Granada
With Gothic cloisters, fragrant orange trees and a lavishly decorated interior, this 16th-century monastery is one of Granada's most stunning Catholic…
Must-see attractions in Andalucía
Granada
Inside the Palacio de Carlos V in the Alhambra, the Museo de la Alhambra has an absorbing collection of Islamic artefacts, including the wood-carved door…
Catedral & Barrio de Santa Cruz
Built during Seville's 16th-century golden age, this Santa Cruz mansion is like a micro-version of the Alcázar, just without the queues. And like several…
Málaga
Looking like a mini-jungle when viewed from the Gibralfaro hill, this palm-lined extension of the Alameda was created in the 1890s on land reclaimed from…
Granada
For those classic sunset shots of the Alhambra sprawled along a wooded hilltop with the Sierra Nevada mountains looming in the background, wander up…
Parque de María Luisa & South of Centre
As much a local landmark as an accommodation option, this striking, only-in-Seville hotel – conceived as the most luxurious in Europe when it was built in…
Parque de María Luisa & South of Centre
Now home to the University of Seville, this massive former tobacco factory – workplace of Bizet’s fictional heroine, Carmen – was built in the 18th…
Córdoba
Constructed in 1315, this small, probably private or family synagogue is one of the best-surviving testaments to the Jewish presence in medieval Andalucía…
Málaga
Down by Málaga's port, this offshoot of Paris' Pompidou Centre is housed in a low-slung modern building crowned by artist Daniel Buren's playful…
Parque de María Luisa & South of Centre
Seville's archaeology museum, housed in a grandiose, neo-Renaissance palace at the southern end of the Parque de María Luisa, is a wonderful, oft…
Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata-Níjar
Southeast of San Miguel de Cabo de Gata, some of Spain's last surviving salt-extraction lagoons draw flocks of migrating flamingos and other waterbirds…
Cádiz
An enjoyable walk/jog along the promenade from the Barrio de Santa María, this fine, wide strip of Atlantic sand, with summer beach bars, starts 1km south…
Córdoba
In the heart of the Judería, and once connected by tunnel to the synagogue, the Casa de Sefarad is an interesting museum devoted to the Sephardic (Iberian…
Cádiz
On the seaward edge of the Barrio del Pópulo, Cádiz' Roman theatre dates from the late 1st century BCE and, originally, had space for 10,000 spectators. A…
Cádiz
Spain's oldest covered market, Cádiz' lively Mercado Central de Abastos was unveiled in 1838. Now remodelled, it sells fresh fish, meat, vegetables and…
Cádiz
Following half a century off limits, the eastern tower of the cathedral is now open once more. Ascend via the twirling ramp for fabulous wraparound views…
Málaga Province
Bobastro was the hilltop redoubt of 9th-century rebel Omar ibn Hafsun, who led a prolonged revolt against Córdoban rule. At one stage he controlled…
Andalucía
This handsome square is surrounded by elegant 16th-century buildings. The central Fuente de los Leones is made of carvings from the Ibero-Roman village of…
Málaga
Where malagueños come to play (and take their morning exercise), the Playa de la Malagueta is the city's main beach and is both sandy and close to the…
El Centro & El Arenal
For a blast of full-on baroque glitz, pop into this small church hidden away on a side street between Calles Sierpes and Tetuán. Behind its 18th-century…
Cádiz
This star-shaped 16th-century fortress was built after the Anglo-Dutch sacking of the city in 1596; it's now an exhibition centre. Within stands a tiny…
Andalucía
Úbeda's fascinating Casa Museo Andalusí comprises a 16th-century private home that was inhabited by conversos (Jews who converted to Christianity) and a…
Costa de Almería
Hidden near the foot of the hilltop pueblo, this historic fountain is a village landmark. Locals and visitors come to fill containers with the water that…
Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez' muscular yet elegant 11th- or 12th-century fortress is one of Andalucía's best-preserved Almohad-era relics. It's notable for its octagonal tower,…
Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata-Níjar
Set amid the Martian red-rock terrain at the top of the village, the skeletal remains of Rodalquilar's gold mines are an eerie sight. The complex, which…
Andalucía
Almodóvar’s monumental and sinister-looking castle dominates the view from far and wide, rising almost sheer above the Río Guadalquivir with just enough…
Andalucía
This forbidding castle guards the northern Sierra Nevada from a hilltop looming over the sleepy village of La Calahorra, 16km southeast of Guadix. Built…
Triana
Known as the Cathedral of Triana, the 13th-century Iglesia de Santa Ana was the first church built in Seville after the 1248 Reconquista. Architecturally,…
Tarifa
Though built in 960 on the orders of Cordoban caliph Abd ar-Rahman III, this restored fortress is named after Reconquista hero Guzmán El Bueno. In 1294,…
Málaga
The story of the unearthing of Málaga's Roman theatre is almost as interesting as the theatre itself. Dating from the time of Augustus (1st century AD),…
Granada
Relaunched in 2018 after an eight-year restoration, Granada's archaeology museum is spread across the 16th-century Casa de Castril, with its elaborate…
Andalucía
An interesting detour from Empalme del Valle will take you past Vadillo Castril village to the Puente de las Herrerías bridge (7km) and then 11km on…
Arcos de la Frontera
Lined with fine ancient buildings, Plaza del Cabildo is the heart of Arcos' old town, its vertiginous mirador affording exquisite panoramas over the Río…
Centro de Cría del Quebrantahuesos
Andalucía
A fascinating visit for any wildlife lover, this centre in the Cazorla forests is the crux of the programme to reintroduce the lammergeier, a rare,…
Andalucía
The Disneyesque castle rising on a pinnacle high above Vélez Blanco's tiled roofs confronts the great sphinx-like butte La Muela (The Molar Tooth) across…
Andalucía
A good reason to come to Baena is to visit this working olive-oil mill, run by a family who own around 100,000 olive trees. Olives are hand-picked to…
Andalucía
Carved out of the limestone massif 4km above Zuheros is this extraordinary cave. From the vast hall at the start of the tour, it's a 415m loop walk (with…
Andalucía
In the pretty, peaceful village of La Rábida, don’t miss this palm-fringed, hilltop Franciscan monastery, visited several times by Columbus before his…
Andalucía
Around 2000 dwellings are burrowed into the rocky terrain of Guadix' main cave district, 1.2km south of the centre – a weird, otherworldly place where…
Granada
This Alhambra courtyard, in the Palacios Nazaríes, is where the emirs would have given audiences to their subjects. It features a small fountain and the…
