From Madrid, we made a brief side trip to Cáceres, an atmospheric small city of around 95,000 inhabitants in the western Extremadura region. The entire Old Town, the Ciudad Monumental, is encircled by 12th-century Moorish walls, which are dotted with watchtowers that afford stirring views across the surrounding plains. Medieval streets and fortified houses are complemented by imposing Gothic and Renaissance architecture, while many of the city’s mansions were built by locals returning home newly enriched from Spain’s colonies in Mexico, Colombia and Peru.

Knowing we wouldn’t need a car during our short visit, we opted to travel by train from Madrid’s Atocha station, a three-and-a-half-hour journey during which we gazed out at the unfolding Spanish countryside. Should you decide to drive, Cáceres is three hours (185 miles) from Madrid on good roads. The city could be a stop on a fascinating circular itinerary that includes Toledo, Salamanca, Zamora and Segovia.

Atrio Restaurante Hotel

Cáceres has recently emerged as a gastronomic destination, chiefly because of the cooking of Michelin two-star chef Toño Pérez at the Atrio Restaurante Hotel. Arriving by cab in the cobbled Plaza de San Mateo, we immediately fell in love with this 14-room hideaway, which was designed by Spanish architects Emilio Tuñón Álvarez and the late Luis Moreno Mansilla. The pair ingeniously transformed several 16th-century stone houses into a hotel centered on an internal atrium.