Plaza Alta

Restored Mudéjar-arched square below the Alcazaba walls

The old main square of Badajoz, tucked below the Alcazaba walls. It was laid out in the 15th century when the city outgrew the fortress walls, and for four centuries it was the commercial and social heart of Badajoz — markets, festivals, executions, bullfights, all happened here. Today it is restored with its distinctive red and white Mudéjar-style arches and arcaded south side, the Casas Coloradas.

It is quieter than it once was — the centre of city life shifted south to Plaza de España long ago — but the architecture and the views up to the fortress make it worth the climb. Several bars and cafes have outdoor tables, and the staircase at the north end leads directly up into the Alcazaba grounds.

things to do sight landmark
A story
By the mid-20th century the Plaza Alta had decayed into near-ruin, a slum of crumbling tenements that the city was on the verge of demolishing entirely. A 1998 restoration scraped back the plaster on the south side to reveal the original 16th-century painted arcades — and gave the square back its distinctive red-and-white Mudéjar zigzags.

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