Holidays to Trujillo

From the castle of Trujillo and on a clear day, Cáceres - 45 km away - is quite visible and the defenders could see the sun glinting on the shields and armour of any advancing army and also in the dry and hot summer weather they could trace any advancing troops by their dust cloud.

Like Cáceres the town has barely changed from how it looked in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, with many medieval and renaissance buildings in the town. Trujillo was the birthplace of the conquistador Francisco Pizarro and his three brothers who conquered Peru, though only Hernando Pizarro returned to build one of the most beautiful palaces in the main square which is still in the family’s hands. Francisco Pizarro’s statue stands proudly in the main square.  It is possible to visit the house of Francisco Pizarro’s father which is now a very interesting small museum.

Francisco de Orellana, a relative of the Pizarros who also took part in the invasion of Peru and founded Guayaquil in Ecuador, was also born in Trujillo and completed the first known navigation of the Amazon River which was initially called Rio de Orellana. The house of Orellana, still in the family, is now a very comfortable and intriguing boutique hotel.

Trujillo has a very wealthy heritage. The Castle (Alcazaba) is very well preserved and all its walls, from which there are splendid views, are intact.  Substantial mansions surround the main square as the nobility in Trujillo tended to stay within the walls overlooking the main square.  St Martin’s church stands on one side of the square and the 13th century church of Santa Maria and that of San Francisco are very beautiful.

The National Park of Monfragüe, a prime bird watching area, is close at hand.  A drive of 1 hour east will bring you to Guadalupe and the Monastery there. This was one of the most important religious and scientific centres in Spain and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.  It is also possible to stay in the monastery though accommodation there is more basic than at the parador.

Restaurants, tapas bars and bars abound in Trujillo. There is an annual National Cheese Festival in April (28 Apr-01 May 2017).  Being built on top of a hill some of the roads are steep. The Easter celebrations here are particularly special but early booking is recommended. Summers are hot, with daily mean temperatures of 26°C in July and August.