Things to see and do in Badajoz and around

Badajoz, the Extremaduran capital on the banks of the Guadiana, combines the natural resources of the dehesa and the river in a setting of open plains and wide horizons. The Guadiana supports a nautical offer with kayaking and canoeing routes from the city centre to more natural upstream sections, where the river flows between poplar stands and wetlands hosting a variety of waterbirds. Proximity to Portugal opens up cross-border trips combining the river with the landscapes of the Alentejo. The drovers' roads and dehesa tracks around Badajoz are a first-rate resource for long-distance MTB touring and extended horse-riding routes. The Extremaduran dehesa, with its singular ecosystem of holm oaks, pasture and associated fauna —black storks, wintering cranes, Spanish imperial eagles— makes birdwatching a particularly rewarding activity. Around 80 kilometres away, Monfragüe National Park completes the regional offer with one of Europe's most notable concentrations of raptors. The Extremaduran plain also hosts long-distance, low-gradient cycle touring routes along greenways.