Discover Olivenza

Olivenza’s built heritage brings together Spanish and Portuguese architectural styles. Fortifications, churches and museums reveal different facets of this history, while routes and landscapes offer further ways to explore the town. To plan your stay, you can choose what to focus on according to your interests: fortifications, architectural history, nature or local traditions.

Fortifications and routes through history

Olivenza Castle was built over the remains of a Templar fortress. Its Torre del Homenaje is more than 40 metres high and offers views across Olivenza. The medieval graffiti in the tower also tells the story of its long history: some examples are more than 700 years old, and the motifs span up to twelve typological groups.

The Olivenza Amurallada route takes visitors to four historic city walls and reveals remains of the original Templar wall, as well as 17th-century bastions, including San Blas and El Príncipe. Olivenza Regia offers a different focus: this walking tour has 13 stops and takes about two hours. It passes through the city’s monumental heritage and shows its close ties to the Spanish and Portuguese crowns. When choosing a tour, you can therefore decide between focusing on the fortifications or taking a broader look at the city’s monumental heritage.

The Ruta de los Pasos takes 30 minutes and leads to roadside Pasos. Their curved pediments and narrative azulejo panels depict scenes from the Passion of Christ. The Ruta de las Iglesias y Pedanías de Olivenza can be travelled by private vehicle or as part of an organised group. It connects parish churches, vernacular architecture and rural landscapes.

Architecture and museums

The Church of Santa María del Castillo was built between 1584 and 1627, combining elements of the late Renaissance with Portuguese Baroque. The Church of Magdalena is an example of Portuguese Manueline architecture from the early 16th century; Manueline is part of the Portuguese Late Gothic. The Santa Casa de la Misericordia also reflects several periods: it was founded on 20 November 1501. Its present building has Manueline origins, but is characterised mainly by Baroque alterations from the 17th and 18th centuries.

The González Santana Museum is located in the historic Alcázar district, in the Panadería del Rey and the former Agricultural Chamber building. The José Hidalgo Marcos Museum is housed in the chapel of the parish schools of the Sacred Heart. Its collection includes large-format photographs, historical documents, contemporary objects and clothing, personal correspondence, and a reconstruction of José Hidalgo Marcos’s study. A partial archive of his correspondence is estimated to contain more than 42,000 letters.

The Museo Papercraf offers a very different kind of collection: it is made entirely of paper and includes scale models of monuments from around the world, pop-culture figures and hyperrealistic animals. The museum is considered Spain’s first papercraft museum. Another architectural one-off is a building said to be the town’s only modernist house. It was built after Olivenza changed nationality, towards the end of the 19th century or at the beginning of the 20th.

Nature and places in the municipality

The Sierra de Alor, near the pedanía of San Jorge de Alor in Olivenza, is of great faunal and botanical value. In spring, peonies and numerous orchids are among the flowers that bloom there. Several viewpoints offer views of the Llanos de Olivenza and Portugal. Nature lovers can choose this focus instead of exploring historic buildings; spring is the season particularly noted for flowering.

The Gran Lago de Alqueva also extends into the municipality of Olivenza, in the area of its lake inlets. There are particularly expansive views across the lake around Villarreal. The Gran Lago de Alqueva Visitor Centre shares the former San Juan de Dios convent in Olivenza with the tourist information office.

Local traditions and the history of Puente Ajuda

Puente Ajuda was built in 1510 on the orders of the Portuguese King Manuel I to connect Olivenza with Elvas. Its consolidated ruins cannot be crossed; the new bridge next to it is used instead.

Local customs and cuisine also shape Olivenza’s character. As part of the tradition surrounding the Saint John’s bonfire, local associations make satirical or critical effigies and then burn them. A Portuguese-influenced festival takes place in May: a girl dressed in white and crowned with flowers takes centre stage, surrounded by dances and flower petals. On the first weekend of March, a festival of regional tourist interest celebrates the start of the Spanish bullfighting season.

A distinctive local dessert is a cake made mainly from ground almonds, sugar and egg yolks, with a thin layer of pastry. Alongside the architectural and landscape attractions, this speciality offers another way to experience Olivenza’s local character.

Discover more destinations: Campanario, Risco, Calera De León, Nogales, Puebla De La Calzada, Siruela, Acedera, Valencia De Las Torres.

For the broader travel overview: Badajoz.