Practical guide
Programmes for older people in Extremadura: a practical guide
What the regional government of Extremadura and its partners offer older people — activities, trips, training and participation — who each programme is for, and how to find out more.
· 5-minute read
Extremadura, a largely rural region in western Spain bordering Portugal, has a large older population: 23% of its inhabitants are over 65, as the regional health minister noted on the 2025 International Day of Older Persons. SEPAD — the regional public service for personal autonomy and dependency care, part of the Junta de Extremadura (the regional government) — coordinates many of the public active-ageing programmes. This guide brings together the main ones, based on official sources (in Spanish).
The programmes at a glance
| Programme | Run by | Who it is for | Key fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Older people’s centres | SEPAD | Registered older people | 37 directly run centres |
| 99 razones para ser SEPADCTIVOS | SEPAD and AUPEX | Older people, especially in rural areas | About 1,700 participants a year |
| Extremadura Verde en la Mirada | SEPAD and ADENEX | People over 60 living in Extremadura | About 750 places in 2026 |
| Older People’s Fair | With SEPAD taking part | General public | 26 February – 1 March 2026 |
| Programa Mandela | AEXCID and AUPEX | People from Extremadura over 56 | 1st edition: 2023, 40 places |
SEPAD older people’s centres
According to the Government of Extremadura (1 October 2025), the region has 37 older people’s centres (centros de mayores) run directly by SEPAD, spread across Extremadura, with more than 140,000 people registered. Each centre has its own programme adapted to its users, with services such as social work, functional rehabilitation, physiotherapy, psychological support, hobby workshops, health prevention and cognitive training.
On the same day SEPAD launched the campaign «Envejece aquí, envejece mejor» (“Age here, age better”, our translation) to promote active and healthy ageing, as part of the region’s commitment to the WHO Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021–2030.
“99 razones para ser SEPADCTIVOS”
This SEPAD programme is run with AUPEX, the association of Extremadura’s popular universities (local adult-education centres). According to the regional government (4 November 2025), it takes place in 37 SEPAD centres and 220 popular universities, with about 1,700 older participants a year. It rests on four principles: active ageing and autonomy, sustainable rural areas and the demographic challenge, intergenerational contact, and the fight against ageism. In November 2025 it received a runner-up award (accésit) at the Supercuidadores Awards in Spain.
Extremadura Verde en la Mirada
This is a rural and environmental tourism programme for older people run by SEPAD and ADENEX, a regional nature conservation association. According to the regional government (15 June 2026):
- it began in 1998 and was revived in 2022 after more than a decade;
- the autumn 2026 edition offers some 750 places for people over 60 living in Extremadura;
- it includes 15 trips to 12 destinations, lasting one to three days, among them the Villuercas-Ibores-Jara Geopark, the Jerte Valley and Las Hurdes;
- registration for 2026 was announced to open on 18 June through ADENEX, with information available at SEPAD centres.
Older People’s Fair
At the 2026 Older People’s Fair (Feria de los Mayores), from 26 February to 1 March, SEPAD prepared a stand with 18 older people’s centres and one residential centre: creative workshops, virtual reality, performances and the photo exhibition “Esenciales”. It also included a space on ageism and unwanted loneliness and a session of experiences on senior volunteering and meditation (regional government, 24 February 2026). The official note numbers the fair in two different ways (27th in the title, 17th in the text), so we do not give the edition number.
Programa Mandela
Presented in December 2022 by AEXCID, Extremadura’s agency for international development cooperation, and AUPEX, this was a training programme in international cooperation for people from Extremadura over 56: a free 40-place course on Fridays from 3 February to 14 April 2023, followed by a second selection of 15 people with grants to train in Bogotá and Cartagena de Indias, Colombia (regional government, 27/12/2022). We have not found an accessible official source on later editions.
Strategy on Ageing and Longevity
In 2026 SEPAD drew up a strategy to promote active and healthy ageing for people over 55. In April it held eight public consultation meetings in Badajoz, Don Benito, Mérida, Zafra, Cáceres, Moraleja, Navalmoral de la Mata and Plasencia (regional government, 8/04/2026). The Extremadura Strategy on Ageing and Longevity was presented on 1 October 2026 at the Assembly of Extremadura (the regional parliament); its lines include staying in one’s own surroundings, preventing frailty, community networks and tackling unwanted loneliness (regional government, 1/10/2026; our news story, in Spanish).
How to find out more
- Ask at your local older people’s centre or the popular university in your town: many of these programmes are publicised there.
- Follow the regional government’s news on juntaex.es (in Spanish): calls change every year.
- If you would like to volunteer, read our guide to volunteering in Spain after retirement and see the Extremadura Volunteering Platform.
For information only, compiled from official notes by the Government of Extremadura. Places, dates and requirements change with each edition: always confirm them with the organisation in charge before signing up. These programmes are run in Spanish.
Main sources (in Spanish): Government of Extremadura — 1/10/2025, 4/11/2025, 24/02/2026, 8/04/2026, 15/06/2026, 1/10/2026 and 27/12/2022. Consulted 11/10/2026.