old wall that you can also visit in Badajoz. They are the Puerta del Alpéndiz and the Puerta de la Coraxa.

Right next to the Alcazaba, there is the famous Atalaia Tower, commonly known as Espantaperros Tower. This tower is reminiscent of Torre del Oro in Seville due to its octagonal shape. The name “Espantaperros” (“scare away” dogs in English) is related to the sound of the bell, which called the faithful to religious services, scaring away the unfaithful (which were considered to be the “dogs”).

💡 EXTRA TIP: If it is open to the public, you can also take the opportunity to visit La Galera gardens.

Puerta de Palmas (also known as Puerta Nova) is the entrance gate to the wall that formerly surrounded Badajoz. It is a kind of triumphal arch and an excellent postcard of the city 😉

Right next door, we can walk across Palmas bridge over the Guadiana River, whose construction dates back to the 16th century.

And to end this itinerary, nothing better than another city park. With a slightly different style from Paseo de San Francisco, you will find here a pleasant space to rest a bit and even watch some animals like peacocks, ducks or geese.

I tried Asador Tapabuey restaurant, which specializes in grilled meats. The prices are relatively affordable and the food tasty, although the portions are rather small.

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