Andalusia southern Spain

Andalusia is an autonomous region composed of Spain's eight southernmost provinces, adding up to one-sixth of the country's total population and area. It is the home of flamenco and bullfighting, and the guardian of the Spanish soul. Andalusia's snow-clad mountains, pueblo’s blancos (white villages), olive groves, and its historic Moorish cities provide an alluring backdrop to the tourist resorts and the packed high-rise Costa del Sol. This clockwise circuit of inland Andalusia starts in the hills west of Marbella.

Ronda and Jerez information Spain

Dramatically clinging to a clifftop 150 metres (500 feet) above the Tajo gorge, Ronda was both an Iberian and, later, a Roman settlement. Under the Moors it proved impregnable for seven centuries. The Puente Nuevo spans the gorge, which connects the new centre with the old town from where Ronda's Moorish kings and its Christian conquerors ruled at the Palacio de Mondragon. Behind a Renaissance portal, the elegant courtyards, horseshoe arches, and Arabic inscriptions reveal the origins of this stately structure. The town's main mosque survives a short walk away as the Santa Maria la Mayor church.

Back across the bridge, seek out the Neo-Classical Plaza de Toros (bullring). It is one of the oldest in Spain and venerated as the cradle of the corrida. A Ronda man, Francisco Romero, spelled out the rules of bullfighting in the 18th century. There's a small museum here that is also entertaining for the non-aficionado.

Old wines and young horses have brought fame to Jerez de la Frontera, the largest town in Cadiz. The English, never very good at foreign languages, corrupted Jerez to "sherry" and shipped out the locally produced wine by the barrel-load. Several of the many bodegas (wineries) in Jerez welcome tourists to their dark, aromatic halls. The helpful tourist office can supply more details.

As for the horses, the Real Escuela Andaluza de Arte Ecuestre (Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art) puts its star pupils through a beautifully choreographed dressage show, and there are week­day training sessions. The highlight of the equestrian calendar is the Spring Horse Fair, when the town is full of dandified horses and their even more elaborately dressed riders.

Below the Moorish Alcazar fortress, built in the 11th century, the 18th-century Colegiata holds a precious image of Christ of the Vineyards. The Mudejar church and beautiful Renaissance chapter house on Plaza de la Asuncion are worth a visit. There are also museums of flamenco and clocks. Ronda is just one hour´s drive from the busier resorts of Marbella and Puerto Banus on the Costa del Sol, and the town can be easily explored if you take advantage of cheap car hire at Jerez Airport and Malaga Airport.

Sexy Seville Spain

Spirited and sexy Seville, Spain's fourth largest city, is the capital of flamenco, the birthplace of Velazquez and Murillo, a bastion of bullfighting, and backdrop for the operatic temptress, Carmen. Seville has many faces, Moorish and Christian; the medieval streets of the barrio contrast with impressive modem buildings erected for the Expo '92 world's fair.

Highlights include a stunning altar screen overlaid with 3,500 kilos (7,716 pounds) of gold; the Plateresque Capilla Real (Royal Chapel); and, of course, the celebrated Giralda Tower. It is a hike up the tower's 34 stone ramps (designed for horses) and a flight of steps to the observation deck (98 metres/322 feet), but, if you make the effort, you'll be rewarded with a tremendous panorama across the city.

Pedro the Cruel's palace, the Alcazar, is a sumptuous monument dating back to the 14th century. The ceilings and walls of its halls provide a magnificent concentration of Mudejar art; the terraced gardens, scattered with pools and pavilions, are an attraction in their own right. Bordering on the Alcazar, the labyrinthine streets of the Barrio de Santa Cruz exude history and charm. On the border of this district, more Mudejar sensations await in the 16th-century Casa de Pilatos.

The royal tobacco factory where Bizet's infamous femme fatale, Carmen, is supposed to have rolled cigars on her thigh is now part of the University campus, not far from Maria Luisa Park. Here, the vast semi-circular Plaza de Espana was constructed for the 1929 Spanish-Americas Fair. Its walls are decorated with lovely painted tiles (azulejos), as are the bridges across the ornamental canal. You can hire boats and be part of the scene. In the park, pavilions house the Museo Arqueologico, which displays many impressive remains from the Roman occupation (a good excursion 10 km/6 miles northwest) and the Museo de Artes y Costumbres Populares (Museum of Folk Arts and Costume).

South of the Giralda, the Hospital de la Santa Caridad (Holy Charity Hospital) was founded in the 17th century. The interior of its church is hung with paintings by Murillo, who also designed the dazzling azulejos on the exterior. Art lovers should also visit the Museo de Bellas Artes.

Cordoba Spain

Although Cordoba was once the biggest Roman city on the Iberian Peninsula, today it has a strong Moorish character. By the 10th century, the capital of the caliphate was as big and brilliant as any city in Europe. It was a renowned centre of culture, science, and art. After the Reconquest, the Spaniards customarily levelled mosques and built churches on top of the rubble. In Cordoba, happily, they spared one of the world's biggest and certainly most beautiful mosques, the Mezquita-Catedral, so called because Charles V saw fit to build a cathedral inside it.


The original Great Mosque, founded in 785, grew to its pre­sent proportions under the 10th-century leader, aI-Mansur. Its un­prepossessing exterior gives no hint of the richness within. The dimly lit interior appears as an enchanted forest of marble, onyx, and jasper columns. At the end of the main aisle, tendrils of stone twine around the 10th-century mihrab where the caliph attended to his prayers. In the very centre of the palatial mosque, the cathedral, a Gothic and Baroque sequel, pointedly rises far above its surroundings.

Southwest of the mosque, on the river, the Alcazar was actually built by a Christian king, Alfonso XI. There are pleasant patios, Roman relics, terraced gardens, and Wonderful views from the ramparts. Cross the river via the Roman bridge, to visit the 14th-century Torre de la Calahorra, now a historical museum.

To absorb the full flavour of Cordoba, there is no substitute for Wandering the narrow streets and alleys of the Barrio de la Juderia (Jewish Quar-
ter), in which a small 14th­century synagogue can stilI be found. To the east is the town's best historical museum, the Museo Arqueolgico. Other places of interest include the Palacio del Marques de Viana, possibly one of Cordoba's finest houses, and two museums: the Museo Taurino

Jaen Baeza and Ubeda east of Cordoba Spain

The province of Jaen, east of Cordoba, provides Some of Spain's finest scenic contrasts. Here, harsh mountains stare down at gently undulating hills dotted with olive groves, and the provincial capital, Jaen, spreads beneath a picturesque Moorish castle, now converted to a parador. Jaen's sights are pretty low-key: a museum specialising in archaeological finds; a cathedral with a vast Renaissance facade; and the largest Arab baths in Spain.

In 1401, the Great Mosque of Seville was razed to make way for a colossal cathedral, which became the largest Gothic church in the world.

The real reasons to venture to this little-visited region are two beautifully preserved medieval towns which flourished as Christian strongholds in the Reconquest. Baeza, with more than 50 listed historical buildings, is the smaller of the two. Ubeda is just as engaging, and its showcase square, the Plaza Vazquez de Molina, is surrounded by a host of magnificent Renaissance palaces (one of which has been converted to a sumptuous parador) and churches. Here, the town hall is housed in the Palacio de las Cadenas (Palace of Chains), so called for the chains round its forecourt, and the Sacra Capilla del Salvador (Chapel of the Holy Saviour) is the town's finest church.

Granada Andalusia Spain

The last Moorish outpost in Spain, Granada, lies at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. For more than two centuries (until 1492), Granada remained a self-sufficient island of Islam, where Moors, many of them craftsmen seeking safety from vanquished Cordoba and Seville, combined their talents to make medieval Granada a showcase for Moorish art.





The Alhambra Palace Granada

The famous Alhambra ("The Red One") is actually a series of palaces, with origins way back in the ninth century when the sturdy Alcazaba (fort) was founded. The main palace, the Alcazar, was constructed in the 14th century, and this is where you find the celebrated gems of Moorish architecture. The grand tour leads via the Arabian Nights-style Patio de los Arrayanes (Court of the Myrtle Trees) to the Salon de Embajadores (Royal Audience Chamber), its walls finely decorated with filigree and calligraphy. The fountain courtyard of the Patio de los Leones (Court of the Lions) is edged by beautiful chambers on every side; the writer Washington Irving once had rooms around the Daraxa Garden patio. Irving's Tales from the Alhambra (1829) revived interest in the Alhambra and helped save it from ruin.

The Palacio de Carlos V, which is definitely a distinguished piece of Renaissance architecture, still looks like a leaden lump next to the Moorish palace. However, it houses two museums of which the Museo Nacional de Arte Hispano-Musulman (the Hispano-Muslim Art Museum) is the best, featuring exquisite examples of Moorish arts and crafts. The Alhambra's famous gardens, the Generalife, surround a modest summer palace where the kings of Granada would take refuge from the pomp and protocol of the Alhambra, musing among the fountains, trees, and flowers. If you intend to visit Granada, you can fly into Malaga Airport or Granada Airport and hire a car by pre-booking.

Facing the Alhambra hill, the Albaicin, Granada's oldest and most picturesque quarter, is fun to explore, affording glimpses of the Alhambra between whitewashed houses, outdoor restaurants, and cafes. At the bottom of the hill are some Arab baths which are rarely visited. In the town centre, Granada's white-and-gold cathedral stands next to the Capilla Real, a Renaissance masterpiece built to house the white marble tombs of the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, their daughter Joanna the Mad, and her husband Philip the Fair. Among the treasures in the sacristy are Ferdinand's sword and Isabella's crown, plus superb works of art from Isabella's personal collection.

Sierra Nevada ski resort Spain

About an hour's drive south of Granada, the road across the Sierra Nevada mountains rises to over 3,352 metres (11,000 feet), making it Europe's highest navigable road. It's quite a test of driving and the views are tremendous, but the goal for most visitors who come this way is the ski resort of Sol y Nieve. There is a ski jump here, but the slopes are more suitable for beginners or intermediate skiers.

The Alpujarras Mountains are the south-facing slopes of the Sierra Nevada. They are probably the wildest part of all southern Spain; possibly that is why it was here that the Moors made their final retreat after the fall of Granada. Consequently, the villages still look as Moorish as the pueblo’s blancos in the lower valleys. Do try to pay a visit to Capileira.

If you are the active sort, this is marvellous skiing country, and the Alpine World Skiing Championships were held in the Sierra Nevada in 1996. The town is just 2 to 2.30 hours drive from most towns on the Costa del Sol including Marbella and Fuengirola.

Extremadura Spain

The harsh, open landscape of the Spanish west is as beautiful as it is unyielding, and the southern portion, known as Extremadura (the "land beyond the Rio Duero"), is one of the least visited regions of Spain. Extremadura reached a brief zenith during Roman times, when a provincial capital was established at Merida, but its real fame comes from being the "Cradle of the Conquistadores;' the adventurers who colonized the new continent of the Americas.

Zafra is the most attractive of southern Extremadura's towns, and its white houses converge on two arcaded plazas, recalling its Moorish origins. So, too, does the design of the medieval Alcazar, now a sumptuous parador, where adventurer Heman Cortes stayed before setting off to conquer Mexico. The gateway to Portugal, built-up Badajoz, is the biggest city in Extremadura. The ancient Puerta de Palmas fortified city gate leads into the medieval walled city. Another arch used to bar the way to the citadel overlooking the Guadiana River, where the rulers of the Moorish kingdom of Badajoz held sway.


The cathedral, founded in the 13th century, with its heavy walls and pinnacled tower, is largely Gothic with Renaissance additions. Inside are impressive choir stalls, paintings, tapes­tries, and tombstones. The Museo Provincial de Bellas Artes, which exhibits some good Flemish tapestries, is on the same square.

Today, Merida is a sleepy modem town, but once it was an imperial capital dubbed the "Rome of Spain;' and it can stilI lay claim to the greatest number of Roman remains in any Spanish town. The piece de resistance is the partially restored first-century B.C. Teatro Romano with seating for more than 5,500 spectators. In summer, Greek and Roman plays are produced here. The elliptical Anfiteatro next door (also known as the Circus Maximus), was designed to hold 15,000 spectators for gladiatorial contests and chariot races. At times it was even flooded, to host recreations of great naval battles.

Don't miss the award-winning Museo Nacional de Arte Romano. Its beautifully displayed collections include examples of Roman statuary, locally minted coins, and paintings discovered on the podium of the arena. Around town are many other Roman monuments: a temple to Diana; a Roman theatre and amphitheatre; an aqueduct; and a 0.8 km (half-mile) bridge spanning the Guadiana. From afar, the turrets, spires, and crenellations of the rambling Monasterio de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe announce an impressive shrine. From nearby, it overwhelms Guadalupe, the tiny town spread at its feet. Surrounded by a huddle of small streets and squares, the monastery is Spain's fourth most important pilgrim site and guardian of a precious wooden statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe, patron saint of the conquistadores.

New World gold paid for the construction of the huge monastery complex, covering an area of about 2 hectares (5 acres). It's an architectural hybrid, with a flamboyant facade flanked by stern defensive towers, Mudjar and Gothic cloisters, and a church founded in the 14th century and enlarged four centuries later. Guided tours visit the cloisters, an embroidery museum, chapter house, and sacristy, housing a remarkable collection of paintings by Zurbaran, among others.

Although Spain has historic towns with far more Imposing architectural monuments, Trujillo is a beauty, and a worthy monument to its conquistador patrons. The eccentrically-shaped Plaza Mayor is a meeting place of both distinguished and ordinary buildings. On the southwest corner, the Palacio del Marques de la Conquista was built by a renowned local soldier, Hernando Francisco Pizarro, conqueror of Peru, riding high over Trujillo's Plaza Mayor. Pizarro - an equestrian statue of his half-brother, Francisco, stands on the square.

There are half a dozen other palaces around the town, decorated with heroic portals, historic escutcheons, and pretty patios -all worthy of investigation. Storks' nests crown the clock tower over the Gothic church of San Martin, which has a long, dark nave paved with ancient tombstones.

The Romanesque and Gothic church of Santa Maria la Mayor boasts a fine Hispano-Flemish style retable. The two imposing stone seats on the balcony were built for Spain's Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella. There are marvellous views from the heavily fortified castle on the hilltop, which began as a Roman fort and later became a Moorish Alcazaba. Above the keyhole-shaped main gate, a niche contains a statue of the Virgin of Victory, the local patron saint. The view over Trujillo from here is the best in town.

Once a Roman settlement, the walled city of Caceres offers a magnificent assembly of mellow stone churches, palaces, and towers. A provincial capital and college town, it is much livelier than Trujillo. The Plaza Mayor is the hub of local life, especially during the evening paseo, when the historic buildings are illuminated, providing a dignified backdrop to the relaxed ritual.

The skyline of Caceres is a forest of towers, a popular feature with the local stork population. One of the most visible examples is part of the Toledo-Moctezuma mansion, formerly home to a follower of Cortes who married the daughter of the Aztec emperor.

Go through the Arco de la Estrella (Star Arch) into the Old Town and wander down the warren of streets lined with imposing buildings sporting ostentatious heraldic shields. The Casa de las Veletas (Weathervane House) has been turned into an excellent provincial museum featuring archaeological finds and displays of historical costumes and local customs.

In its day, the magnificent six-arched Roman bridge over the Tagus near Alcantara was a world-renowned engineering feat. No less than 194 metres (636 feet) long, with extraordinarily high arches, it is altogether so impressive that the town was named after it: in Arabic al-Qantara means "the bridge."

The Tagus has been dammed east of Alcantara, giving the landscape a dramatic facelift. Besides its aesthetic contribution, the lake is also a popular recreation area.

In the Castilian province of Salamanca, La Alberca is a national monument with a difference. This modest rural village is Old Spain personified. Heavily-loaded donkeys clatter down the main street; simple, whitewashed homes cram into alleys, their flimsy-looking wooden balconies weighed down by flowerpots; and the bean harvest is dried in the Plaza Publica. The highlight of the local calendar is the Feast of the Assumption (August 15), when the entire population turns out in traditional costume to celebrate.

You can walk all the way around the hill town of Ciudad Rodrigo in no time. Just take the 2-km path that follows the medieval defences past the old castle (now a parador). There are some dozen worthy old mansions in town, most with interesting stone carvings and perhaps an inviting patio. The Plaza Mayor is distinguished by the Casa Consistoral (Town Hall), a 16th-century arcaded palace with a belfry, while the exterior of the cathedral is full of fine sculptural details.