The Muslim invaders from Africa called all the conquered lands àl Andalus`, the name which has survived to refer nowadays to the southernmost region of the country, Andalucia. With its rich cultural history, small picturesque villages, Sierra Nevada, endless beaches and warm climate, its a fantastic holiday destination. We went end September to beat the crowds, starting in Granada, then Jaén, Cordoba ending in our rented flat in Marbella, with a short overnight stay in Ronda.
Granada, with Alhambra, is the Juvel of Andalusia. It lies surrounded by mountains on two hills, the Albacin old town and Alhambra. Granada became the capital of the last Islamic stronghold in Europe, where Cordoba, Sevilla, Jaén and Murcia all fell in succession to the christian reconquest.
Like every major city i Andalusia, Granadas also has a Cathedral. It was designed to be the symbolic monument of the Christian conquest. Charles V decided in 1526 to convert the cathedral to a pantheon, but later on architect Diego de Siloé made some radical changes to a more Renaissance design.
Walking the narrow and steep streets of Albacin can be a tough experience, but you will be reworded with plenty of views overlooking Granada.
Granada has many Miradors, meaning viewpoint. We read that Mirador de Saint Nicolas should have a majestic view of Alhambra, but when we finally reached it we were tired, and it was time for lunch.
Next to the Mirador lies El Huerto de Juan Ranas, a superb restaurant with a spectacular location.
The restaurant overlooks Alhambra, Alcazaba and Granada. It can be highly recommended, both for their lunch and the view.
The Iglesia San Nicolas was built in 1595 on the site of an earlier mosque in the Mudejar and Gothic style, built on a mosque foundation like many other churches at that time.
Mirador de Los Carvajales shoves Alcazaba from a lower position than Saint Nicolas, but the view is just as impressive. We stayed watching the sunset - an unforgettable experience.
Coming from Denmark, nightlife in Andalusia is a very surreal experience. Nothing is really going on before 9 PM other than people having a snack and a drink before dinner. It is not unusual to see people starting their dinner at 10 - 10:30 PM, which for a dane is unheard of.
One must in Spain, is trying out their Tapas. In Granada there are numerous Tapas restaurants and bars. But look out, only a handfull serve decent and authentic Tapas. We went online and found Bodegas Castañeda in Albacin, which is the reel deal - fantastic Tapas and atmosphere.
After spending two days in Granada, we drove north to stay at the Parador. Apart from a growing increase in cultural tourism, the city is also known as the World Capital of Olive Oil, because it is the biggest producer of the oil, known by locals as liquid gold. A very important landmark of Jaén is the Cathedral, one of the most important Renaissance-style cathedrals.
Construction of the The Assumption of the Virgin Cathedral began in 1570 and was completed in 1802..Due to the length of time in its construction, different artistic styles can be seen, the most prominent being Renaissance.
There is an ongoing restauration of many of the Cathedrals paintings and murals, and It hopes to be listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
We spend one night at Saint Catherine's Castle (Castillo de Santa Catalina) now converted to a Parador, and if you ever visit Jaén, that’s the place to stay. It sits on the top of a hill overlooking the city. Previously there had been a fortress of Arabic origin but the current construction is of Christian origin, raised after the conquest of the city in 1246 by Ferdinand III of Castile. I was not able to get a total photograph of the Parador without a drone, so the picture is from their website - hope that’s OK.
View from our balcony overlooking the western part of Jaén with the Santa Catalina mountains as a fitting backdrop.
One of the old halls - now a relaxed place to chill out or watch TV.
There is a path running along the Parador ending in a viewpoint overlooking the central part of Jaén.
There was only a short drive to our next destination, Cordoba, where we would spend 3 days. Like Granada has Alhambra, the juvel of Cordoba is the Great Mosque - Le Mezquita. The original mosque became to small due to the growing number of Muslims in el-Andalus and in 783 work began to expand the mosque. Over 200 years, the mosque was enlarged five times to its current appearence.
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The twin colors of the arches In the great prayer hall creates an impression of space and a dynamic opening in all directions. Only 856 of the original 1.013 colums remain. Photographing inside the mosque is quite tricky. Firstly the crowds - you have to show up early to beat them, and secondly the light. Its quite dark and you are not allowed tripods, so you have to bump up the ISO to get a decent result handheld.
It was in Cordoba that the mihrab, or niche, became most refined, and for the first time incorporated into the far wall of the prayer hall, indicating the qibla, or direction towards Mekka.
The doorways to the mosque is very beautifully decorated, but out of the four doorways into the building only two remains.
The 54 meter high bell tower was originally a minaret build under Abd ar-Rahman III i 951–952. It was later on elavated to its present size.
In the beginning of the 1500 century, archbishop Alonso Manrique proposed to tear down the mosque and build a new cathedral to replace the mosque. It was heavily opposed by the population, so Karl V decided to put a Chapel in the ´heart´of the mosque. The work stretched over 200 years and it involved removing 150 of the columns. The picture is of the choir with its ornamentet benches and throne cut in mahogany.
The work on the impressive high alter began around 1600 and is based on marble found near Cordoba. The pictures are four martyrs and the virgin Mary.
Our hotel was centrally located near the Mezqiuta behind the old Roman citywall. At that time the wall was 2-3 meter high and 2650 meters long, but most of the wall was torn down to expand the growing city.
Siesta time.
During the summer months it gets extremely hot i the narrow streets, so the main walking streets are covered with white cloth to protect you from the strong sun.
Our hotel was located right across Cordobas Bullfighting Museum. The person in the window is one of Spains most famous bullfighters, Manuel Rodríguez Sánchez, or Manolete.
Manuel Rodríguez Sánchez - Manolete. He performed over 100 times a year and says to have killed 1.000 bulls. He was killed in 1947 by one very dangerous bull from Miura, which also killed his uncle.
Also next to our hotel, was the Jewish quarter with its small narrow streets and synagog dating back to 1315 - it is no longer in service. The sculpture is of Maimonides, a jewish rabbi, doctor and philosophor. He fell into disfavor and fled to Egypt with his family, never to return. The picture is a bit distorted because it’s a 3 image vertical pano.
Further up the small street with the Synagog, we had some delicious Tapas at our favorite, Bodega Guzman, before venturing out in Cordobas nightlife.
Walking around the illuminated Mezquita at night with no person around, is a very special experience not to be missed.
Marbella is located on Costa del Sol between Malaga and Gibraltar. Its grown from a small fishing village to a luxurious tourist destination with 15.000 foreign residents. We been to Marbelle a number of times, and love the warm climate, the cosy beach restaurants, the charming old town with its narrow streets, the plazas and the many beaches.
We left Cordoba and drove the 215 km. to our rented flat in Elveria - 10 km. East of Marbella. The flat was situated up the hillside with a great view of the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. Only drawback was driving up the vinding roads with its many bumps.
Next to the main costal road in Elveria is a small plaza with some ok restaurants and a small supermarket. We usually made our own dinner except when going to Marbella at night, so the supermarket was very convenient for stocking up what ever we needed.
Opposite the small plaza in Elveria, nestled between the pine trees, was what looked liked a small Greek Church. I could not get any closer so I still don’t know if that’s the case.
Evening view from our terrasse before dinner in Marbella at our favorite oceanside fish restaurant.
Simple dish but excellent- charcoaled grilled sardines.
After dinner we went for a walk in the Old Town. It is after dark that Marbella really shines with its narrow streets, interesting small shops and many restaurants. Plaza de los Naranos, or the Orange Tree Square is one of the most popular, and for a good reason. It dates back to 1485 and is surrounded by whitewashed buildings, a governor residence and a chapel in one corner.
Plaza Santo Cristo is a very, not so crowded, picturesque plaza with a couple of intimate restaurants and a small church. Sitting there with a glas of wine when darkness falls is a must.
On Plaza de Iglesia is the barok church Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación. The present church is the second one on the location. The first one replaced the city mosque which was ordered torn down by Ferdinand 2. of Aragonien. It is very popular and people of all ages go and show their respect on all hours - quite moving and not what we are used to in Denmark.
While stying in Marbella we decided to spend one night in Ronda. From the coast, there is only one main road leading to Ronda. The drive through the mountain road is very rewording. You will pass a number of small towns nestled in the landscape and many valley vistas with the mountains as an imposing backdrop.
Ronda was originally named Acinipo and founded by Julius Cesar. When the Moors 400 years later invaded the town, the renamed it Izna-Rand-Onda - Ronda. It is first an foremost known for Puente Nuevo, the New Bridge, leading from the old town to the new part. It is possible to get to the bottom of the gorge to view the bridge from there. If you got the legs for the walk, do it. It is an unforgettable sight.
Puente Nuevo seen from Jardines de Cuenca, allows the opportunity to view the bridge and the gorge El Tajo from a different angle.
The old town with the whitewashed houses with a splash of red and yellow colors is well maintained, plus a number of small inviting plazas spred around town
Plaza de Toros, Real Maestranza, is one of the oldest and most beautiful in Spain. Is was build in 1785 by the architect who also build Puente Nuevo. There is also a bullfighting museum in the arena.
Statue of Antonio Ordóñez Araujo, one of the key figures in the history of Spanish bullfighting.
We spend the night at the Parador and had a fantastic room with a balcony overlooking El Tajo and Parque National Sierra de Grazelema in the distance.
Preparing for dinner I got this shot of the setting sun over the Parador. Our room is right behind the white lamp.
After dinner I went down the gorge to shot the bridge at night time. That was a challenge. I had to blend two pictures in order to preserve highlights and shadows + watching out for noise, but the result is OK in my opinion.
Not a bad view to wake up to.
Morning light over Parque National Sierra.
Last view from our terrace before leaving for Marbella again.
After returning from Ronda, we spend the last days relaxing at the local beach, filed up with impressions, agreeing to return. A more thorough look at Jaén. some castles outside Cordoba, Sevellia, El Torcal de Antequera with its limestoneformations and Flamingos near by - the list is big.