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Wise Pilgrim APPWhen passing through Cáceres, go slow through the old town. It is small but is packed with the majority of the popular sites. The camino enters via the Arco del Cristo (1st century Roman), one of the few remaining gates to the original wall. Just uphill from the gate is the Casa/Museo de Arabe, which offers a glimpse of what life was like for a wealthy Muslim living in the 12th century. The first plaza you come to is the Plaza de San Jorge, and the church on the opposite end is the Iglesia de Preciosa Sangre (Precious Blood). The tower of the church can be climbed.
From the Plaza de San Jorge the camino veers towards the right, passing through a series of interconnected plazas to arrive at the Catedral de Santa María de Cáceres. If you don’t make it inside, at least rub the toes of the bronze statue outside. They belong to San Pedro de Alcántara and the fact that they are so shiny is a testament to the local belief that rubbing them brings good fortune to your love life.
At this point, the Plaza Mayor (many restaurants, and several towers) is due west and to get there you only need to take the road to your left and through the archway. The camino follows a different path, to the right, to make a wide loop around the old town so that it can pass the Iglesia de Santiago.
The best landmark for exiting Cáceres is the bull ring, where the arrow visibility increases. Cross the main road at the bull ring and follow the signs to Casar de Cáceres, you will quickly find yourself leaving town along a divided collonade with trees for shade. The pedestrian walk ends and the camino follows along the road to a large roundabout. Cross to the left and follow the roundabout clockwise. Be sure NOT to follow the N-521. You are looking for the smaller CC-38. Along the way keep an eye out for arrows which take you away from this busy road to enter Casar de Cáceres along a much quieter path.
