Zafra
Via de la Plata
Zafra earned the nickname "Sevilla la Chica" (Little Sevilla) for its architecture and mercantile history. The old town is compact and handsome, centered on two linked plazas — the Plaza Grande and the Plaza Chica — both lined with arcades and outdoor tables perfect for a late-afternoon tinto de verano.
The Convento de Santa Clara houses the Museo Santa Clara, a donativo museum with a remarkable collection of medieval art and artifacts accumulated since the convent's founding in 1428. Among the highlights: a polychrome alabaster head of Saint John the Baptist from the 15th-century Nottingham school.
The Alcazar de los Duques de Feria, now the Parador, is a 15th-century castle with a striking marble courtyard. You can't miss it — it dominates the southern edge of the old town.
The Albergue Van Gogh, run by volunteers who promote the Via de la Plata, has a rooftop terrace ideal for winding down the evening. All services available.
Zafra prospered as a trading hub between Andalucia and Extremadura. Its livestock feria, the Feria de San Miguel, has been running since the 15th century and remains one of the largest in Spain — held every October around Michaelmas.
A remarkable 221 of Zafra's inhabitants joined Hernando de Soto's expedition to the New World in 1539. The town's wealth in the 15th and 16th centuries came from the Suarez de Figueroa family, Lords of Feria, who built the Alcazar and patronized the Convento de Santa Clara as their family pantheon.
The camino through Zafra crosses most of the important landmarks. It enters town near the train station (if you arrived by train, leave the station and turn right) and follows the boulevard straight towards the Plaza España and the large Parque de la Paz. It turns left at the Plaza (before the Parador/Castle) and crosses it diagonally, and on the far end it turns right onto Calle Sevilla (a pedestrian road). From here it passes through the Plaza Grande and makes a right hand turn onto Calle del Conde de la Corte. It will pass through one small triangularly shaped plaza and then exit the old part of town onto the Calle López Asme. From here turn left (the Convento Albergue is ahead on your right) and then right at the Convento Albergue. From here it is straight to and across a roundabout on the N-432. After passing to the left of a housing development the camino returns to the countryside.
Accommodation in Zafra.
| Hotel Los Cazadores ★ | |
| Hotel La Muralla ★★ Booking.com |
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| Hotel Casa Ruy López ★★ Booking.com |
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| Hotel Plaza Grande ⭑ Booking.com |
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| Hotel Victoria ⭑ Booking.com |
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| Hotel Cervantes ⭑⭑ Booking.com |
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| Hostal Arias ★ Booking.com |
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| Hostal Carmen ⭑⭑ 46*€ Booking.com |
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| Albergue de Peregrinos Van Gogh Zafra 15€ 40 |
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| Parador de Zafra ⭑⭑⭑⭑ Booking.com |
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