It is easy to spend your days in Cáceres sightseeing and sampling the local cuisine, but remember also to reserve enough time for shopping in the Old Town and surrounding streets. Cáceres hosts an impressive range of ritzy boutiques, gourmet stores, markets, antique shops, and even the odd shopping centre.
Read on to find out about the most interesting shopping spots in Cáceres.
Shopping in the centre of Cáceres
When you visit the Old Town of Cáceres, make sure you leave enough time to explore the wide range of shops scattered around the grand Plaza Mayor. A long time ago, in the 14th century, this rectangular space that is now a central square was just a piece of land separating two small settlements outside the walls of Cáceres. But it soon became an important place for celebrations, markets, and many other types of events. Thus, it acted as a central gathering point for local residents.
At the south end of the square you can find Calle Pintores, a street that is barely 200 metres long. However, it is one of the most coveted shopping streets for large companies, all competing to squeeze their shops into this tiny space, with good reason, as it is almost impossible to walk through without buying something. Here you can find toy stores, furniture stores, jewellery stores, large fashion chains, shoe shops, bookshops, hairdressers, cafés, tobacco shops and even banks and hotels. While it only takes two minutes to walk from one end of the street to the other, there is a high chance you will end up spending a much longer time in Calle Pintores.
Calle Pintores connects with Calle San Pedro, another street where you can find interesting shops in the midst of beautiful old façades and quaint balconies. If you are looking for souvenirs or local mementos, this is the place for you (remember that the stork and acorn are the symbols of the city). You can’t leave Cáceres without visiting Plaza de San Juan, a square full of stalls selling handicrafts. The most impressive local crafts include ceramics, gold work, lacemaking, embroidery and basket weaving.
Ruta de la Plata Shopping Centre
The central square of the Ruta de la Plata Shopping Centre boasts almost 90 stores, distributed along two long central corridors, selling all types of products. This is the perfect place to wind down after a long day of shopping. Located next to Avenida Ruta de la Plata, this shopping centre includes children’s areas and supermarkets in addition to the usual food and leisure facilities, as well as free parking with easy access to the building. This large family-friendly centre also includes green areas, Wi-Fi and fashion stores selling the hottest new brands.
Avenida de España and Paseo Cánovas
After your visit to the Ruta de la Plata Shopping Centre, you can move onto Avenida de España, next to Paseo de Cánovas, which today houses a large number of small shops and family businesses selling food and fashion products. Despite the centre of Cáceres being a typical neighbourhood shopping area, it also has some large shopping galleries, such as Centro Comercial Cánovas, where you can find a wide range of products at a reasonable price.
There are also many good shopping streets around Paseo Cánovas, including Calle General Primo de Rivera, Calle San Pedro Alcántara, Calle Gómez Becerra and Avenida Virgen de la Montaña.
Street markets in Cáceres
Every Wednesday, locals flock to the famous Mercado de los Miércoles, also known as Mercado de Cáceres, where you can find everything imaginable, including typical local products, sweets, clothes and shoes, as well as handicrafts and second-hand products at an affordable price. However, if you are on the lookout for second-hand bargains, the place for you is Rastro de Cáceres, an antiques market organised every Sunday.
First-time visitors in Cáceres will be surprised by the large quantity of medieval items, including authentic swords, crossbows, daggers, shields and armour. If you are in Cáceres on the second week of November, don’t miss the Mercado medieval de las Tres Culturas, an impressive medieval market that celebrates the longstanding coexistence between Christians, Jews and Muslims in Cáceres in past centuries. Here you will be able to find a wide range of intriguing traditional handicrafts.
