Where is Jerez de los Caballeros?

​What to do in Jerez de los Caballeros

The identity of this small city is tied up in two historical periods and as you explore, you’ll see this very clearly. See if you can find the sculptures of knights and conquistadors.

→ the medieval period – in 1230 the town was taken by Alfonso IX from its Moorish rulers and was placed in the custody of the Order of the Temple, also known as the Templars.

→ the conquistadores – Extremadura is often considered the home of the conquistadores and Jerez de los Caballeros, as the birth place of the first European to see the Pacific, Vasco Núñez de Balboa, is most certainly an important location.

Once you’re done in the park, head out of the gates you’ll see near the café, walk up the road and turn onto Calle Reloj. Walk along until you see the very well preserved 13th century Torre de Reloj.

When we went to check it out the door at the base of the tower was open so, um, we went up. At the top we encountered two very nice men who were extremely surprised to see us 🤣. They were there to paint the bell tower and kindly let us have a look around. View in second photo was taken from top of tower in photo on left.

From here, you can head on to the courtyard of the Alcazaba de Jerez de los Caballeros where you’ll find a couple of towers (Carbón and Homenaje) and great views over the surrounding countryside.

The old town of Jerez de los Caballeros has a walled perimeter that stretched 1.5km around the town. It is a base of Arab wall with 15-16th century stone blocks on top.

Plaza de España and more

On the delightful Plaza de España you’ll find the Iglesia de San Miguel Arcángel and a few nice bars where you can stop for a drink, ice cream or snack.

A five minute walk away is the Casa Museo Vasco Núñez de Balboa. This is a small museum in the house of Vasco Núñez de Balboa, a sailor who in 1513, ‘discovered’ the Pacific Ocean and massively expanded the possibilities of…exploitation and colonisalisation. They say that Jerez de los Caballeros is the cradle of the conquistadores and this is where you’ll learn about this unfortunate period of history.

There’s also the Museo De Arte Sacro, the Sacred Art Museum, but I didn’t visit because I don’t enjoy religious art.

It’s worth taking an extra walk to check out the Puerta de Burgos, which I liked better than the other city gate, the Puerta de la Villa.

Where to stay in Jerez de los Caballeros

Where to eat in Jerez de los Caballeros

Food in Extremadura, in my opinion, tends to be good. We chose to eat in La Ermita purely because the idea of eating in an old church seemed fun. The food was good. We also had a coffee and breakfast snack on the plaza at Cerveceria Jerez. Bar Kapi next door looks nice too.

My kids had hoped to get an ice cream here but both options we found were closed – Heladería los Valencianos 2.3 and The Opera – Cafetería en Jerez de los Caballeros

→ Use the MexicoCassie guides to Spanish breakfasts, finding vegetarian food and kid friendly meals to help you understand Spanish menus.

🐷 Every May the Iberian Ham Fair is held in Jerez de los Caballeros

What else to do nearby

If you have a car, I highly recommend checking out some of the following adventures when you’re in the area. They’re all places I have either been or have saved on my ‘must visit list’ (it’s a long list, by the way).

Extremadura adventures

Cáceres – a beautiful UNESCO protected medieval town → Read the full MexicoCassie guide to Cáceres (photo left above)

Mérida – this fascinating city is home to more Roman ruins than you can imagine and the museums here are incredible too. It also has UNESCO World Heritage Site status → Read the full MexicoCassie guide to Mérida (photo right above)

Badajoz – right on the border with Portugal, Badajoz is a lovely town with an impressive fortress, large plaza and a few museums to keep you entertained → Read the full MexicoCassie guide to Badajoz (photo left above)

Zafra – a beautiful small city that’s perfect for a day adventure. Don’t miss the parador, the small museums, delightful plazas and great food → Read the full MexicoCassie guide to exploring Zafra (photo right above)

Burguillos del Cerro – this small town half way between Zafra and Jerez de los Caballeros is home to an incredible castle that sadly, due to the intense heat, we didn’t visit. I will 100% be getting myself there one day in cooler weather (photo above)

Nogales and Alburqurque – are both home to incredible looking castles

Fuentes de León – book a tour of the fascinating Cuevas (caves) de León

Alange – a small town on the bank of the Embalse de Alange where you’ll find the Roman thermal baths

+ of course you can visit the incredible Monfragüe National Park, (photo above) Sierra de Hornachos, the Sierra de Tentudia and the Sierra de Aracena

Andalucía adventures

Sevilla – world famous Sevilla is an easy 90 minute drive south, visit the Alcázar, Las Setas and see just why Zafra is called Little Sevilla → Read the full MexicoCassie guide to Sevilla (photo above)

Aracena – one of my favourite spots in Andalucía, this is an easy day trip from Jerez de los Caballeros. Visit the castle, the fabulous caves, enjoy incredible food and enjoy the small town vibe.

+ nip into Portugal, it’s right there, why not? From Badajoz we went to see the medieval aqueduct in Elvas, just over the border. There are also a number of really cool looking forts to visit here.