- Andalucia
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A good value, friendly hotel. Convenient location with only a short walk to bars, restaurants or public transport, including the Alhambra bus that you will be catching early, if you forgot to buy tickets in advance!
The hotel is calm and quiet and has a nice central courtyard with a fountain (everywhere in Granada seems to have some sort of flowing water and it is surprisingly soothing I think).
It is possible to reserve parking space in a private carpark. It was unusually cold whilst we stayed there and we were glad of the tea-making facilities and bath, though neither felt like a very spanish touch to the room!
Triana Baja 7
Tel: +34 958 27 19 79
www.abadiahotelgranada.com
abadiahotel@gmail.com
(I found availability at booking.com when the abadia website showed full occupancy, so try there if no joy)
A great tapas bar/store on the edge of Elvira (so it is convenient for late nights). A deli by day, you can sample local wines by the glass, each with free tapas- carefully made by the young team.
Order a tabla mixta and you won't need to eat any more, all night! If you want foodie souvenirs they also sell a wide range of local specialities, fresh and dried as well as wines and liqueurs. It is a surprisingly buzzy and friendly place and very popular with locals.
Calle Elvira 150
www.alsurdegranada.net
Tel: 958 270 245
After an energy-sapping morning soaking up the rays on Valdevaqueros beach - one of the best along the Costa de la Luz - try lunching at the minute hotel perched on the dunes behind a surf school and shop. Enjoy the typically Tarifan hippy-chic vibe, sitting at oversized wooden tables under generous shady bamboo cover and their delicious array of hearty, green salads and fresh fruit juices make a welcome break after a night of tapas indulgence.
Stay in your own little white-washed house, nestling in the Alpujarras. The owners cultivate organic vines, olives, figs and almonds, some of which end up on the table at dinner. With a swimming pool, library and bodega, this is the perfect get-away.
www.alqueriamorayma.com
CÁDIAR - GRANADA - ALPUJARRA - ANDALUCÍA
Tlf. 958 34 32 21 - 958 34 33 03
A Spanish Cordoban house from the 12th century al-Andalus period. This house that represents all the subtleties of the period has been turned into a museum. It's designed to bring out the influence of the Muslim al-Andulus throughout European civilization, and includes inventions from the Muslim era and objects from their daily articles are also on display.
Museo de Salma en la Calle Judíos de la Judería de Córdoba
Directora- Salma Garaudy
Calle Judíos, 12, 14004, Córdoba.
Telf. y Fax- 957 29 06 42, llamadas nacionales, o 34,57 29 06 42, llamadas internacionales.
www.hqpress.com/entertainment/casa-andulusi-on-the-pursuit-of-the-lost-civilization.html
www.cordobacard.com/es/Contenido.aspx?id=8
www.rogerdarlington.me.uk/Andalucia.html
www.traveljournals.net/pictures/spain/cordoba/
Make like the Spanish and enjoy a beer and tapa in the bars in Granada. Most places give you a free tapa when you buy a drink - spend an evening wandering from bar to bar in this beautiful city and you won't need to find a restaurant for dinner.
Most squares in Seville have got nice old fashioned bars, where eating and drinking is cheap. Santa Maria La Blanca is not an exception, and it is close to the gardens (Jardines del Murillo) and the beautiful building of Universidad de Sevilla.
I recommend trying as many varieties of tapas as possible, always keeping in mind, or at hand, a nice beer to chill out.
The city centre.
A small airport with a relaxed atmosphere and a good restaurant, plenty of car hire firms nearby and served by Monarch from Gatwick.
El Porton is the the bullfighters' favourite tapas bar and an example of traditional Andalucian food, very macho but lovely staff. Try the prawns sizzling in garlic.
Tragabuches serves modern, high quality food with panache in a stylish setting. Expensive for Andalucia but worth it.
El Porton: Calle Pedro Romero 7
Tragabuches:Calle Jose Aparicio 1
Granada, Cordoba, Sevilla? Of course. But try Almeria, a city with friendly people, wide avenues, an impressive alcazaba, a fortified cathedral and a long beach.
And, if you don't know where to stay or eat, look no further than the Plaza de las Flores, a Torreluz hegemony. In this tiny square (no flowers I'm afraid) Torreluz gives its name to a four-star hotel, a two-star hotel (which we thought very good value for money, but try and get a room overlooking the square), a separate block of apartments, an upmarket restaurant, a very acceptable modern cafeteria where guests of the two-star hotel take their breakfasts (which were very good) and, best of all, a traditional bodega full of atmosphere and people, who spilled out onto the square, serving good value and good quality dishes. All you want in one square right in the centre of town.
Plaza de las Torres, near Puerta de Purchena, the main square, Almeria. Torreluz enterprises etc
Cádiz is famous for its historical watchtowers, the tallest of which, at 45 metres above sea level, is the Torre Tavira, right in the centre of town near the market. Today it houses an attraction unique in Spain, a Camera Obscura. This projects a brilliant 360 degrees moving picture of the town and port onto a large circular table-screen around which visitors sit whilst a guide points out all the main buildings, squares, streets, beaches and docks. Moe fascinating, and fun, is to see the ordinary life of the town in extraordinary detail - people shopping, washing hanging out in gardens, bathers in the sea, even seagulls perched on chimneys. The 15 minute show is really quite remarkable.
Torre Tavira, calle Marques de Real Tesoro 10, Cadiz.
www.torretavira.com
tel. 956 21 29 10
A 40 minute boat trip across the bay from Cadiz is the pretty town of El Puerto de Santa Maria. Tucked away in a side street amongst imposing old mansions and sherry bodegas is the typical Andalucian town house where Rafael Alberti was born. It is now a bright, modern museum dedicated to the life and works of this poet, playwright, painter and statesman.
In the light, attractive galleries you can see much of his colourful work, including his vividly illustrated poetry, look at interesting old newspaper cuttings and photos and read much of his correspondence, a great deal of which concerns his long exile from Sapin under Franco, his triumphant return in 1977 and the many prizes and honours he gained thereafter. This permanent exposition is a fabulous record of the life of one of the most important and fascinating figures in modern Spanish history.
Fundacion Rafael Alberti, calle Santa Domingo 25, El Puerto de Santa María
www. rafaelalberti.es
tel. 956 85 07 11
This Natural Park is superb in spring. Good weather, no cars and good roads. Accommodation easy and staggeringly cheap to find on line.
Keep 20k south of Mojacar and explore along the coast. www.holiday-rentals.com and www.typicalish.com are good sites.
Maps for any trip from Stanfords in Long Acre - can't beat them.
The Vias Verdes are "green routes" through Spain. Former railway lines, the gravel tracks are traffic-free and suitable for cycling and walking. They provide a beautiful alternative to on-road cycling, ideal if you have young kids in tow.
Routes are pretty flat or at least nicely graded, even in hilly areas, because they were originally designed for trains. The network is not huge at present but there are plenty of 2-3 day excursions to be enjoyed on the existing Vias. This is a really fun way to explore Spain!
www.viasverdes.es - only in Spanish, I'm afraid, but the map etc. is easy enough to follow and the routes are generally well-signed once you are there
A bit twee (you travel on a miniature train, there is a mouse trained to run up a ladder and drink sherry ...) but worth a trip. Jerez is a town entirely founded on sherry exports so it's good to come here and understand what it's all about. The tasting certainly challenges any preconceptions of sherry you may have had - it's not like granny's Christmas tipple. A glass of fino and a plate of tapas is your reward at the end of an interesting tour around the estate.
This restored Arabian bathhouse down a tiny alley in the Santa Cruz district is the perfect escape from the baking afternoon heat. It's mixed, and you can bring your own bathers. After cold mint tea in the relaxation room you are invited to dip into each of the three pools (warm, hot and then cold), steam yourself in the hammam, relax in the whirpool and then float gently in the salt pool.
A soothing, indulgent atmosphere is created by the glistening white of the marble, and the illuminated blue water that plays patterns across the dark red plaster walls, faded wooden ceilings and archways. Your journey through the baths is guided by shimmering scented candles and Arabic lamps. Visits last for 90 minutes but you must book ahead, as they limit numbers due to its popularity. It is open until midnight, if you fancy a late dip.
Aire de Sevilla, Calle Aire 15
www.airedesevilla.com/
A quiet and friendly hotel despite its central location (it literally is about 50m from the cathedral and main street). There are only 12 rooms in this old building, which have been renovated in a modern style with dark wood and white furnishing, and very sleek bathrooms. If you get a superior room you may be lucky to get one of the two rooms on the top floor, which have outdoor patios giving stunning views of the cathedral. The staff here are genuinely friendly and helpful, and it's a great place to stay.
Hotel Alminar
www.hotelalminar.com
Ãlvarez Quintero, 52
T 954 293 913
reservas@hotelalminar.com
Restaurant & tapas bar serving delicious local food in traditional patio. Exquisite 'salmorejo' (thick gazpacho), 'Flamenquin' (special rolled sausage), melt in the mouth bull's tail stew (rabo de toro), shellfish salad (Salpicon de mariscos) etc. Really friendly owner (3rd generation at La Fragua) and staff and all for around 22E per head.
Restaurante La Fragua
Calleja del Arco, s/n, 14003
Córdoba
Traditional Córdobese food at good prices.
Tel: 00 34 957 484 572
I recommend this website as it deals in great tours around Seville. I went to Seville during the Christmas period and although the weather wasn't great, the trip was fantastic due to the tour. For anyone thinking of visiting Seville i strongly suggest using this website.
This site will tell you all you need to know about Semana Santa in the major cities of Andalucia.
I've been looking at the guide to Malaga and it is great. You can see animated maps of the brotherhood routes by day and times and excellent descriptions of where they go and what happens. One of the best travel sites I've seen.
http://195.57.5.13/index_in.php
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