Granada: The Alhambra

Granada is a small city in the south of Spain that was one of the last cities to fall the the Christian reconquest in the 15th century.

As such it has fantastic examples of Arabic architecture - none more impressive the the Alhambra.

As well as the Alhambra, Granada offers many walks through the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

The 16km walk from Beas de Granada is particularly beautiful (albeit not particularly well signposted).

The Sierra Nevada foothills

Beas de Granada

Walking along the sheer cliffs

The trail is an old right of way for shepherds to bring their flocks from Beas de Granada to Granada - in fact it is still in use for this purpose.

Some trekking companions

The trail winds its way along cliffs and through olive groves until it finally reaches Granada near the Alhambra - offering beautiful views of the building.

The Alhambra at sunset

The Alhambra from the top of the trail

The other thing immediately apparent about Granada is the tradition of providing substantial free tapas with each drink. Although this happens in other parts of southern Spain but Granada takes it to a whole new level which makes eating out there very cheap (particularly if you've tucked into a huge 'menu' at lunch). After many drinks and filling up on free tapas - what better way to finish off the night than some flamenco!

Flamenco show in Granada

More flamenco

Granada is a truly interesting traditional town - very unlike the rest of the south (in fact, I found the accent extremely difficult to understand). It has a small town feel to it and, apart from the Alhambra, is relatively un-touristy. Definitely worth a visit! (Especially for the food!)

The Alhambra

Next and final stop in Spain: Barcelona....

Ronda: the bridges and the scenery

The New Bridge

Ronda is a small town about 2 hours by bus from Seville. It's main attraction is the "new" bridge - "new" meaning that its 18th century construction was more recent than the 12th century construction of the "old" bridge.

Ronda is a stunning little town, well worth a visit for the scenery alone.

The old bridge

The new bridge

Ronda

Ronda from below the old bridge

Ronda countryside

Apart from the scenery, the tapas lunch I had here at €0.80 a plate was some of the best tapas I had in Spain at "El lechuguita" - if you're ever in Ronda, seek this place out.

The new bridge

Jerez: It's all about the bodegas

A 1600L sherry cask of vintage sherry

Jerez de la fronterra is a small town about an hour out of Seville, easily accessible by train.

As with many of the towns in this area, Jerez has an Alcázar, however it is not as impressive as other castles in the region (particularly the Real Alcázar in Seville) but it's still worth a look because of a very interesting piece of 17th century technology - the cámera oscura. The cámera oscura is essentially a set of lenses focused from the tower onto a screen giving a detailed 360° view of the surrounds of Jerez.

The rest of the 12th century castle consists of a well preserved mosque and Arabic baths - all of which make the Alcázar worth a visit.


Arabic baths

The heating room inside the baths

Alcázar wall

Although the Alcázar was an interesting, it was a side trip to the main reason why people head to Jerez - The sherry bodegas.


Sherry casks

Brandy stills - the brandy here was magnificent

A previously public street, taken over by the expanding bodega

Jerez is home to many sherry bodegas, however since this was only a day-trip, only one could be fitted in - the Gonzalez-Bayas bodega.

This is where the famous "Tio Pepe" brand of sherry is made.

I must admit that, apart from Perdro Ximinez sherry, I had not really enjoyed drinking sherry - reminded of some nasty two litre flagons being handed around at uni parties. However, after tasting the good stuff - I'm a convert. A delicious dry Tio Pepe fino for an aperitif, a flavourful Olorosso with the meal and a Pedro Ximinez or a cream sherry with dessert ;)


From left to right: fino, olorosso, cream, pedro ximinez

Seville: the cathedral and the castle

Seville Cathedral

The next stop in Andalusia was Seville with its beautiful grand Cathedral and the intricate and grand Real Alcázar.

The Alcázar was used in Game of Thrones for Castle Dorne and from touring the gardens and the castle it is easy to see why the producers of the show chose it. The Arabic architecture, typical of this part of Spain, is brilliantly shown in the intricate details of the castle.

The Alcázar's famous ceiling

More intricate architecture

The entrance to the castle

Garden near the entrance to the castle

Equally spectacular to the building was the gardens.

Alcázar gardens

Fountain in the Alcazar

More of the gardens

The gardens are so vast that it took around three hours to wander through them all (including an obligatory beer and bocadillo stop).

Outside of the Alcázar is the Cathedral. The Cathedral of Seville was built in 1401 (and finished around 100 years later) on the site of the  old mosque and incorporates the minaret of the mosque as its bell tower (the Giralda). Unlike the Mezquita in Cordoba, all of the previous architecture was destroyed in the building of the cathedral.

The cathedral is a truly impressive building with beautiful examples of Gothic Christian architecture.

The Seville Cathedral

Ceiling of the Cathedral

The Cathedral from the orange grove

Stained glass window in the cathedral

The cathedral also houses the ornate tomb of Christopher Columbus.

Tomb of Christopher Columbus

It is also possible to climb the 35 levels of the Giralda to see spectacular views of the city.

Orange grove from the Giralda

Seville from the Giralda

Another view of Seville from the Giralda.

Further away from the Alcázar and cathedral is the Plaza de España - not only another beautiful monument, but also another movie set: this time from the Star Wars prequels.

Plaza de España

Seville is a beautiful city with incredible architecture, culture and food - but the area surrounding Seville also has many interesting places - including the main centre for Sherry production - Jerez de la fronterra, which is the next destination....

A brief stay in Córdoba

Sunset over Córdoba

Córdoba is a small town around an hour by train out of Madrid but for such a small city it is packed with history and things to see.

Córdoba was an important city for the Romans, the Moors and the subsequent Christian kings and so it contains historic sites from each of these eras.

Roman temple in Córdoba.

Roman temple in Córdoba

Roman Bridge

Roman bridge

Roman bridge from the bridge gate

However, the main historic feature of Córdoba is the Mezquita. Originally a grand Mosque, it was converted into a cathedral but much of the original architecture and religious iconography was retained.

Archway pointing the way to Mecca

The hallways

Statue of Christ - with the archways from the Muslim period in the background

The mixture of Christian and Muslim iconography and architecture makes the Mezquita a truly amazing historic building. The sheer size and grandeur of the place, its architecture and beauty makes this an absolute must see on any trip to Spain.

But, there are many other beautiful historic sites in Córdoba - including the Castle of the Christian Kings.

The Castle from the tower

Castle walls

Castle gardens

View of the Castle gardens

Statue in the gardens

A half day can easily be spent wandering the beautiful castle gardens and exploring the Castle itself.

Córdoba is a truly beautiful city, steeped in history with a relaxed small town vibe. To explore it fully takes around two days - definitely worth an overnight stay, rather than the day trip from Seville that's recommended in a lot of travel sites.

Córdoba from the river

Farewell, Cordoba, next stop - Seville