Afternoon in Cáceres

Cáceres, one of the most unspoilt medieval towns in the world, has been a UNESCO heritage site since 1986. The Casco Antiguo is a perfectly preserved walled town, packed with mansions built on the proceeds of American exploitation. The towers and spires are crowned by a clutch of storks’ (cigüeñas) nests. So, we set off into the afternoon from the apartments, shown below.  

Cáceres is also a provincial capital and university town.  I struggle to imagine Oxford, which has only pockets of beauty, not beauty as it’s entirety, with so few tourists.  We hear English spoken only once and remain unsure whether the two middle aged ladies were from Yorkshire or Germany!

We head up hill

There is a picturesque Plaza Mayor just outside the walls of the old town.

Several typical bars and cafés surround the smallish arcaded Plaza. 

Almost everything of interest is contained within, or a short walk from, this area. 

The town walls are basically Moorish in construction, though parts date back to the Romans, notably the Arco del Cristo shown below.  This is the entrance to the Casco Antiguo from the Plaza Major.