The region of Extremadura – once a provincial center of the Roman empire, later an important stop on the medieval pilgrimage path north to Santiago de Compostella and a departure point for discovery of the Americas – is one of the least-visited regions of Spain. Why – it is hard to understand, considering Extremadura’s immense natural beauty and its historical monuments.

Eight of the New World conquerors who followed in the wake of Christopher Columbus – including Hernan Cortes, Francisco Pizarro, Vasco de Balboa, Francisco de Orellana and Hernando de Soto – were native sons of Extremadura. The region also boasts excellent parador hotels that lie roughly between Merida and Caceres, starting an hour north from Seville or three hours west from Madrid. 

To explore the area, travelers should come in spring or fall and rent a car in Madrid or Seville. From there, they’ll be driving on basically traffic-free roads, but it is advisable to bring along a good guidebook and a Spanish dictionary, since English is not commonly spoken here. In ancient times, the most traversed route here was La Via de la Plata (the Silver Route), which ran from Merida north to Astorga. This path was traveled by the Phoenicians (1500 b.c.) and later the Greeks, who used it as a route for bringing goods from Cadiz to the North. The Romans paved the road and made it into one of the main arteries of their empire’s provinces in Spain, founding Merida in 25 b.c.

The city’s Roman legacy consists of grand temples, a theater, an arena and even a race course still in excellent condition. The National Museum of Roman Art is a showcase for Roman artifacts from all over Spain. In summer, festivals which stage Greek and Roman plays as well as ballet and symphonic concerts, are held in the 2,000 year old Roman amphitheater. When coming to Merida from Seville, travelers pass through Jerez de los Cabaleros, named for the Knights Templar to whom the town was given by Alfonso IX of Leon on its recapture from the Moors in 1230.  Jerez de los Caballeros is trimmed with bellfries and towers, including the Tower of San Bartolome, which is covered with polychrome tiles that match the blue and gold facade of the church beneath it. Another fine church is Santa Catalina. 

Directly east from Merida is tiny Medellin, whose castle has commanded the hilltop since the Middle Ages and whose bridge over the Guadiana River was built in the 17^th century. The most familiar monument in town is the statue of the conquistador Cortes, who claimed for Spain the Aztec Empire of Mexico. From Medellin and driving straight north, travelers will be heading for Trujillo, birthplace of the Pizarro brothers, who conquered the Incas in South America, and of the Amazon River adventurer Orellana. A statue of the flamboyant Francisco Pizarro astride his street dominates the main plaza, and across the square is the grandiose Palace of the Conquest, built by Francisco’s brother Hernando. One enters the old quarter of Trujillo through any one of seven gates, with roads winding up past manor houses and churches, including the 15^th-century Santa Maria, which holds the pantheon of Trujillo’s great men. Atop the town is a massive crenellated wall reinforced by big square towers and the restored Roman-Moorish-Castillian castle.

Directly west from Trujillo is Caceres, a 16^th-century town whose massive Roman-Moorish walls and towers contain handsome 13^th-century palaces and convents that line the maze of twisting streets and small plazas. The provincial museum features exhibits of regional archeological finds and ethnographic displays. It is housed in the Casa de las Veletas palace, built over part of a Moorish fortress.

East from Trujillo, the road climbs to the small town of Guadalupe, which is crowned by a monastery. Founded in 14^th century on a site where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to a shepherd, the monastery contains a wealth of art treasures.

Guided 45 minute tours are the best way to see the treasury rooms and the Mudejar cloisters, as well as eight major paintings by Francisco Zurbaran and a fine collection of illuminated manuscripts and religious vestments. With advance reservations, the time to be in Guadalupe is during the Feast Day of the Virgin, October 12, with its colorful pilgrimage of the faithful coming to pay respects to the famous Black Madonna. Another prime event is El Dia de Extremadura, a grand pageant of people, horses and fireworks, to be held September 8. 

For visitors coming to Extremadura from Madrid, the first stop will be Jarandilla de la Vera, where Charles I lived at the current parador hotel. His stay here was only temporary as he waited for his retirement to be readied at the nearby Monastery of Justle, and his apartments, adjoining the main chapel, have been maintained as they were at his death in 1558.

Today, one of the best reasons to stay at the Parador Carlos V – or in any parador in the Extremadura – is that these inns almost always have the best restaurants in town. Specialties include the region’s sharp cheeses, Montachez ham and sausages, wild game in season and codfish dishes. Extremadura has six historical parador hotes, all with air-conditioned rooms as well as a bar, a restaurant and gardens.

Merida, Parador Via de la Plata (4 *) 82 rooms in a 15^th century building which has served as church, a convent, a hospital and a prison.

Guadalupe. Parador Zubaran (3*). There are 40 rooms in what once was a hospital and a convent. The property features a swimming pool, and balconied rooms overlook the town’s monastery and gardens.

Trujillo. Parador de Trujillo (4*). The 46-room property, once a convent, has bedrooms that formerly were nun’s cells.

Caceres. Parador Ciudad Monumental (3*). This former merchant’s mansion features 31 rooms built around a courtyard in Caceres’ old quarter.

Zafra. Parador Herman Cortez (3*). The 15^th century castle with 28 rooms gets its name from the fact that the explorer Cortes lived here before departing for the New World.

Jarrandilla de la Vera. Parador Carlos V (3*). This 15^th century castle features 43 rooms.

Rates at the paradors ranger from $135 to $175 per room per night, including breakfast.