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| The best places to stay, eat and visit in Andalucía | The best places to stay, eat and visit in Andalucía |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Granada | Granada |
| The timber ceilings and rough-cut stone floor at the Hotel Ladrón de Agua give the rooms a rustic air, which might be surprising, given that it's in the heart of one of Andalucía's best-loved cities. Surprising until, that is, you look out from the balcony and across the narrow street. With the Darro river in front, burbling its way through high banks lined with trees and tangled bushes, this is a part of town which has welcomed the country right inside. In fact, Granada as a whole is a city that seems determined to have it all, country life and urban living: it is home to the "world's most beautiful building", the Alhambra, but within 30 minutes' drive of both world-class skiing and the beach. On top of all this, the Ladrón de Agua makes a claim for the place as a centre of literature, too, with a serene library off the central patio and rooms named after local poets, such as Federico García Lorca. • +34 958 215 040, ladrondeagua.com. Doubles from €76 a night | The timber ceilings and rough-cut stone floor at the Hotel Ladrón de Agua give the rooms a rustic air, which might be surprising, given that it's in the heart of one of Andalucía's best-loved cities. Surprising until, that is, you look out from the balcony and across the narrow street. With the Darro river in front, burbling its way through high banks lined with trees and tangled bushes, this is a part of town which has welcomed the country right inside. In fact, Granada as a whole is a city that seems determined to have it all, country life and urban living: it is home to the "world's most beautiful building", the Alhambra, but within 30 minutes' drive of both world-class skiing and the beach. On top of all this, the Ladrón de Agua makes a claim for the place as a centre of literature, too, with a serene library off the central patio and rooms named after local poets, such as Federico García Lorca. • +34 958 215 040, ladrondeagua.com. Doubles from €76 a night |
| Where to eat With the first glass of wine (€2) at traditional tapas bar Chantarela, a large chunk of tuna arrives. With the second, brochetas de cerdo (fat medallions of pork). We didn't need a third.• 18 Calle Aguila, +34 958 252 068 | Where to eat With the first glass of wine (€2) at traditional tapas bar Chantarela, a large chunk of tuna arrives. With the second, brochetas de cerdo (fat medallions of pork). We didn't need a third.• 18 Calle Aguila, +34 958 252 068 |
| What to see With its smooth arches, slender pillars and exquisitely carved sky-lights El Bañuelo, Granada's ancient Arabic bath complex, still makes bathing look like the ultimate symbol of civilisation. • +34 958 229 738, alhambra.info/en/banuelo.asp | What to see With its smooth arches, slender pillars and exquisitely carved sky-lights El Bañuelo, Granada's ancient Arabic bath complex, still makes bathing look like the ultimate symbol of civilisation. • +34 958 229 738, alhambra.info/en/banuelo.asp |
| Seville | Seville |
| Arriving at the Las Casas de la Judería hotel you'd be forgiven for giving up and flinging your smartphone and map at the wall. It's hard enough to find your way here through Santa Cruz, Seville's gleaming, well-preserved and gloriously confusing old Jewish district – that the interior of the hotel replicates Santa Cruz in miniature, with its own labyrinth of romantic courtyards, fountains and corridors linking 18 medieval houses, may seem too much to take. However, the staff are used to helping confused visitors find their bearings and the rooms, while slightly worn, still have the grandeur of Seville's golden age. A few days of being lost here, as in Seville itself, are no hardship at all.• +34 954 415 150, lascasasdelajuderiaseville.spainhotels.it, doubles from €111 a night | Arriving at the Las Casas de la Judería hotel you'd be forgiven for giving up and flinging your smartphone and map at the wall. It's hard enough to find your way here through Santa Cruz, Seville's gleaming, well-preserved and gloriously confusing old Jewish district – that the interior of the hotel replicates Santa Cruz in miniature, with its own labyrinth of romantic courtyards, fountains and corridors linking 18 medieval houses, may seem too much to take. However, the staff are used to helping confused visitors find their bearings and the rooms, while slightly worn, still have the grandeur of Seville's golden age. A few days of being lost here, as in Seville itself, are no hardship at all.• +34 954 415 150, lascasasdelajuderiaseville.spainhotels.it, doubles from €111 a night |
| Where to eat Bar Ambigu in the Macarena barrio (where the girl in the song was from) doesn't look much but for €7.50 the set lunch menu is paradise for the stingy gourmet. • 47 Calle Feria, +34 954 381 015 | Where to eat Bar Ambigu in the Macarena barrio (where the girl in the song was from) doesn't look much but for €7.50 the set lunch menu is paradise for the stingy gourmet. • 47 Calle Feria, +34 954 381 015 |
| What to see Seville's Alcázar palace, all leafy patios, tumbling fountains and graceful arches, looks typically Arabic but it was actually built by the unfortunately named Christian ruler Pedro the Cruel.• +34 954 502 324, alcazarsevilla.org | What to see Seville's Alcázar palace, all leafy patios, tumbling fountains and graceful arches, looks typically Arabic but it was actually built by the unfortunately named Christian ruler Pedro the Cruel.• +34 954 502 324, alcazarsevilla.org |
| Jerez | Jerez |
| It's highly impressive that, on a Tuesday afternoon, with about five minutes' notice, Juan Carlos, the co-manager at old-town Jerez guesthouse La Fonda Barranco, has managed to find us an improvised flamenco performance. Even more impressive is that, after we race across town to the bar, he soon starts joining in with an emotional but melodic vocal himself. The owners of this 19th-century merchant's house can't guarantee a taste of authentic flamenco singing every Tuesday but they do their best to make sure that guests see the real Jerez. It's a town which, with the white-wash flaking off the ancient walls, is less well-cared for than Seville or Córdoba but which, arguably, has a more authentic charm. That charm is equally on display at the guesthouse itself, with its eight simple rooms, terrace with views over the cathedral and breakfast served in a central, marble-floored patio.• +34 956 332 141, lafondabarranco.es. Doubles from €65 a night B&B | It's highly impressive that, on a Tuesday afternoon, with about five minutes' notice, Juan Carlos, the co-manager at old-town Jerez guesthouse La Fonda Barranco, has managed to find us an improvised flamenco performance. Even more impressive is that, after we race across town to the bar, he soon starts joining in with an emotional but melodic vocal himself. The owners of this 19th-century merchant's house can't guarantee a taste of authentic flamenco singing every Tuesday but they do their best to make sure that guests see the real Jerez. It's a town which, with the white-wash flaking off the ancient walls, is less well-cared for than Seville or Córdoba but which, arguably, has a more authentic charm. That charm is equally on display at the guesthouse itself, with its eight simple rooms, terrace with views over the cathedral and breakfast served in a central, marble-floored patio.• +34 956 332 141, lafondabarranco.es. Doubles from €65 a night B&B |
| Where to eat As well as being the site of improvised flamenco performances, the Tabanco El Guitarrón de San Pedro also does fine tapas such as meaty tuna topped with sticky, caramelised onion.• 16 Calle Bizcocheros, +34 649 656 918 | Where to eat As well as being the site of improvised flamenco performances, the Tabanco El Guitarrón de San Pedro also does fine tapas such as meaty tuna topped with sticky, caramelised onion.• 16 Calle Bizcocheros, +34 649 656 918 |
| What to see Local wine-maker Bodegas Tradición not only offers a great sherry tasting, its tour takes in a private art collection of a quality you'd expect to see in the Prado, including splendidly gloomy and morbid El Grecos.• +34 956 168 628, bodegastradicion.es | What to see Local wine-maker Bodegas Tradición not only offers a great sherry tasting, its tour takes in a private art collection of a quality you'd expect to see in the Prado, including splendidly gloomy and morbid El Grecos.• +34 956 168 628, bodegastradicion.es |
| Córdoba | Córdoba |
| Walk into the courtyard of the Balcón de Córdoba in spring and the first thing that hits you is the smell of orange blossom from the 150-year-old tree in the centre. There are birds singing and the sounds of the busy, touristy centre are muffled by the high walls. Five hundred years ago, this 10-room hotel was a convent, one of many built around the ancient mezquita (mosque) while it was converted into a cathedral. It retains a peaceful, secluded air, as well as many original touches such as the small, seed-shaped cobbles in the patio and blue-and-white azulejo tiles in the lobby. The rooms, though, are modern, elegant and luxurious. One has wooden stairs leading to its own private, rooftop terrace, complete with bed and views over the cathedral.• +34 957 498 478, balcondecordoba.com. Doubles from €216 a night B&B | Walk into the courtyard of the Balcón de Córdoba in spring and the first thing that hits you is the smell of orange blossom from the 150-year-old tree in the centre. There are birds singing and the sounds of the busy, touristy centre are muffled by the high walls. Five hundred years ago, this 10-room hotel was a convent, one of many built around the ancient mezquita (mosque) while it was converted into a cathedral. It retains a peaceful, secluded air, as well as many original touches such as the small, seed-shaped cobbles in the patio and blue-and-white azulejo tiles in the lobby. The rooms, though, are modern, elegant and luxurious. One has wooden stairs leading to its own private, rooftop terrace, complete with bed and views over the cathedral.• +34 957 498 478, balcondecordoba.com. Doubles from €216 a night B&B |
| Where to eat Umami reworks local salmorejo, a kind of thicker version of gazpacho, in dozens of ways, including an unexpectedly great version with beetroot and mango.• +34 957 482 347, salmorejeriaumami.com | Where to eat Umami reworks local salmorejo, a kind of thicker version of gazpacho, in dozens of ways, including an unexpectedly great version with beetroot and mango.• +34 957 482 347, salmorejeriaumami.com |
| What to see Palacio de Viana's five leafy patios are all very different but they each express the yearning of people from a hot, dry city for greenery, flowers and water.• +34 957 496 741, palaciodeviana.com | What to see Palacio de Viana's five leafy patios are all very different but they each express the yearning of people from a hot, dry city for greenery, flowers and water.• +34 957 496 741, palaciodeviana.com |
| Ronda | Ronda |
| There's nothing like a 100-metre deep canyon to put even the most impressive town in the shade. Ronda, probably the best-known of Andalucía's white-washed pueblos blancos, would be worth visiting even if it wasn't stuck on the edge of an enormous hole in the ground, but it's the vertiginous views across the gorge that have attracted visitors from Hemingway to Michelle Obama. They also attracted Basque native Marivi Ramirez, who's clearly spent a fortune on her four-bedroom guesthouse, Aire de Ronda. With details like sparkling Murano glass floors in the bathrooms and original fittings, such as the heavy, 17th-century door, it has the elegance of a boutique hotel and the comfort and friendliness of a family home. Just what you need after Ronda's vertigo-defying views.• +34 952 161 274, airederonda.com. Doubles from €82 a night B&B | There's nothing like a 100-metre deep canyon to put even the most impressive town in the shade. Ronda, probably the best-known of Andalucía's white-washed pueblos blancos, would be worth visiting even if it wasn't stuck on the edge of an enormous hole in the ground, but it's the vertiginous views across the gorge that have attracted visitors from Hemingway to Michelle Obama. They also attracted Basque native Marivi Ramirez, who's clearly spent a fortune on her four-bedroom guesthouse, Aire de Ronda. With details like sparkling Murano glass floors in the bathrooms and original fittings, such as the heavy, 17th-century door, it has the elegance of a boutique hotel and the comfort and friendliness of a family home. Just what you need after Ronda's vertigo-defying views.• +34 952 161 274, airederonda.com. Doubles from €82 a night B&B |
| Where to eat Try the sweet, firm jamón at Casa de Locos but make sure you book – there are only four tables. • +34 605 768 408, de-locos-tapas.com) | Where to eat Try the sweet, firm jamón at Casa de Locos but make sure you book – there are only four tables. • +34 605 768 408, de-locos-tapas.com) |
| What to see The view from Puente Nuevo (the new bridge) over the canyon is among the most dramatic in Spain. | What to see The view from Puente Nuevo (the new bridge) over the canyon is among the most dramatic in Spain. |
| Baza caves, Granada | Baza caves, Granada |
| After a few days at Cuevas Al Jatib, you might start to wonder why we don't still live in caves. From at least the 18th century, until they were largely abandoned in the 1960s, these holes in the south Granada countryside were family homes. Now they're among the best of the many cave hotels in this part of the province. Gleaming white inside (they're repainted once a year) and with a "chimney" in the centre for fresh air, they feel surprisingly light and airy but the rough-hewn walls ensure that anyone with Fred or Wilma Flintstone fantasies will be in their element. What's more, the view from the terrace at breakfast or, even better, at dusk, when the distant blue mountains turn a delicate pink, is magnificent.• +34 958 342 248, aljatib.com. From €364 a week for a five-person cave | After a few days at Cuevas Al Jatib, you might start to wonder why we don't still live in caves. From at least the 18th century, until they were largely abandoned in the 1960s, these holes in the south Granada countryside were family homes. Now they're among the best of the many cave hotels in this part of the province. Gleaming white inside (they're repainted once a year) and with a "chimney" in the centre for fresh air, they feel surprisingly light and airy but the rough-hewn walls ensure that anyone with Fred or Wilma Flintstone fantasies will be in their element. What's more, the view from the terrace at breakfast or, even better, at dusk, when the distant blue mountains turn a delicate pink, is magnificent.• +34 958 342 248, aljatib.com. From €364 a week for a five-person cave |
| Where to eat Drive into the pretty, nearby town of Baza and stop off at Restaurante Los Moriscos, for meltingly soft cazón en adobo (marinated, deep-fried dogfish). • 2 Calle de la Cava Alta, Baza, +34 958 703 632 | Where to eat Drive into the pretty, nearby town of Baza and stop off at Restaurante Los Moriscos, for meltingly soft cazón en adobo (marinated, deep-fried dogfish). • 2 Calle de la Cava Alta, Baza, +34 958 703 632 |
| What to do Al Jatib has its own Arab baths with hot and warm pools, as well as a bracingly cold shower. | What to do Al Jatib has its own Arab baths with hot and warm pools, as well as a bracingly cold shower. |
| Cabo de Gata, Almería | Cabo de Gata, Almería |
| Approaching the Cabo de Gata national park by road, it's not hard to see why Sergio Leone chose to film For a Few Dollars More here. The dry, cracked hills of Spain's only real desert make convincing badlands. However, staying at La Joya de Cabo de Gata, a complex of four farmhouses a couple of kilometres from the coast and the nearest village, gives you a different view. It has numerous delightful touches, including an outdoor bed next to the swimming pool, an Arabian-style tent for glamping and a jaccuzi where you can watch the technicolour desert sunsets. The real charm of the area, however, is the walk across country to beaches that are impossible to access any other way. At Cala Enmedio you're two kilometres from the nearest road and a million miles from the popular image of Spain's costas.• +34 619 159 587, lajoyadecabodegata.com. Doubles from €110 a night | Approaching the Cabo de Gata national park by road, it's not hard to see why Sergio Leone chose to film For a Few Dollars More here. The dry, cracked hills of Spain's only real desert make convincing badlands. However, staying at La Joya de Cabo de Gata, a complex of four farmhouses a couple of kilometres from the coast and the nearest village, gives you a different view. It has numerous delightful touches, including an outdoor bed next to the swimming pool, an Arabian-style tent for glamping and a jaccuzi where you can watch the technicolour desert sunsets. The real charm of the area, however, is the walk across country to beaches that are impossible to access any other way. At Cala Enmedio you're two kilometres from the nearest road and a million miles from the popular image of Spain's costas.• +34 619 159 587, lajoyadecabodegata.com. Doubles from €110 a night |
| Where to eat Fish restaurant El Pescador, 20 minutes' drive away in Carboneras, is a family affair: the father catches the fish, the mother cooks it and their daughter serves it. • Calle Sorbas, +34 950 454 257 | Where to eat Fish restaurant El Pescador, 20 minutes' drive away in Carboneras, is a family affair: the father catches the fish, the mother cooks it and their daughter serves it. • Calle Sorbas, +34 950 454 257 |
| What to do 100 metres from La Joya, there's the Hípica Aguamarga riding school, where they offer pony rides for kids and horse-riding for those who still want to be Clint Eastwood. • +34 628 075 041 | What to do 100 metres from La Joya, there's the Hípica Aguamarga riding school, where they offer pony rides for kids and horse-riding for those who still want to be Clint Eastwood. • +34 628 075 041 |
| Conil de la Frontera, Cadiz | Conil de la Frontera, Cadiz |
| The fact that the typical sign you'll see outside restaurants in Conil de la Frontera, 30 minutes east of Cadiz, is caracoles para llevar (snails to take away) is a hint that the main concern around here is not the foreign tourist market. They seem to have left all that to the Costa del Sol, an hour or so east. The main reason for staying at the Hostal La Posada, though, is that it's one of the best value places for those who want to enjoy the wind and water sports on the Costa de la Luz's spectacularly unspoilt beaches. Although it only has eight rooms, some with their own terrace (useful for leaving that awkward surf board), it has two sun-terraces and a swimming pool.• +34 956 444 171, laposadadeconil.com. Doubles from €38 a night B&B | The fact that the typical sign you'll see outside restaurants in Conil de la Frontera, 30 minutes east of Cadiz, is caracoles para llevar (snails to take away) is a hint that the main concern around here is not the foreign tourist market. They seem to have left all that to the Costa del Sol, an hour or so east. The main reason for staying at the Hostal La Posada, though, is that it's one of the best value places for those who want to enjoy the wind and water sports on the Costa de la Luz's spectacularly unspoilt beaches. Although it only has eight rooms, some with their own terrace (useful for leaving that awkward surf board), it has two sun-terraces and a swimming pool.• +34 956 444 171, laposadadeconil.com. Doubles from €38 a night B&B |
| Where to eat If you get bored of snails, La Plaza, on the outskirts of town, does a salad with a semi-carpaccio of local tuna that's very different to anything you've had from a tin.• Calle Hijuela de Lojo, +34 856 905 045 | Where to eat If you get bored of snails, La Plaza, on the outskirts of town, does a salad with a semi-carpaccio of local tuna that's very different to anything you've had from a tin.• Calle Hijuela de Lojo, +34 856 905 045 |
| What to do Based in Conil, Trafalgar Surf provides bargain surf lessons, as well as yoga classes for those who want to be a bit more zen.• +34 657 885 665. Five days' surfing, including a two-hour lesson each day and an afternoon supervised practice session, costs €150; three yoga classes €27 | What to do Based in Conil, Trafalgar Surf provides bargain surf lessons, as well as yoga classes for those who want to be a bit more zen.• +34 657 885 665. Five days' surfing, including a two-hour lesson each day and an afternoon supervised practice session, costs €150; three yoga classes €27 |
| Cazorla national park, Jaen | Cazorla national park, Jaen |
| Jaén is Andalucía's forgotten province, perhaps because its capital city can't quite match Granada, Seville or Córdoba for charm. However, its 2,000 square-kilometre Cazorla national park, the biggest in Spain and second biggest in Europe, has long been a destination for visitors looking to get back to nature. This is the main selling point of the Camping Cortijo San Isício. With a campsite spread out over a terraced hill it's very easy to find a shaded spot beneath one of the almond or walnut trees, where you won't have to share the gorgeous views with anybody else. In the woods nearby, you'll also find boar and red deer, among other wildlife. Sadly, or not, the wolves and bears who used to roam these woods have long been extinct.• 34 953 721 280, campingcortijo.com. Adult €4.50, child €3.50, €3.50-€5 per tent | Jaén is Andalucía's forgotten province, perhaps because its capital city can't quite match Granada, Seville or Córdoba for charm. However, its 2,000 square-kilometre Cazorla national park, the biggest in Spain and second biggest in Europe, has long been a destination for visitors looking to get back to nature. This is the main selling point of the Camping Cortijo San Isício. With a campsite spread out over a terraced hill it's very easy to find a shaded spot beneath one of the almond or walnut trees, where you won't have to share the gorgeous views with anybody else. In the woods nearby, you'll also find boar and red deer, among other wildlife. Sadly, or not, the wolves and bears who used to roam these woods have long been extinct.• 34 953 721 280, campingcortijo.com. Adult €4.50, child €3.50, €3.50-€5 per tent |
| Where to eat At Mesón Leandro restaurant in nearby the village of Cazorla you can get even closer to nature, with fried partridge meatballs.• +34 953 720 632, mesonleandro.com | Where to eat At Mesón Leandro restaurant in nearby the village of Cazorla you can get even closer to nature, with fried partridge meatballs.• +34 953 720 632, mesonleandro.com |
| What to see Nearby village Cazorla is the unlikely host of one of Spain's biggest blues festivals, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year (24-26 July)• +34 953 720 464, cazorla.es | What to see Nearby village Cazorla is the unlikely host of one of Spain's biggest blues festivals, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year (24-26 July)• +34 953 720 464, cazorla.es |
| Sierra de Aracena, Huelva | Sierra de Aracena, Huelva |
| At night, outside one of Molino Río Alájar's six stone cottages, many city dwellers will realise two things. One, that there are far more stars in the sky than you ever imagined; here in rural northern Huelva there's very little light pollution. And two, just how noisy "peace and quiet" can be. That rustling sound could be the farm's donkeys moving in the paddock, the wind in the chestnut trees or Dutch owners' Peter and Monica Mulder's dogs out for a pre-bedtime stroll. But the cottages, although pleasingly rustic with open fires, terracotta floors and solid-looking stone walls, are not entirely cut off from civilisation. They surround a swimming pool and a tennis court, as well as a social area with table tennis and table football. For early risers freaked out by too much "peace and quiet", there's also a bus every morning at 7am from the nearest village – pretty Alájar, with its impossibly narrow, cobbled streets, to Seville. • +34 959 501 282, molinorioalajar.com. Cottages from €105 a night | |
| Where to eat El Padrino in Alájar is the place to experience the area's almost religious devotion to pig meat, not just the local acorn-fed jamón but the soft presa iberica, shoulder cuts.• 2 Plaza de Miguel Moya, +34 959 125 601 | Where to eat El Padrino in Alájar is the place to experience the area's almost religious devotion to pig meat, not just the local acorn-fed jamón but the soft presa iberica, shoulder cuts.• 2 Plaza de Miguel Moya, +34 959 125 601 |
| What to see The Sierra de Aracena is one of Spain's most popular areas for bird-watchers, with the chance to see (and hear) nightingales, golden eagles, ravens and rare black vultures. | What to see The Sierra de Aracena is one of Spain's most popular areas for bird-watchers, with the chance to see (and hear) nightingales, golden eagles, ravens and rare black vultures. |
| Train trips were provided by Renfe, renfe.com | Train trips were provided by Renfe, renfe.com |
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