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Trujillo had its golden age in the 16th century when the riches from the recently colonized South American territories contributed to building palaces and churches.  Plaza Mayor, where most of the new palaces were built, includes an imposing statue of Francisco Pizarro, the most famous conquistador originating from Trujillo. However, the story of Trujillo begins long before, in prehistoric times. It was known as Turgalium during the Roman period when Trujillo was part of the province of Lusitania.  It was later colonized by the Visigoths and conquered by the Moors in the early 8th century. After centuries o Moorish rule, Trujillo was definitely recaptured by the Christian armies in 1232. In the following centuries, the most prosperous residents moved out of the castle walls and began building downhill around the Plaza Mayor.   How to go: You can take a direct bus from Madrid Estacion Sur to Trujillo, which takes about 3 hours ("Exp...

Standing on top of a hill, watching over Trujillo, the castle was built in the 13th century on top the remains of a 9th-century Arab fortress. However, it also shows some elements typical of Islamic military architecture, such as the square towers. The Islamic water cistern (aljibe) has also been preserved. Opening hours: 10 am to 2 pm// 5 pm to 8 pm (7 pm Oct.-Apr.) Entrance fee: €1.50 (Nov. 2017)

The first excavations of the Roman theatre carried out in a systematic way, only started in 1910 with the work of archaeologist José Mélida. The excavations, which lasted for many years, were arduous due to the lack of financial resources and technical means. They revealed columns, sections of cornices, statues and other materials scattered around broken, suggesting some sort of cataclysm. The reconstruction works took place decades later in 1960-70. The theatre was built by order of Marcus Agrippa, the son-in-law of emperor Caeser Augustus, in 16BC. The facade of the building was an architectural and artistic masterpiece of blue and rose columns and magnificently carved statues of Ceres, Pluto, Proserpine, robed figures and emperors in military attire, which are exhibited in the National Museum of Roman Art nearby (the ones in the theatre are modern copies for visual effect). The theatre had a capacity of 6,000 spectators. Opening hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (9.30 a.m. to 6.30 p...

The loggerhead sea turtle is a threatened species, nesting over the broadest geographic area of any sea turtle, namely the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. It is the world's largest hard-shelled sea turtle, with adults weighing between 80kg and 200kg and measuring 70cm to 95cm. It is one of the most important sea turtles species in Greece, and Crete is one of the most important breeding places, as hundreds of turtles lay their eggs in the island's sandy beaches every year, between May and September. The female turtle lays 20 to 200 eggs which are buried in the sand; the eggs hatch two months later and the young turtles immediately head to the sea. There are a few places in Crete where you can go to see the turtles but with some luck, you'll see one while wandering around. The turtle in the photos was sighted in Agios Nikolaos lake.

The National Tile Museum is located in the Monastery of Madre Deus, founded in 1509 by Queen D. Leonor. The monastery was enlarged, by order of King John III, during the 16th century. In the 17th century it was renovated; the first tiles and gilded wood date from this period. It was further decorated during the reign of King John V, in the first half of the 17th century, when Portugal was prospering with the gold sent from Brazil. However, the great earthquake of 1755 caused some destruction and the monument had to be restored. In 1834 the religious orders were extinct in Portugal and later in the century, there were plans to convert the monastery into an asylum. Tiles started being brought in for the decoration but they ended up just being stored. At the beginning of the 20th century many monuments, including the Monastery of Madre Deus, were put under the tutelage of the National Museum of Ancient Art. In the mid-century, an exhibition was organised to celebrate the 500th annive...

This Roman temple from the 1st-2nd centuries AD was erroneously designated Temple of Diana, as it was actually dedicated to the Imperial Cult. It has been preserved in a relatively good condition because in the 16th century most of its structure was used by Señor de Villamesias (later Conde de los Corbos) to build his stately home. The posterior facade faced towards the Forum while its posterior facade was turned to the Decumanus Maximus (main road). The temple is almost 32m wide and 22m long. The podium measures 3.30m and the columns another 10.30m; the total height of the monument is close to 16m. Back to Merida