Driving Itinerary for Extremadura ? advice need please
 

I am planning a four-day trip to Extremadura and would welcome your advice and input.

I will pick up the car at Madrid airport on Friday morning and will be staying just outside Trujillo, at the Finca Santa Marta. I leave from Madrid on Monday evening at 6pm.

Please give me your thoughts on this itinerary. Am I trying to do too much? Am I getting the best out of the four days?:

Friday: Drive from Madrid to hotel (2.5 hours), arriving before noon. Spend the afternoon/early evening in Trujillo

Saturday: Merida. I consider this a highlight of the trip, and believe it deserves an entire day. If you don't agree, do you have any suggestions re interesting side trips on my journey from Trujillo to Merida?

Sunday: A drive through Plasencia, Hervas, Jarandilla de la Vera. This trip is very ill-defined at this point, because there is SO much to see and my head is spinning with the wealth of options!. Can you help me to design a nice Sunday drive?

Monday: Caceres and Guadalupe and then to the airport

Other questions:

1. Shopping: I don't want to spend too much time shopping, but would welcome any suggestions regarding special finds. Shoes are always high on my list. Any recommendations for good shoe shops in Caceres, Trujillo or Merida?

2. Restaurants: I will probably have dinner at the hotel, as I don't like driving at night, but would welcome recommendations for restaurants where I can enjoy a nice lunch.

All suggestions gratefully received and many thanks for your input.

Best regards .... Ger

Any advice or suggestions? :)

regards ...Ger

OReilly
Your plan is ok but I think needs a bit of fine tunning.
Your trip on Friday from the airport to Trujillo in 2.5 hours I find it very optimistic, but it does not really matter if is takes one hour more.
Afternoon in Trujillo.
Next day ,Merida for the day and back to Trujillo is fine if you want to stay in the same place but I will move to Caceres for Saturday night. It will be much more lively and fun than Trujillo and you will avoid some back and forward move.
Sunday great day to visit Gualdalupe, and if you want to do some more driving move to Puente del Arzobispo, pottery shopping and then go on to Jarandilla or Plasencia. Otherwise your Monday drive will be too long with the time limit of your flight.
Shoe shops in this part of the country are limited to hunting shoes or country boots. I don't think you are going all that way to buy a pair of adidas.
I don't recall any specific fashion places. for country shoes Talavera is the place.

Just some quick thoughts. I didn't drive when I visited Extremadura last fall for 5 nights and can't help you with this part.

However, one day for Caceres and Guadalupe is a stretch. I'd spend at least one full day in Cacares alone.

I ate at the Paradors in Merida and Trujillo and the food was exceptional - particularly Trujillo. The paradors in this area are really outstanding for their locations and their history.

Hope this helps a little!

Car & CathyM, thanks SO much for your feedback - this is exactly what I was looking for!

Car: I really wanted to stay in Caceres but I could not find any accomodation. My TA checked every large hotel in the area and I checked the Paradors and Inns on the 'net - no luck :(

I will redesign the trip, based on your comments and will it post later.

Best regards ... Ger

The Paradors in Trujillo and Merida are both excellent...have stayed there several times. They also have excellent food in case you're in the area at lunch time. We followed pretty much the same plan except drove only to Oropesa from the airport and crashed there. There isn't much to see there, so if you can stay awake to Trujillo that's probably a good plan. You don't say what time of year you are going. We were in Guadalupe (on a Sunday) in Nov. At that time, the tours of the monastery (and you HAVE to take a tour) were offered only in Spanish. Not a problem for us, since I speak it and could translate for my husband and friends. It would have been pretty much a total loss otherwise. You might want to check to make sure they're offering tours in English (if you need that) before committing too much time there. Merida is fascinating. Be sure to see the Casa Mitreo (ruins of a Roman villa on the outskirts of town) as well as the museum, theater, bridge and Roman arch. Have lunch at El Figon del Estacuo in Caceres. I highly recommend their tomato soup with poached egg.

We stayed at Finca Santa Marta (FSM) for 4 nights over Easter last year. We were on a different mission and so I can't help with your itinerary but I can add a couple of tips about the Finca. Given the distance of FSM to any alternative for dinner and the late hour of the evening meal in Spain Dinner at the Finca is the most convenient option. That said we felt that the food was less than exceptional and not very good value. When we were there the kitchen was closed on Sunday evenings. These things are naturally subject to change. FSM is popular with British birdwatching groups during migration time.

Gavin: Well I guess the birdies must be migrating the weekend after next when I am there, because I have been warned by the owner that the hotel is full of UK bird-watchers :) I would have preferred to stay in one of the towns, but there was not a room available ANYWHERE in the area. I expected not to be able to dine out at night, which is why I will probably have a large lunch and pick up a sandwich on the way back to the Inn. Thanks for the advice re the food. Pity, I love Spanish food.:(

PVB: Thank you. From what I have read so far, I am not likely to find an English tour at this time of year. If they have an English guide-book, I can follow along. I am VERY excited about Merida.

I am now going to pour over the guidebooks to decide which museums and check out the opening hours. First glance suggests hours are limited due to long lunch break.

Once again, many thanks to all for your very kind assistance.

Best regards ... Ger

Ger,
As you know, we're Extremadura bound in two weeks but with a different itinerary. Just a few observations:

I think that from Barajas to Trujillo may take you more than 2 1/2 hrs. As car says, it's seems just a bit optimistic. But at any rate, you'll arrive in Trujillo before lunch (2 p.m.) so that will give you the entire afternoon and early evening to see the town well. Since you'll be staying out at the finca, you'll need to dine there. (I'm assuming the Meliá in Trujillo was also completed booked).

BTW, did your TA try for availability at the Posada Dos Orillas in the historic district of Trujillo? It only has 7 doubles, but it's one of those charming, intimate boutique properties of Rusticae and not as well known. It also has a restaurant. See it at
www.rusticae.com
www.dosorillas.com

I agree that Mérida deserves an entire day, so I would dedicate your entire Saturday to it, maybe stopping in Cácers on the way back for dinner at the Figón, or a splurge ($$) gourmet feast at Atrio, one of Spain's top restaurants.

On Sunday, from Trujillo I'd choose between these 2 options:

1) head up north on the EX 208 to Plasencia, then on the 203 to Jarandilla de la Vera and the other cute Vera valley towns and the Monastery of Yuste (only open from 9:30-11:30 on Sun). Tours may be in Spanish only. But I wouldn't try to include Hervás unless you substitue it for the Vera valley towns and Yuste.

2) head out east on the EX 208 to the 102 to the Monastery of Guadalupe. Spend a relaxing Sunday soaking in the incredible setting and the tranquility. Have a lovely lunch at the Parador.

Then on Monday, I'd devote what time you have remaining to the old quarter of Cáceres. I feel as CathyM does, that combining Cáceres and Guadalupe on the day of departure just isn't feasible.

About shoes shopping:
I wouldn't look for shoes in Extremadura, since it's not "shoe land"; I'd pick them up on the next trip to Madrid, or at the duty free shops at Barajas airport.
What I intend to pick up in the Vera valley is their terrific pimentón, or paprika, and some small copper items plus ceramics on our way back to Madrid with quick stops in "ceramics land" at Talavera de la Reina and Puente de Arzobispo. We're overnighting in Oropesa at the Parador before our departure.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Thanks Maribel!

I have sent a note off to Posada Dos Orillas. We checked out all the Melias, Paradors, larger hotels (she did her check and I also checked them on the 'net) and no luck. Perhaps the migrating birds have taken all the hotel rooms that weekend :)

Interesting news from you and Car on the time between Madrid airport and Trujillo. I got the driving distance from Viamichelin.com. It would not be the first time I discovered the estimates to be inaccurate - I once planned a day trip around the Cathar region that was supposed to take 6 hours (insane to begin with) that ended up taking me 14 hours :(

Good advice from CathyM and yourself re the last day - I should keep it simple, as I will need to drop the car off at about 5pm, so I can assume I only have a morning to explore and then have lunch.

Great stuff!

Best regards ... Ger

I have just had a stroke of luck. Las Marinas hotel, in the centre of Caceres, is available for the dates I need. Does anyone know it?

So the plan now is:

Friday: Drive to the hotel and spend the afternoon/evening exploring. Dine somewhere nice, as long as I can stay awake long enough :)
Saturday: Merida
Sunday: Plasencia, Jarandilla de la Vera dirve
Monday: Either Trujillo or Guadalupe

Thanks for all your great advice. I will post a trip report on my return.

Best regards ... Ger

Hi ger,
I just looked up the 4 star Las Marinas in my Michelin red guide. The guide gives it 2 gables ("comfortable"), it has only 18 rooms, it's a "new and modern style hotel very near the Old Quarter. The reception is combined with the cafeteria, beautiful spiral staircase and rooms with very good furniture". It doesn't indicate a garage.
In case you haven't seen it, look at the pics here:
www.hotellasmarinas.com

Thanks Maribel. I actually found the hotel on the Viamichelin.com site. I would have preferred the Parador or the Melia, but overall I am quite please with it :)

It will be much more convenient to be in a town rather than out in the countryside, although I don't imagine I will have the stamina to eat out every night.

Whoah!!!! I read your first post and thought, "What a lucky duck! OReilly gets to stay at the Finca Santa Marta!"

Now I see you're changing your plans. My wife and I loved the Finca, and we found the food to be stellar. Maybe the cook had an off week during Gavin's stay, or a bout of inspiration during ours. :)

Our trip was more of an outdoors one than you seem to be looking for: we did loads of hiking and spent little time in the nearby cities. So I guess the Finca's remoteness appealed more to us than it does you.

We did find one great restaurant in Caceres--I'll look it up for you when I get home.

Thanks Tejano and I would appreciate your restaurant recommendation.

I think, given my plans, that staying in a town would be best for this trip.