How To Spend One day in Badajoz: The Only Itinerary You’ll Need!

Planning a day trip to Badajoz in Extremadura? Look no further! There’s so much to see and do that you’ll have no problems enjoying your day.

We recently spent a while in Badajoz, using the city as a base for exploring the area and also some places across the Portuguese border, like Elvas, which is only a 15-minute drive away.

There’s no secret, we fell in love with the city. But I do recognize that most people only have one day in Badajoz to spend.

In a day, you’ll easily see the top attractions, like the Alcazaba, the cathedral, and Plaza Alta, and I’ll show you how to plan your day trip the best way possible.

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One day in Badajoz itinerary

Cross the Puente de Palmas

If you visit Badajoz as part of a road trip in Spain, you’ll most likely park next to the Puente de Palmas, so it’s only natural to start your day trip by crossing the historical bridge.

Puente de Palmas dates back to the late 15th century to the early 16th century and was the first bridge to connect Badajoz with the other side of the river. It was fortified to protect the entrance to the city even more.

Now, it’s a popular pedestrian bridge with beautiful views of Badajoz.

Climb Puerta de Palmas

As you cross the bridge, you’ll walk straight onto the Puerta de Palmas. Two twin towers that used to be part of the city’s fortification.

Inside one of the towers, there’s information about the history of both Puerta de Palmas and the Puente de Palmas.

In the other tower, there’s a spiral staircase taking you to the top of the wall connecting the two towers. From there, you can climb both towers.

There are some pretty awesome views of Puente de Palmas from there, and it’s free to enter!

Snap a picture of the iconic Giraldilla

Next, head to Plaza de la Soledad, where you’ll find three iconic buildings clustered together in a corner: the Ermita de la Soledad, Tres Campanas Hotel, and the Giraldilla tower.

The tower is built as a smaller replica of the Giralda Tower in Seville, but the one in Badajoz is painted red, like the rest of the building it’s part of.

It’s not possible to visit it, but it’s so picturesque from the outside, so it’s totally worth snapping a picture or two of it before continuing.

Walk through Calle Manuel Cancho Moreno

There are so many cute streets and alleys in Badajoz, and we totally fell in love with Calle Manuel Cancho Moreno.

It’s a narrow street with a lovely Arab-inspired fountain in the corner of it, a cute café with some outdoor tables, and another Arab-inspired café further up.

The walls are decorated with pot plants, and lights light up the alley in the evenings, giving it a warm feel.

Visit Badajoz Cathedral and the clock tower

Next, visit the spectacular Badajoz Cathedral, its clock tower, and the cloister.

Make sure you purchase the complete ticket, which includes the cloister and the clock tower. When I was there, it was 8 Euros for the whole pack.

Our visit started with the clock tower, where you can see the apartment of the bell ringer, though no one has lived there since the last one moved out in 1970, and also the last mechanical clock that was used in the church.

There are several information signs in both Spanish and English.

And finally, the top floor, where several giant bells crown the tower, and you’re treated to the single best views of Badajoz.

When returning down to the cathedral interior, we walked around a bit before we were shown into the cloister, which has a charming central patio and a large museum with old paintings and religious artifacts.

Grab lunch at Plaza Alta

Plaza Alta dates back to the 15th century and has been used as a marketplace and social hub since then to this date.

I loved the old porticos, but the most notable is the colorful walls and unique design.

There are a couple of bars on the square where you can have lunch on an outdoor table surrounded by all of this. I can’t think of anything better!

Visit the Archaeological Museum

The Archaeological Museum of Badajoz is set within the Alcazaba walls, but I recommend visiting it before you explore the rest of the fortress, so you don’t miss out on the opening hours, and the rest of it is open 24 hours.

It’s free to enter the Archaeological Museum, and it’s got a lot of interesting artifacts like pottery, arrows, and coins, but also mosaics, statues, and rock carvings from between prehistoric times and Moorish rule.

Explore the Alcazaba

Badajoz Alcazar is the biggest in Spain, and for history lovers, it’s easily one of the top reasons to visit Badajoz.

The Alcazar dates back to the 9th century, though it was massively improved and enlarged during Almohad rule in the 12th century.

You can almost walk around the entire wall, which is pretty cool, but the highlights are the ruins of houses, mosques, and churches that were excavated from 2015, and the Torre de Espantaperros.

The latter can not be entered, but it’s a 12th-century addition to the protection of the Alcazaba, and it was built outside the wall, with a connecting wall, which you can see through a closed gate (and luckily also snap a picture!

Grab a drink at Plaza de San Francisco

Next, head to Plaza San Francisco, a lovely, historical square with a central gazebo. On each side of the square, there’s an old newspaper stand, which are really picturesque.

There are several benches you can sit on to take in the local life, with colorful tilework depicting historical events, like the death of Francisco Pizarro and Cortés’s entourage into Mexico.

But you might be tired after walking around the Alcazaba, and Plaza de San Francisco also happens to be a great place to grab a drink at one of the bars with outdoor seating.

See the sunset from the Puente de Palmas

Finally, round off the day with a magical sunset at Puente de Palmas. We had quite a few epic ones from there, and the views of the next bridge over with a pink sky behind it are nothing but spectacular.

Whether it’s time for you to leave or you’ll head for dinner after sunset, this is a great way to end your Badajoz one-day itinerary.

How to get to Badajoz

Badajoz is located right next to the Portuguese border at only 2.5 hours from Lisbon in the west and 2.5 hours from Seville in the south.

It’s a great stop on any road trip in Spain and Portugal if you’re interested in exploring Portugal and Spain off the beaten path. It’s also easy to park for free both for cars and campervans just across the Puente de Palmas bridge, as I’ll get more into later.

But Badajoz also has its own airport, Aeropuerto de Badajoz, that you can fly directly to. However, there are no public transport options between the airport and the city.

So if your Spain itinerary starts in Badajoz, you can book an airport transfer to your hotel here. It’s only a 14-kilometer journey, so it’ll still be fairly affordable.

There are also buses to Badajoz from Seville that take 2.5-3 hours. Check available times and prices here.

Where to park

There are several parking areas around the city, but my favorite place to park is across the bridge from the old town. There are several free parking areas by the park that lines the water. You can find the location here.

What I like about this parking space is that you start your visit by crossing the Puente de Palmas into the old town, so this itinerary is built based on that.

Best time to visit

Badajoz is a fantastic destination most of the year. However, as an inland city, it gets very hot in the summer, and there aren’t any beaches nearby.

So I recommend going between mid-September and mid-June. The shoulder seasons are most comfortable with mostly nice weather and sunny days, like most places on the peninsula.

Winter can be rainy, and temperatures drop to 3-4 degrees at nighttime with 13-16 degrees during the day. However, sunny days often feel a lot warmer.

I’ve been wearing shorts and a t-shirt in Badajoz in winter and have been warm. But once the sun goes low, that party is over, and a warm jacket must be zipped to the ears.

Where to stay

If you’re planning to stay the night before or after exploring Badajoz, there are some very nice options. Here are my top picks, including where to find the caravan park if you travel by campervan.

LUXURY: NH Gran Hotel Casino de Extremadura – Fantastic 5-star hotel located on the other side of the river from the old town, yet a beautiful, short walk across the Palmas Bridge to get there. A big plus for being pet-friendly! They offer paid parking at the hotel, but there are also plenty of free parking spaces below it by the river park.

MID-RANGE: Hotel Las Tres Campanas – Set on the Plaza de la Soledad, this boutique hotel is located on Plaza de la Soledad next to Ermita de la Soledad and the picturesque Giraldilla tower. A better location is hard to find. But the boutique hotel is also incredibly beautiful inside and easily one of the top stays in Badajoz.

BUDGET: Pensión Galicia – A fantastic budget option across the river from the old town, but it’s only a few minutes’ walk across Puente de Palmas. The service is outstanding, and they serve a great breakfast, which makes it the best value for money among the budget options in Badajoz.

Summing up a day trip to Badajoz

Summing up, a day in Badajoz gives you the time to see the top attractions, but not so much time to slow travel. If you have an extra day to spare, make sure you read my 2-day itinerary, which gives you more time to relax and soak in the city, its people, and its food.

Nonetheless, I totally recommend a day trip if that’s all you have. It’s a lot easier to see Badajoz in one day than cities like nearby Merida.

Happy travels!