Andalusia has many places and things to do that it is nearly impossible to visit everything or at least 80% in a short time. It would take at least a month or various trips to accomplish the task of visiting the most important places just in southern Spain.
During my last trip to Spain, I decided to focus on three towns, that were close and accessible to each other without breaking the bank. Also, I focused on the things that were most important to me: Food, scenery, and Flamenco. What better way to meet these three requirements than visiting Sevilla and Malaga?
The number one place you should never miss during your stay around southern Spain is “The Alhambra.”
The Alhambra (translated “The red one”) is one of the greatest representations of the Islamic architecture influence in Spain and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The details, astonishing architecture and the view from atop the Alhambra looking down to the town of Granada below will take your breath away.
The Alhambra was built in 1238 on the top of a hill. It was the last standing Muslim state of Al-Andalus.
They are several tours available, I took a very affordable tour found at getyourguide.com for only $43.00 at the time of this article publication it is a little over $37 if you book on September which includes the ticket entrance, transportation to the site is not included. They are several tours and things to do around Granada for a example a flamenco show. Most of the tours in this website do not include transportation. I decided to join daily tours during my trip since I was traveling alone and this present an opportunity to meet and be surrounded by other people.
At the end of this tour, I was able to access the town of Granada through one of the back roads.
There were shops along this road, but I wouldn’t recommend buying anything here, prices are high. There are better prices in the main town.
There were several restaurants with outside sitting around Granada. I was lucky to witness a couple dancing flamenco right across from one of these restaurants. (Video here).
Granada is a beautiful, buzzing with energy and historic town.
To get to Andalusia from USA you should arrive at Madrid or Barcelona. I arrived at Barcelona and from there I took an airplane to Malaga. You can also take the train it is sometimes cheaper depending on the season. In high season it makes more sense to the take the train from either Madrid or Barcelona but in my case I went to Malaga in December right after Christmas and only for a week so for me it made more sense to travel by air.
I rented a vehicle because I wanted to have more freedom to move around. I did not see any Uber as of December 2021 Ubers are not allowed in Spain only taxis. Anyways, since I rented a vehicle for a modest price I was able to drive myself to the Alhambra from Malaga. Very easy, the roads are really well kept except that I wouldn’t recommend driving at night. The roads are very winding and are not well lit at night. As soon as I got to my Airbnb in Malaga, I was welcome with sweets and dry fruits from the area. People at Andalusia and in Spain in general are so welcoming and I am so grateful for that experience.
I wanted to have a unique experience not found in USA. I found a Hammam Bath in Malaga. A Hammam or turkish bath is a public bathing place with three pools of cold, warm and hot water. A steam room and hot stone and a tea lounge. The place have a massage service. The original hammam Al-andalus (islamic Spain and Portugal) were built in the 13 century but closed down by the Catholic Kings after regaining control from the muslims. The baths have been reopening since 1998 and now are becoming really popular. They in Cordoba, Granada, Malaga, Sevilla, Madrid, Palma Mallorca, and Barcelona within Spain. )
Some of those experiences that I booked through Airbnb were a visit to an Oil factory at a town called AlhaurÃn el grande. This town is very near to Malaga but not close enough to take a bus or public transportation. The many towns surrounding Malaga are accessible only by car. It should only take about 30 minutes from Malaga. I was able to purchase a few bottles of locally made olive oil. Some of the experiences offer transportation.
The next experience was a hike from one of the White villages (they are many around Malaga) called “Canillas de Aceituno, passing by an old Arab canal and walking through a path that leads to a new suspension bridge “El Saltillo”. This experience (and they are many) offered transport from Malaga and I would definitely prefer to have someone drive me to these places, roads are really narrow and winding along a mountainous area. Canillas de Aceituno is like many white villages really picturesque and quaint town. It is not that touristic right now, therefore you get you enjoy the town without any crowds. I wouldn’t recommend the hike to someone who is not used to walk for 2 hours that is how long it took, but for me it was worth every step. At the end you get to see the sunset looking at the African Continent from the top of this lovely town.
Next visit: Seville, Andalusia. Famous and well known for Flamenco and bullfighting. I was not able to attend a bullfighting but I was able to attend a flamenco dance. Impressive and passionate. Again, I booked my experiences through the Airbnb app were I was able to see the reviews for each and availability. There is another site that offer individualized experiences including photo shots. Also, there is devour which I found through a you tuber (in fact I think he founded) they have several tours around Spain and they specialize in tapas.
The devour tapas tour is not cheap but I think it is worth every penny. They have access to the best tapas restaurants around Seville. The guide was able to give many details about the history of this town and the history of some of the restaurants that we visit. We were able to miss the crowds since we started a bit earlier that the usual tapa time (around 530 pm). We were promptly served upon arrival to each restaurant. The company offer tours from Seville, Madrid and Barcelona at noon and at night.
Last tour in Seville purchased through Airbnb Experiences for $55 (including the admission ticket) was the visit to el Alcazar de Sevilla. A royal palace in Seville, Spain built for the Christian King Peter of Castile. The architectural style used in this palace is the Mudejar, Mudejar is a combination of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance architectural styles. The top premises of the Palaces are occupied by the Royal Family of Spain during their visits to the area. It is part of the national patrimony and like the alhambra, it is part of the Unesco.
My last experience of the trip was a flamenco show purchased through Trip Advisor. I was able to see the reviews in the trip advisor website. Flamenco is a very passionate dance and its “taconeo” (Spanish tap dance) require years of training and skills. The presentation is about 2 hrs long of dance, singing and playing the guitar. For this presentation there were a female and male dancers and two additional male singers playing the guitar.
If you are really interested in Flamenco and like the outfit and accessories like the fan, shawl, peineta (hair accessory), I would suggest to visit calle Sierpes in Seville. I would say is the fashion street of Seville. I got the flamenco accessories from Juan Foronda in the same road, They have handmade shawls from 100 euros and above.
Finally I took a taxi to airpot and I was on my way to Barcelona. They are no direct flights from Florida to Malaga, at least not as of 2022. If you would like to visit Malaga one most take a flight to Madrid or Barcelona and from there take either the train or a short flight using Vueling. It is a very cheap domestic airline but you get what you pay for. Just like Spirit you will end up paying even for a bottle of water.
Again, next time you decide to visit Southern Spain take in consideration that they are many White Villages (Pueblos Blancos), historical sites, Hammams (turquish baths), even Malls (there is one between Granada and Malaga) than days to visit. I would choose two or maximum three towns within 30 minutes from each other. Book your Airbnbs or hotels. I would rather book an airbnb it is cheaper and you get to meet personal experiences. Find yourself experiences through Airbnb, Your Guide or/and tripadvisor and you will safe lots of money and have great experiences.
Until next time
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