Southern Spain in 10 days

In 10 days, we will visit 6 magnificent cities in the South of Spain including moving to another country (England) while we are at it. Sevilla, Ronda, Malaga, Gibraltar, Cordoba, Granada comprise a nice tour of most of the South, with all the sightseeing, tapas, and pleasures you can wish for in this area. We begin by landing in Madrid and taking the first train to Seville.

Seville is the capital of the South, Andalusia. Climb the Giralda in Seville once you get there to take a panoramic view of the city. It is a Moorish monument, from the same architects that gave us the Alhambra fortress. Its tower is part of a cathedral complex. The Moors built it in 1182 but it was reconstructed with the Christian reconquest in the 16th century. The stairs to the top are wide with simple ornamentation as the Imam of the mosque was supposed to ascend it with its horse. Be sure not only to climb the tower but to visit the Cathedral.

Next on your list in this city is the Royal Alcazar. This is the oldest Royal Palace in Europe. A UNESCO site and the set of Game of Thrones when they needed a vacation from Dubrovnik, Croatia. If you are in high season, be sure to buy tickets in advance for this destination. The gardens in the Alcazar hold more than 20k plants brought back from South America. After visiting the Giralda, Cathedral and Alcazar you saw the main points in Seville and can rest with sardine Tapas on the GuadalQuivir lake.

On our second day in Andalusia, we will look at more architecture outdoors and end the day with a fabulous flamenco concert at one of the tablaos. Visit the Lebrija Palace, that was reconstructed by the countess of lebrija and contains the world’s most important mosaics. Find yourself discovering ancient Greece and Rome in the Iberian continent. With parallelism towards Barcelona and Madrid the Plaza de Espagnia in Seville is also worthwhile, it was built in 1928 for the Expo the next year. Finish the day in one of the tablaos at an authentic flamenco show. La Carbonara in Seville is recommended as sometimes the shows there are free and all you need to do is order a drink.

The next morning wake up and make your way to the beautiful city of Cordoba. It gets fuming during the summer but worth the visit any time of the year. In Cordoba you will find how the great three religions once used to live side by side with peace. There is la Juderia, where the Jews lived. The Mesquita and its area, which is mosque in Spanish, and the rest of the city which is and was Christian at times. A visit to the Mesquita is a must, especially during the night, but if you are Jewish oriented you can also marvel at the statue of Maimonides in La Juderia. Today the Mesquita is a cathedral as it was converted from a mosque in the Reconquista.

After a long day in Cordoba, you will want to rest in a good hotel with Air conditioning as this is one of the hottest places in Europe. Be sure to check out another flamenco show to relax, or just go for some of the original Tapas bars that are scattered all over the city. The next day continue to the very impressive fortress called the Alcazar, which you will find as impenetrable as it was till today. Also worth seeing is the synagogue that once held a large audience of Jews that lived in the city. Although you can squeeze the whole city to a day of touring, I highly recommend staying the hot night and experiencing this authentic Spanish city with its Moorish touch, a nightly trip to the Mesquita is magical.

Now we head off and cool off at the Sierra Nevada mountains and head towards Granada. In it you will find one of the most toured treasures in the world, the Alhambra Fortress. Take the bus to Granada the next morning and make sure you get tickets in advance to see and enter Alhambra Fortress. Beneath the fortress you can find Tapas bars that hand out free food if you order a drink, and in the same center of Granada you will find fantastic views of the city and the mountains.

The Alhambra fortress is your main goal here though. It is one of the most well-preserved Islamic relics. For sure it is the best-preserved Islamic Palace. There is also lots of Spanish Renaissance architecture on display here. Building began in the 12^th century although most of the current structure was built 100 years later. In the Reconquista the Palace was altered for the Christian monarchs. Spend the day here as there is lots to discover and a guide can surely help. Be sure to visit the gardens of Generalife and the neighboring quarter called Albayzin.

The next day if you will be impressed by anything after Alhambra, it would be the Mirador. The reason it is worthwhile is of course, Alhambra. The sights from the small church of all the Granada terrain are the most impressive for the city. You can see the mountains, the Alhambra and all the panorama of Granada from the church. Don’t miss it. The Royal Chapel is next on the list of architectural things to do in Granada as it is the resting home of many kings and queens of Spain. End the day in Sacromonte where you might catch another flamenco show. If you aren’t already in love with this artistic ritual I’d be surprised.

We are on our way now to visit a very familiar friend. Born in Malaga, Pablo Picasso was one of the greatest painters and artists of the modern area. Malaga although lacking the belle Costa del Sol beaches down south and famous architectural monsters like Alhambra is worth the visit just to bask in his glory. Visit the house where he was born which is now called the foundation of Picasso. Also worthwhile is the Museum, although not as popular as the one in Barcelona. After a day visit here, I would pick a nice beach on the stretch from Malaga all the way to Marbella and stay the night there, or if you have the financial length stay in Marbella, where Spanish aristocrats such as Antonio Banderas are staying today.

Continue South after resting on the beach and prepare to do some climbing on rocks. That is, one rock, the rock of Gibraltar. Located in a whole different country, you can spend a good half day here to experience the English culture. I would even skip the breakfast at the hotel in Marbella and go for an authentic English breakfast at Gibraltar with sausage and beans. Climb the rock and go into the cave, watch out for all the monkeys and at the end of your English experience you will come back to Spain. I would stay in adjacent Algeciras, although a bit skimpy and full of Moroccan refuges or go back to the shoreline of Torremolinos to find a place to stay.

The next day we will visit beautiful Ronda and end our trip back in Seville. Ronda is a sight you don’t want to miss as it is a city carved into a canyon. It’s cliffside location is what gives it its spark from all the other manmade phenomena of Spain. Watch the Puente Romano as you arrive in the city, it is 100 meters deep into the valley below Ronda. Cross over the New Bridge (Puente Nuevo) as it is 120 meters high above the ground and marvel at this beautiful creation.