What to do in Jerez de los Caballeros

Jerez de los Caballeros is a monumental town in southern Badajoz, known as the "City of Towers" for the spectacular Baroque towers of its four churches that dominate the skyline. It was a Templar stronghold and birthplace of explorers such as Vasco Núñez de Balboa, who discovered the Pacific Ocean. The walled historic centre, crowned by the Templar fortress, preserves cobblestone streets, Renaissance palaces and the churches of San Bartolomé, Santa Catalina, San Miguel and Santa María de la Encarnación, each with its own Baroque tower decorated with tiles. The Bloody Tower of the citadel recalls the legend of the Templars' last stand. The surrounding area is a land of holm oaks and dehesas, with a gastronomic tradition centred on Iberian pork and ham. The Iberian Ham Fair (May) and the Ham Exhibition attract visitors from all over Spain. The area offers routes through dehesas, reservoirs and Roman sites.