A guide to Zafra, Spain. From a big mistake to a pleasant surprise

This trip started with a big mistake. I told Aiste and Lukas we were going to see a super cool castle, a castle that was so amazing that even famous tv shows were filmed there.
As we got closer and closer to Zafra I realized I had made a mistake, the castle could not be there it just didn't fit the descriptions I found online. There was just one thing to do at this point, pray that Zafra would be a nice city to visit and not a waste of time.
Where is Zafra Spain?
Zafra is in the province of Badajoz in Extremadura, Spain and it's the capital of the comarca of Zafra. With a population of around 17,000 people, it's a charming nice sized town to walk around and visit without the stress that comes from a busy larger city like it's neighbour Badajoz.
Things to do in Zafra
We started by parking the car near the Parador de Zafra a 15th-century palace converted to a hotel that is quite impressive and a nice place to start your visit. Travelling with a young child our first stop is always a children's park so that he can stretch his legs and have some fun before starting our visit and there are a nice large park and a couple of square's right next to where we parked so that was perfect. After that and to our surprise we found a lot to see even if the schedule of most touristic attractions like museums and churches were not ideal. Some of the most impressive were:
Plaza Grande a nice busy square full of coffee shops and small bars and a great place to have a feel of the city.
Small streets of downtown
Arco de Jerez
Arco del Cubo
El Castillo del Castellar. An impressive rock formation just outside the city.
Colegiata de La Candelaria, although we couldn't get inside it's still the most dominating landmark in the city and you can see the tower from nearly every corner of the city.
There are of course some museums but unfortunately, the schedules didn't work for us so we can't comment on them but regardless I think the best of Zafra is how peaceful and safe it is for a family with a young child. There are many streets with very few traffic and it's quite safe to walk around with a child making it a perfect place to relax and explore the streets.
Restaurants in Zafra
We had lunch in a restaurant called Arco and the food was great. The place was surprisingly modern and the service was 5 stars. We don't usually write about restaurants but this one is worth a recommendation. There is only one catch they don't speak English so communication might be an issue but we found that to be the case in many Spanish cities.
Accommodation in Zafra
We stayed in the Hotel Balneario El Raposo, a Spa type of Hotel with indoor swimming pool famous for its thermal water's. The Hotel is relatively close to Zafra and it would have probably been a great stay if not for the several issues we had with our booking ranging from a room without a children's bed to misunderstanding about whether the breakfast was included. Still, I think the Hotel is a good choice with good infrastructure and great location, just be sure to double-check your booking.

[@ericcarlson3746]

Delightful. Your son is having a GREAT time!

[@Escapethecouch]

Yes, he loves these travelling adventures 😀

[@chasingadeline]

Zafra looks like a nice town to explore!! Something unexpected mistakes are the best!!

[@Escapethecouch]

Yes, problem might be that we have too many of these mistakes :) But still fun

[@jb894]

This place is amazing. I stayed there at a parador

[@Escapethecouch]

We liked it also, we stayed in the Hotel Balneario El Raposo, a Spa type of Hotel and it was also quite good, with an indoor large swimming pool

[@samesamebutdifferent563]

I just booked my hotel in Zafra to see the castle as well. But unlike you, I decided to cancel and will miss the pleasant surprise after watching your video. LOL 😅

[@Escapethecouch]

Glad to help :) I felt pretty embarrassed trying to look for the castle when I arrived. Although we actually had a good time in Zafra, but of course considering we live not very far it wasn't a big deal for us.

[@AntonioMacedo]

Beautiful video and all its content. I found you totally absent and found that you left because I can't see myself on your channel list. Congratulations on your work and a great week.

[@Escapethecouch]

Olá, na verdade estivemos um pouco afastados do youtube, falta de tempo e muito trabalho. Mas estamos de volta a publicar os nossos pequenos videos.

[@AntonioMacedo]

@@Escapethecouch Que bom amigo. Obrigado.

[@Mandyglen]

Awesome :O) Full watch and a big like by us :O)

[@Escapethecouch]

Thanks so much for stopping by, we are also enjoying your Watermouth castle park videos, keep it up