Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada and Ronda

The Cathedral, Seville

The Acazar, Sevilla, almost empty!

       Part of the great pleasure traveling to these areas in the winter is that they are very warm in the summer, to the point of being inhospitable. At least this is certainly true in Sevilla, Cordoba and Granada. In the Sevilla, we were told by locals that the temps are often over 100F in summer. They were in the high 50s during our stay. At the same time they are less touristed in winter, which is a big plus. Having visited some of the prime sites on every tourist hit list, including  The Alhambra and Generalife in Granada, the Cathedral and Alcazar in Sevilla, and the Mezquita in Cordoba, I am here to tell you that I cannot imagine what these places are like in the tourist high season and heat of the summer! Please consider traveling off-peak to save time, money, and yourself from the maddening crowds.

Here's another piece of general advice. In advance of your trip, book one of those tours where they organize the times and buy the ticket for entrance to the site, the "no waiting in line" tours. In Granada, I used "Granada a Pie" or Granada on Foot, which was reasonable in price and very informative. Book with your credit card on line, print the receipt and meet at the assigned "meeting point." Such tours make life easy and guarantee a good visiting experience, explanation of what you're seeing, historical context and appreciation. I was amazed that no one seemed to tip these guides (who are all certified/licensed, btw), so I did.

Remember, all of these towns can be reached easily from one other, or from Malaga, by train or bus, in two hours or less. Only my trip to Ronda from Granada necessitated a bus and train ride.

Seville may have been my favorite city. It has a population of about 700,000 and is the largest city of Andalusia. Its centro contains three UNESCO World Heritage sights, and The Alcazar and Cathedral (with the stunning tomb for Christopher Columbus) are not to be missed. Orange trees are in bloom everywhere. Vehicles are limited in the old town. We stayed at La Casa del Poeta on Calle Don Carlos Alonso Chaparro, and it was a lovely Moorish courtyard building in Old Town with a fountain in the center, flamenco guitar in the afternoon, big, modern rooms with private bath and a 190 E. tariff. The location was perfect. The food options nearby were beautiful old Spanish bars and some modern tapas restaurants.

Casa del Poeta, Sevilla

The Alcazar and Cathedral are out-of-this-world beautiful, and the latter has a treasure trove (including a gold crown with 11,000 precious stones) that's not to be missed. Many buildings are from the 11th to 14th centuries. The Plaza de Espana, built for a 1929 Exposition, is also spectacular, and reminded me of a Spanish Venice.

Plaza de Espana, Sevilla

Columbus' Tomb. Pall-bearers are
the four regions of Spain

Ceiling of Seville's Cathedral, taken by mirror

One of the world's treasures when it comes to historical sights must be The Alhambra/Generalife complex in Granada (did you know that "granada" is the Spanish word for "pomegranate?"). It is not only a sumptuous and well-preserved example of Arab and Moorish architectural influence; it gives the visitor a clear idea of what life was like for the rulers of Spain before the Roman Catholics "cleaned house" in the 15th century. It is like a small city, and deserves a whole day at least. Note again that entry is limited in numbers and is actually timed to accommodate the masses. Get in on a limited size tour and make life easy.

My tour also included a walk around the old Arab quarters called the Albayzin and the Sacramonte area where the gypsies used to live in caves built into the side of the mountain. The former you can do on your own; the latter is just for tourists, as very few gypsies are still there. In the Albayzin there are some expensive, romantic restaurants with views of The Alhambra at dusk and after. 

Alhambra Muquarnas Ceiling

Alhambra wall with ancient stained glass

view from Generalife to countryside, Granada

wall of Alhambra done, caved in stucco

For accommodations, I stayed at the Palacio Santa Ines Hotel, right near the river on Cuesta de Santa Ines., not quite as fancy since I was solo, only about 52E per night. Also, I joined a small, old school gym called Imagen for 5 euros per day, put a work-out into my routine for an hour and a half daily, then hit the mercado for my first vermouth and tapas lunch. 

Ronda is a much smaller town than the others and it is a bit more isolated as well, located up in the hills. The town is built on either side of a great gorge, spanned by The New Bridge, which is actually very old.

Brroding Ronda and the New Bridge

One of Ronda's claims to fame is its Plaza de Toros (Bull Ring), which is one of the most venerable in Spain, and furthermore was "home" of Pedro Romero, who slew 5000 bulls and changed the way the sport was done. Another great spot to visit is the Arab Baths; these remains are from the 11th century if I'm not mistaken.

Arab baths, Ronda

The countryside around Ronda is quite beautiful, and provides a great opportunity for hiking, and nature-watching. I was lucky enough to have the great service of Peter Jones of Spanish Nature, who took me out over two days to see 68 species of birds, fox, ibex and other treats. 

Finally, Cordoba can be done as an easy day trip from Malaga, and is required in order to see the incredible Mezquita, the church and mosque that presents a wonderful combination of Arab Muslim and Christian Gothic influences. 

The Mezquita interior

The Mirhab contained the guilt Koran; before it pilgrims would circle
ten times on their knees.

In the courtyard outside, you can wander around The Patio of the Oranges, said to be Europe's oldest maintained public garden from 714 AD. 

The pleasures of these small towns in Andlusia are plentiful and well worth your experience. I ate very well at local places recommended mostly by Trip Advisor, Triposo (see recent post on this wonderful app) and locals I met. Meal prices were usually reasonable unless we went out fancy. While I was alone, 20 E was about my max, with a beer, wine or the wonderful Spanish vermouth with a slice of orange and soda.

A word about Iberian ham and charcuterie. You may think these people are overly enthusiastic about their ham and such, but if you spend a bit of time learning and appreciating the finer points of this food and the cultural pride behind it, you may see the light. Of course Spain has excellent fish (especially sardines of all sizes and preparations), and fried fish is my personal thing,  so I was always happy. But the ham from the best Iberian pigs, the pato negro, is very special indeed. These pigs live more or less in the wild among oak groves that supply a steady diet of acorns. The result is a rich, oily and somewhat nutty flavor and, supposedly, a very healthy nutritional profile. Delicious! Remember that Serrano ham is a much lower grade (and price) than jamon iberico.

A selection of meats from a shop at the Mercado

Pato Negro, the pig with the rep