Extremadura (Extremaduran: Estremaúra) is a region of Spain. Extremadura is characterized by the joviality of its people, so in any corner of the land of Extremadura there is a place of fun.
The climate of Extremadura is characterized by its very hot and dry summers, with great droughts, and its mild winters due to the oceanic influence from its proximity to the Atlantic coast of Portugal.
The only official language is Spanish (whose local dialects are collectively called Castúo), but other languages and dialects are also spoken. The Fala, a Galician-Portuguese language, is a specially protected language and is spoken in the valley of Jálama. The Extremaduran language, the collective name for a group of vernacular dialects related to Leonese, is endangered. Local variants of Portuguese are native to Cedillo and Herrera de Alcántara. Portuguese has also been accounted to be spoken as well by some people (mainly those born before the 1940s) in Olivenza.
If you plan on visiting the town of Guadalupe, in the Sierra de Guadalupe, you might consider hiking La Ruta de Isabel La Católica. This 17-km trail starts in the nearby village of Cañamero, which can be reached by bus. The well-marked trail winds its way past beautiful lakes and stunning hills before descending into Guadalupe. The hike takes about half a day.
Extremadura gastronomy is known mainly for its Iberian pork sausages, an animal that feeds on acorns in the pasture. No less important is the goat meat, the lamb with which the Extremaduran stew or game is prepared, with dishes such as partridges in the Alcantara way. There is also fish from rivers, such as the Jerte trout, tench or crayfish. But the Extremaduran dish par excellence is migas, prepared with the famous paprika from La Vera. Among the oils, the one from the Sierra de Gata stands out, and among the wines and cavas (sparkling wines), those from Almendralejo and Las Villuercas. The best cheeses are those from La Serena, Los Ibores and the unique Torta del Casar, the most expensive cheese in Spain. And for dessert there is nothing better than some cherries from the Jerte valley.
Practically every town or city has its grill, its wood oven, its barbecue, or its sausages.
In Extremadura there are excellent wines: quality wines are those that are protected by the DO Ribera del Guadiana. There are others, called pitarra (homemade wines), which can be somewhat rough.
The wines from the Ribera del Guadiana are produced in Tierra de Barros, Montánchez, Ribera Alta, Ribera Baja, Matanegra and Cañamero.
The most outstanding wines are: Bodega Las Granadas, with its red Torrejulia, Bodegas Martínez Paiva, its wine is Paiva, Bodegas Ruiz Torres, with Atelea, Compañía Vinícola de Extremadura, with Basangus, Viña Santa Marina, with its Santa Marina.
As for going out, in all towns there is a festive atmosphere.