Undiscovered Spanish region set to be big in 2024 with Blue Flag beach and cheap city breaks
BRITS planning a Spanish holiday this year will most likely head to Barcelona or Majorca.
But an undiscovered region in Spain is set to be big in 2024.
Extremadura is a region to the west of Spain, on the border to Portugal.
With Seville to the south and Madrid to the northeast, the region is often overlooked due to the nearby popular cities.
However, it was recently named one of the Destinations to Watch by ABTA this year.
It is home to three UNESCO World Heritage sites, as well as a Blue Flag inland beach.
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Orellana Reservoir is popular with wild swimmers due to the clean freshwater, as well as it's man-made beach.
Being landlocked, it is the only beach in the region - but the region also has some beautiful cities to visit too.
Head to Merida, the capital of the region, the once the capital of Lusitania, a Roman province founded in 25BC.
Many of the ruins remain, with the archeological sites now a UNESCO site.
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The popular spots include the Teatro Romano - still operating after 2,000 years - and the Museo Nacional de Art Romano.
Make sure to visit in June for the Emerita Lvdica festival where you will see Romans and gladiators roaming the streets.
Due to being a lesser-know city, you won't find many hotel chains in Merida, apart from a Hilton and Marriott.
But many of the central resorts are affordable.
Boutique hotels including Hotel Boutique Mansion Lavanda starts from £27 a night, while four-star hotels can be found from £35.
Want to splash out? Five-star Hotel Boutique La Mision de Fray Deigo starts from £82 a night.
Or you can head to Caceres, another city surrounded by 12th century walls and known for being a filming location for Game of Thrones.
Another reason to visit Extremadura? It is one of the biggest wine-producing regions in Spain and is the home of Iberico ham.
Otherwise the region has a number of bizarre festivals.
In January, the Jarramplas festival sees a man dressed in a demon costume which people throw turnips at.
And in December, the Los Escobazos festivals sees people hit each other with brooms set alight.
Otherwise visit in May, for the region's own Cherry Blossom Festival.
To get to Extremadura, the best way is to fly to Madrid - with two hours flights from the UK starting from £14.99 with Ryanair, then drive around 2hr30.
Elsewhere in Spain, the "undiscovered jewel" with fewer tourists but £2 pints of beer.
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And Vigo, on the Atlantic coast, is seeing Brits flock to visit.
Here are some other Spanish destinations to add to your 2024 bucket list.
