Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema & Around
The rugged, pillar-like peaks of the Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema rise abruptly from the plains northeast of Cádiz, revealing sheer gorges, rare firs, wild orchids and the province’s highest summits, against a beautifully green backdrop at altitudes of 260m to 1648m. This is the wettest part of Spain – stand aside, Galicia and Cantabria, Grazalema village logs an average 2200mm annually. It’s gorgeous walking country (best months: May, June, September and October). For the more intrepid, adventure activities abound.
The 534-sq-km park, named Spain’s first Unesco Biosphere Reserve in 1977, extends into northwestern Málaga province, where it includes the Cueva de la Pileta.
2Activities
Hiking, caving, canyoning, kayaking, rock climbing, cycling, birdwatching, horse riding, paragliding, vie ferrate – this beautiful protected area crams it all in. For the more technical stuff, go with a guide; Zahara’s Zahara Catur (
%657 926394, 656 986009; www.zaharacatur.com) and Grazalema-based Horizon (%655 934565, 956 13 23 63; www.horizonaventura.com; Calle Las Piedras 1; 
h10am-2pm & 5-8pm Mon-Sat) are respected adventure-activity outfits.
Grazalema
POP 1635 / ELEV 825M
Few white towns are as generically perfect as Grazalema, with its spotless whitewashed houses sporting rust-tiled roofs and wrought-iron window bars, and sprinkled on the steep, rocky slopes of its eponymous mountain range. With hikes fanning out in all directions, Grazalema is the most popular base for adventures into the Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema. It’s also an age-old producer of blankets, honey, cheese and meat-filled stews, and has its own special mountain charm.
4Sleeping & Eating
Casa de las Piedras HOTEL$
(%956 13 20 14; www.casadelaspiedras.es; Calle Las Piedras 32; s/d €35/48, with shared bathroom €15/28; 
a
W)
Mountain air and a homey feel go together like Isabel and Fernando at this rustic-design hotel with a snug downstairs lounge and masses of park activities information. The simple, cosy rooms, in various shapes and sizes, are decorated with Grazalema-made blankets. It’s 100m west of Plaza de España.
La Maroma TAPAS, ANDALUCIAN$$
(%617 543756; www.facebook.com/gastrobarlamaroma; Calle Santa Clara; tapas €2-6, mains €6-16; hnoon-5pm & 7.30-11pm; W)
The cooking is significantly more fun and inventive than the rustic check-cloth, beamed-ceiling, bull-festival-inspired decor suggests at this cosy gastrobar, run by a young family team. Creative local-inspired tapas and raciones throw mountain ingredients into tasty bites like mushrooms in honey-and-thyme sauce, huevos rotos (fried eggs with potatoes), topped tostas (open toasted sandwiches) or payoyo-cheese salad with Grazalema-honey dressing.
8Information
Oficina de Turismo (%956 13 20 52; www.grazalema.es; Plaza de los Asomaderos; h9am-3pm Tue-Sun Jun-Sep, 10am-2pm & 3-5.30pm Tue-Sun Oct-May) Excellent Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema walking information, plus last-minute, same-day hiking permits (in person only). Probably the province’s most helpful tourist office.
8Getting There & Away
Los Amarillos (%902 21 03 17; http://losamarillos.autobusing.com) runs two daily buses to/from Ronda (€2.85, one hour); two daily to/from Ubrique (€2.32, 30 to 40 minutes) via Benaocaz (€1.61, 20 to 30 minutes); and one to two daily Monday to Friday to/from El Bosque (€1.45, 30 minutes), where you can change for Arcos de la Frontera.
DON’T MISS
HIKING IN THE SIERRA DE GRAZALEMA
The Sierra de Grazalema is criss-crossed by 20 beautiful official marked trails. Four of the best – the Garganta Verde, El Pinsapar, Llanos del Rabel and El Torreón (h16 Oct-May) paths – enter restricted areas and require (free) permits from the Centro de Visitantes El Bosque (%956 70 97 33; cvelbosque.amaya@juntadeandalucia.es; Calle Federico García Lorca 1, El Bosque; h10am-2pm, closed Mon Jun-Sep). Ideally, book a month or two ahead. The center will email permits on request with minimum five days’ notice; communication may be in English, but permits are in Spanish only. Additional (leftover) permits are sometimes available on the day; you can ask ahead by phone or email, but you’ll have to collect them at the Centro or Grazalema’s tourist office on the day. Some trails are fully or partly off limits from 1 June to 15 October due to fire risk.
The Centro de Visitantes El Bosque, Grazalema’s tourist office and the unofficial Punto de Información Zahara de la Sierra have maps outlining the main walking possibilities. There’s downloadable Spanish- and English-language hiking information with maps online at www.ventanadelvisitante.es.
Zahara de la Sierra
POP 1250 / ELEV 550M
Rugged Zahara, strung around a vertiginous crag at the foot of the Grazalema mountains, overlooking the glittering turquoise Embalse de Zahara, hums with Moorish mystery. For over 150 years in the 14th and 15th centuries, it stood on the old medieval frontier facing off against Christian Olvera, clearly visible in the distance. These days Zahara ticks all the classic white-town boxes and, with vistas framed by tall palms and hot-pink bougainvillea, its streets invite exploration. It’s also a great base for hiking the Garganta Verde, so it’s popular. Visit during the afternoon siesta, however, and you can still hear a pin drop.
The precipitous CA9104 road over the ultra-steep 1357m Puerto de las Palomas (Doves’ Pass) links Zahara with Grazalema (17km south) and is a spectacular drive full of white-knuckle switchbacks.
1Sights
Zahara village centres on Calle San Juan; towards its western end stands the 20th-century Capilla de San Juan de Letrán (Calle San Juan; h11am-1.30pm), with a Moorish-origin clock tower, while at its eastern end is the pastel-pink, 18th-century baroque Iglesia de Santa María de Mesa (Plaza del Rey; admission by donation; h11am-1.30pm & 3.30-5.15pm).
4Sleeping
Al Lago BOUTIQUE HOTEL$$
(%956 12 30 32; www.al-lago.es; Calle Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente; incl breakfast s €72-82, d €90-120, f €110-125; hmid-Feb–mid-Nov; aW)
Understated rustic-chic elegance runs through the six colourfully contemporary, individually styled rooms created by designer-owner Mona at this gorgeous, British-American-run boutique hotel looking out on Zahara’s reservoir. All rooms feature private balconies with lake views, the two superiors have bath tubs, and there’s a little terrace alcove for lounging.
Downstairs, in the excellent restaurant (mains €12-17; h1-4pm & 8-11pm mid-Feb–mid-Nov, closed Wed approx mid-Feb–May & Oct–mid-Nov; W
v), chef Stefan crafts seasonal, local produce into contemporary-Andalucian bites and tasting menus that are accompanied by Ronda-area and other Spanish wines.
8Information
Punto de Información Zahara de la Sierra (%956 12 31 14; Plaza del Rey 3; h10am-2pm Tue-Sun) Info on Zahara and the Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema from a private agency.
8Getting There & Away
Comes (%902 64 64 28; www.tgcomes.es) runs two daily buses to/from Ronda (€4.55, one hour) Monday to Friday.
Olvera
POP 8060 / ELEV 643M
Dramatically topped by a Moorish-era castle, Olvera (27km northeast of Zahara de la Sierra) beckons from miles away across olive-covered country. Reconquered by Alfonso XI in 1327, this relatively untouristed town was a bandit refuge until the mid-19th century. Most people now come to Olvera to walk or cycle the Vía Verde de la Sierra, but, as a white town par excellence, it’s also renowned for its olive oil, two striking churches and roller-coaster history, which probably started with the Romans.
DON’T MISS
VÍA VERDE DE LA SIERRA
The 36km Vía Verde de la Sierra (www.fundacionviaverdedelasierra.com) between Olvera and Puerto Serrano (to the west) is regularly touted as the finest of Spain’s vías verdes, greenways that have transformed old railway lines into traffic-free thoroughfares for bikers, hikers and horse riders. Aside from the wild, rugged scenery, this route is notable for four spectacular viaducts, 30 tunnels and three old stations transformed into hotel-restaurants. The train line itself was never actually completed: it was constructed in the late 1920s as part of the abortive Jerez–Almargen railway, but the Spanish Civil War put a stop to construction works. The line was restored in the early 2000s.
The Hotel Estación Vía Verde de la Sierra, 1km north of Olvera, is the route’s official eastern starting point. Here, Sesca (%657 987432, 687 676462; www.sesca.es; Calle Pasadera 4; half-/full-day bike hire €9/12; h9am-2pm & 4-6pm) rents bicycles from €12 per day, and you can check out the Centro de Interpretación Vía Verde de la Sierra (www.fundacionviaverdedelasierra.es; Calle Pasadera 4; adult/child €2/1; h9.30am-4.30pm Thu-Mon). Bike hire is also available at Coripe and Puerto Serrano stations (daily October to May, weekends only June to September). Other services include the Patrulla Verde (%638 280184; h8am-3.30pm Sat & Sun Jun-Sep, 9am-5pm Sat & Sun Oct-May), a staff of on-the-road bike experts.
A highlight of the Vía Verde is the Peñón de Zaframagón, a distinctive crag that’s a prime breeding ground for griffon vultures. The Centro de Interpretación y Observatorio Ornitológico (%956 13 63 72; www.fundacionviaverdedelasierra.es; Antigua Estación de Zaframagón; adult/child €2/1; h9.30am-5.30pm), in the former Zaframagón station building 16km west of Olvera, allows close-up observations by means of a high-definition camera placed up on the crag.
The Vía Verde de la Sierra can be traversed in either direction and, if you’re going only one way, there are taxis to bring you back to your starting point (bikes included); enquire at the route’s information centres.
1Sights
Castillo Árabe CASTLE
(Plaza de la Iglesia; incl La Cilla adult/child €2/1; h10.30am-2pm & 4-8pm Tue-Sun Jun-Sep, 10.30am-2pm & 4-6pm Tue-Sun Oct-May)
Perched on a crag high atop town is Olvera’s late-12th-century Arabic castle, which later formed part of Nasrid Granada’s defensive systems. Clamber up to the tower, with ever-more-exquisite town and country views opening up as you go.
Iglesia Parroquial Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación CHURCH
(Plaza de la Iglesia; €2; h11am-1pm Tue-Sun)
Built over a Gothic-Mudéjar predecessor, Olvera’s neoclassical top-of-the-town church was commissioned by the Duques de Osuna and completed in the 1840s.
4Sleeping & Eating
Hotel Estación Vía Verde de la Sierra HOTEL$
(%644 747029; www.hotelviaverdedelasierra.es; Calle Pasadera 4; s/d/tr €45/55/65, 2-/6-person apt €90/110; hTue-Sun; 
paW
s)
This unique hotel 1km north of Olvera is the official start of the Vía Verde de la Sierra, Spain’s finest vía verde. Accommodation is in seven smartly updated rooms for one to four people tucked into the converted station, or in train-wagon-inspired ‘apartments’ with kitchens, sleeping up to six. Other facilities include bike hire, a restaurant and a salt-water pool.
Taberna Juanito Gómez TAPAS$
(%956 13 01 60; Calle Bellavista; tapas €2-3; h1.30-4.30pm & 8.30-11.30pm Mon-Sat)
A simple little place that does tasty, decent-value tapas and montaditos (bite-sized filled rolls) taking in all your usual favourites: garlic prawns, grilled mushrooms, Manchego cheese and Iberian ham.
8Information
Oficina de Turismo (%956 12 08 16; www.olvera.es; Plaza de la Iglesia; h10.30am-2pm & 4-8pm Tue-Sun Jun-Sep, 10.30am-2pm & 4-6pm Tue-Sun Oct-May)
8Getting There & Away
Los Amarillos (%902 21 03 17; http://losamarillos.autobusing.com) runs one daily bus to/from Jerez de la Frontera (€9.11, 2½ hours) and Ronda (€5.40, 1½ hours) and one to two daily to/from Málaga (€12, two hours). Comes (%902 64 64 28; www.tgcomes.es) has one daily bus Monday to Friday to/from Cádiz (€15, three hours).
Ronda
POP 34,400 / ELEV 744M
Built astride a huge gash in the mountains carved out by the Río Guadalevín, Ronda is a brawny town with a dramatic history littered with outlaws, bandits, guerrilla warriors and rebels. Its spectacular location atop El Tajo gorge and its status as the largest of Andalucía’s white towns have made it hugely popular with tourists – particularly notable when you consider its relatively modest size. Modern bullfighting was practically invented here in the late 18th century, and the town’s fame was spread further by its close association with American Europhiles Ernest Hemingway (a lover of bullfighting) and Orson Welles (whose ashes are buried in the town).
South of the gorge, Ronda’s old town largely dates from Islamic times, when it was an important cultural centre filled with mosques and palaces. Further north, the grid-shaped ‘new’ town is perched atop steep cliffs, with parks and promenades looking regally over the surrounding mountains.
Ronda
1Sights
4Sleeping
3Entertainment
1Sights
La Ciudad, the historic old town on the southern side of El Tajo gorge, is an atmospheric area for a stroll, with its evocative, still-tangible history, Renaissance mansions and wealth of museums. The newer town, where you’ll be deposited if you arrive by bus or train, harbours the emblematic bullring, the leafy Alameda del Tajo gardens and armies of visitors. Three bridges crossing the gorge connect the old town with the new.
Plaza de Toros NOTABLE BUILDING
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; Calle Virgen de la Paz; €7, incl audio guide €8.50; h10am-8pm)
In existence for more than 200 years, the Plaza de Toros is one of Spain’s oldest bullrings and the site of some of the most important events in bullfighting history. A visit is a way of learning about this deep-rooted Spanish tradition without actually attending a bullfight.
The on-site Museo Taurino is crammed with memorabilia such as blood-spattered costumes worn by 1990s star Jesulín de Ubrique. It also includes artwork by Picasso and photos of famous fans such as Orson Welles and Ernest Hemingway.
Casa del Rey Moro GARDENS
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; House of the Moorish King; Calle Santo Domingo 17; adult/child €5/3; h10am-7pm)
Several landscaped terraces give access to La Mina, an Islamic stairway of more than 300 steps cut into the rock all the way down to the river at the bottom of the gorge. These steps enabled Ronda to maintain water supplies when it was under attack. It was also the point where Christian troops forced entry in 1485. The steps are not well lit and are steep and wet in places. Take care.
The landscaped terraces were the work of French landscape architect Jean-Claude Forestier in 1912. Forestier was also responsible for Seville’s Parque de María Luisa.
Museo Joaquín Peinado GALLERY
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %952 87 15 85; www.museojoaquinpeinado.com; Plaza del Gigante; €4; h10am-5pm Mon-Fri, to 3pm Sat)
Native Ronda artist Joaquín Peinado was an amigo and contemporary of Picasso’s, a fact reflected in his work, with its strong abstract lines, flirtations with cubism and seeming obsession with female nudes. It’s all on show in a most typical Andalucian gallery: a historic building that’s been fitted with a plush minimalist interior.
Iglesia de Santa María La Mayor CHURCH
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; Calle José M Holgado; adult/child €4.50/2; h10am-7pm Mon-Sat, 10am-12.30pm & 2-6pm Sun)
The city’s original mosque metamorphosed into this elegant church. Just inside the entrance is an arch covered with Arabic inscriptions that was part of the mosque’s mihrab (prayer niche indicating the direction of Mecca). The church has been declared a national monument, and its interior is an orgy of decorative styles and ornamentation. A huge central cedar choir stall divides the church into two sections: aristocrats to the front, everyone else at the back.
Baños Árabes HISTORIC SITE
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; Arab Baths; Hoyo San Miguel; €3.50, Mon free; h10am-7pm Mon-Fri, to 3pm Sat & Sun)
Enjoy the pleasant walk here from the centre of town. Backing onto Ronda’s river, these 13th- and 14th-century Arab baths are in good condition, with horseshoe arches, columns and clearly designated divisions between the hot and cold thermal areas. They’re some of the best-preserved Arab baths in Andalucía. A short video and several explanatory boards help shed some light on their history.
Puerta de Almocábar GATE
(MAP GOOGLE MAP); The old town is surrounded by massive fortress walls pierced by two ancient gates: the Islamic Puerta de Almocábar, which in the 13th century was the main gateway to the castle, and the 16th-century Puerta de Carlos V (MAP GOOGLE MAP). Inside, the Islamic layout remains intact, but the maze of narrow streets now takes its character from the Renaissance mansions of powerful families whose predecessors accompanied Fernando el Católico in the taking of the city in 1485.
WORTH A TRIP
SETENIL DE LAS BODEGAS
While most white towns sought protection atop lofty crags, the people of Setenil de las Bodegas (14km southeast of Olvera) did the opposite and burrowed into the dark caves beneath the steep cliffs of the Río Trejo. Clearly, the strategy worked: it took the Christian armies a 15-day siege to dislodge the Moors from their well-defended positions in 1484. Many of the town’s original cave-houses remain, some converted into bars and restaurants, and Setenil is now an increasingly popular day trip from the Ronda and Grazalema areas.
The tourist office (%635 365147, 616 553384; www.setenil.com; Calle Villa 2; h10am-2pm Tue-Sun) is near the top of the town in the 16th-century Casa Consistorial (which exhibits a rare wooden Mudéjar ceiling) and runs guided walks around Setenil. Above is the 12th-century castle (Calle Villa; h10.30am-2pm & 5-8pm Mon-Fri, 10.30am-7pm Sat & Sun), captured by the Christians just eight years before the fall of Granada; you can climb the 13th-century tower.
Setenil has some great tapas bars that make ideal pit stops while you study its unique urban framework – try the Restaurante Casa Palmero (%956 13 43 60; www.facebook.com/RestauranteCasaPalmero; Plaza de Andalucía 4; mains €8-19; h1am-late Fri-Wed; W
c).
zFestivals & Events
Ronda Guitar Festival MUSIC
(www.rondaguitarfestival.com; hJun)
Introduced in 2016 and based at the relatively new Ronda Guitar House, this five-day affair celebrates that most emblematic of Spanish instruments. Concerts, conferences, wine tasting and a guitar maker’s exhibition characterise proceedings, which encompass far more than flamenco.
4Sleeping
oAire de Ronda BOUTIQUE HOTEL$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %952 16 12 74; www.airederonda.com; Calle Real 25; r from €125; pW)
Located in a particularly tranquil part of town, this hotel is one of those old-on-the-outside, super-modern-on-the-inside places that Spain does so well. Smart minimalist rooms come in punchy black and white, and fabulous bathrooms have shimmering silver- or gold-coloured mosaic tiles, walk-in showers and, in one romantic couples’ room, a glass partition separating the shower from the bedroom.
oHotel San Gabriel HOTEL$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %952 19 03 92; www.hotelsangabriel.com; Calle José M Holgado 19; s/d incl breakfast €72/130; aW)
This heavyweight historic hotel is filled with antiques and faded photographs that offer an insight into Ronda’s history – bullfighting, celebrities and all. Ferns hang down the huge mahogany staircase, and there’s a billiard room, a cosy living room stacked with books, and a DVD-screening room with 10 velvet-covered seats rescued from Ronda’s theatre.
oEnfrente Arte HOTEL$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %952 87 90 88; www.enfrentearte.com; Calle Real 40; r incl breakfast from €99; a
is)
If you hate off-the-rack, middle-of-the-road hotels, you’ll love this place. The first hint of its personality greets you at the reception desk: the front of a sawn-in-half Spanish SEAT car. And that’s before you’ve even got to the cosmically colourful rooms, which are as comfortable as they’re quirky. Rates include all drinks, to which you help yourself, and a sumptuous buffet breakfast.
Hotel Ronda BOUTIQUE HOTEL$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %952 87 22 32; www.hotelronda.net; Ruedo Doña Elvira; s/d €53/70; aW)
With its geranium-filled window boxes and whitewashed pueblo exterior, Hotel Ronda offers relatively simple (for Ronda) contemporary rooms painted in vivid colours and accentuated by punchy original abstracts. Several rooms overlook the beautiful Mina gardens across the way. It’s a bargain for the price.
Parador de Ronda HOTEL$$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %952 87 75 00; www.parador.es; Plaza de España; r €134-150; paiWs)
Acres of shining marble and deep-cushioned furniture give this modern parador a certain appeal, but really it’s all about the views. The terrace is a wonderful place to drink in the sight of the gaping gorge with your coffee or wine, especially at night.
5Eating
Typical Ronda food is hearty mountain fare, with an emphasis on stews (called cocido, estofado or cazuela), trucha (trout), rabo de toro (oxtail stew) and game such as conejo (rabbit), perdiz (partridge) and codorniz (quail).
Casa María ANDALUCIAN$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %951 08 36 63; Plaza Ruedo Alameda 27; menú €20; hnoon-3.30pm & 7.30-10.30pm Thu-Tue; c)
Walk straight through Ronda’s old town and out of the Carlos V gate and the crowds mysteriously melt away, leaving just you and a few locals propping up the bar at Casa María. Lap it up. Set menus include dishes featuring the likes of steak, scallops, salmon, cod and asparagus.
Tragatá TAPAS$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %952 87 72 09; www.tragata.com; Calle Nueva 4; tapas €2-3; h1.15-3.45pm & 8-11pm; W)
A small outpost for Ronda’s new gourmet guru, Benito Gómez, who runs the nearby Bardal, Tragatá allows you to sample some of the same cocina alta (haute cuisine) at a fraction of the price. Get ready for an eruption of flavours in an interesting menu of small bites, such as cod sandwiches and (believe it or not) pig’s ear.
Tropicana ANDALUCIAN$$
(%952 87 89 85; cnr Avenida Málaga & Calle Acinipo; mains €12-20; h12.30-3.30pm & 7.30-10pm Wed-Sun)
A little off the trail in Ronda’s new town, the Tropicana has nonetheless garnered a strong reputation for its certified-organic food, served in a small but handsome restaurant with the feel of a modern bistro.
oAlmocábar ANDALUCIAN$$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %952 87 59 77; Calle Ruedo Alameda 5; tapas €2, mains €15-30; h12.30-4.30pm & 8-11pm Wed-Mon)
Tapas here include montaditos (small pieces of bread) topped with delicacies like duck breast and chorizo. Mains are available in the elegant dining room, where meat dominates – rabbit, partridge, lamb and beef cooked on a hot stone at your table. There’s a bodega upstairs, and wine tastings and dinner can be arranged for a minimum of eight people (approximately €50 per person).
Bardal GASTRONOMY$$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %951 48 98 28; Aparicio 1; tasting menu €60-77; h1-3.30pm & 8-10.30pm Tue-Sat, 1-3.30pm Sun)
The once famed Tragabuches restaurant has been replaced by the equally ambitious Bardal (with some staff crossover), where you’ll need to reserve ahead in order to enjoy the astounding 15- to 20-course menu, a whistle-stop tour through oyster stew, yellow-tomato gazpacho, frozen apple water, monkfish foie gras and other such uncommon dishes. Hold onto your hat – and fork.
3Entertainment
El Quinqué LIVE PERFORMANCE
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %633 778181; www.elquinqueronda.com; Paseo de Blas Infante; tickets €8-15; hshows 2pm & 8.30pm Tue-Sun)
For a traditional flamenco show employing a three-pronged attack of voice, guitar and dance, come to El Quinqué. Entry prices are very reasonable for the short 40-minute lunchtime shows. Evening shows are double the length. Food and drink are available at the on-site bar-restaurant.
8Information
Tourist Office (www.turismoderonda.es; Paseo de Blas Infante; h10am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 7pm Sat, to 2.30pm Sun) Helpful staff with a wealth of information on the town and region.
8Getting There & Away
BUS
From the town’s bus station (Plaza Concepción García Redondo 2), Comes (%956 29 11 68; www.tgcomes.es) runs services to Arcos de la Frontera (€9.50, two hours, one to two daily), Jerez de la Frontera (€13, three hours, one to three daily) and Cádiz (€18, two hours, one to three daily). Los Amarillos (%902 21 03 17; www.samar.es) goes to Seville via Algodonales and Grazalema. Portillo (%952 87 22 62; www.portillo.avanzabus.com) has four daily buses to Málaga (€12.25, 2¾ hours) and five to Marbella (€6.50, 1¼ hours).
TRAIN
Ronda’s train station (%952 87 16 73; www.renfe.com; Avenida de Andalucía) is on the line between Bobadilla and Algeciras. Trains run to Algeciras (€30, 1½ hours, five daily) via Gaucín and Jimena de la Frontera. This train ride is one of Spain’s finest and worth taking just for the views. Other trains depart for Málaga (€10, two hours, one daily), Madrid (€69, four hours, three daily) and Granada (€20, three hours, three daily). For Seville, change at Bobadilla or Antequera-Santa Ana.
It’s less than 1km from the train station to most accommodation. A taxi will cost around €7.
Southern Costa de la Luz
The Costa de la Luz is a world of flat-capped farmers, grazing bulls and furtive slugs of dry sherry with lunchtime tapas. Throw in beautiful blonde, windswept beaches, a buzzing surfing/kitesurfing scene and a string of spectacularly located white towns, and you’re unequivocally in Andalucía. Spaniards, well aware of this, flock to places like Tarifa and Los Caños de Meca in July and August. It’s by no means a secret, but the stunning Costa de la Luz remains the same old laid-back beachy hangout it’s always been, admittedly with a little upmarket flair creeping in around Vejer de la Frontera.
Vejer de la Frontera
POP 9260
Vejer – the jaw drops, the eyes blink, the eloquent adjectives dry up. Looming moodily atop a rocky hill above the busy N340, 50km south of Cádiz, this serene, compact white town is something very special. Yes, there’s a labyrinth of twisting old-town streets plus some serendipitous viewpoints, a ruined castle, a surprisingly elaborate culinary scene, a smattering of exquisitely dreamy hotels and a tangible Moorish influence. But Vejer has something else: an air of magic and mystery, an imperceptible touch of duende (spirit).
1Sights
Plaza de España SQUARE
With its elaborate 20th-century, Seville-tiled fountain and perfectly white town hall, Vejer’s palm-studded, cafe-filled Plaza de España is a favourite, much-photographed hangout. There’s a small lookout above its western side (accessible from Calle de Sancho IV El Bravo).
Walls WALLS
Enclosing the 40,000-sq-metre old town, Vejer’s imposing 15th-century walls are particularly visible between the Arco de la Puerta Cerrada (of 11th- or 12th-century origin) and the 15th-century Arco de la Segur, two of the four original gateways to survive. The area around the Arco de la Segur and Calle Judería was, in the 15th century, the judería (Jewish quarter). Start with the 10th- or 11th-century Puerta de Sancho IV (another surviving gateway) next to Plaza de España and work round.
Castillo CASTLE
(Calle del Castillo; h10am-2pm & 5-9pm approx May-Sep, 10am-2pm & 4-8pm approx Oct-Apr) 
F
Vejer’s much-reworked castle, once home of the Duques de Medina Sidonia, dates from the 10th or 11th century. It isn’t astoundingly impressive, but you can wander through the Moorish entrance arch and climb the hibiscus-fringed ramparts for fantastic views across town and down to the white-sand coastline.
CCourses
oAnnie B’s Spanish Kitchen COOKING
(%620 560649; www.anniebspain.com; Calle Viñas 11; 1-day course €165)
This is your chance to master the art of Andalucian cooking with top-notch local expertise. Annie’s popular day classes (Andalucian, Moroccan or seafood focused) end with lunch by the pool or on the roof terrace at her gorgeous old-town house. She also offers six-day Spanish Culinary Classics courses, plus tapas, food and sherry tours of Vejer, Cádiz, Jerez and more.
La Janda LANGUAGE
(%956 44 70 60; http://lajanda.org; Avenida San Miguel 19; per 20hr week €190)
Who wouldn’t want to study Spanish in Vejer, with its winding streets, authentic bars and mysterious feel? La Janda’s small-group courses emphasise cultural immersion, incorporating everything from flamenco, yoga, horse riding, tapas crawls and cooking classes to Almodóvar movie nights.
4Sleeping
oLa Casa del Califa BOUTIQUE HOTEL$$
(%956 44 77 30; www.califavejer.com; Plaza de España 16; incl breakfast s €92-145, d €106-155, ste €175-230; paW)
Rambling over several floors of labyrinthine corridors, this gorgeous hotel oozes style and character, and inhabits a building with its roots in the 10th century. Rooms are wonderfully soothing, with Morocco-chic decor; the top-floor ‘Africa’ suite is divine. Special ’emir’ service (€45) brings flowers, pastries and cava (sparkling wine). Breakfast is a delicious spread in the fabulous Moroccan–Middle Eastern restaurant.
oCasa Shelly BOUTIQUE HOTEL$$
(%639 118831; www.casashelly.com; Calle Eduardo Shelly 6; r €105-140; hMar-Nov; aW)
All understated elegance and homey Andalucian cosiness, Casa Shelly feels as though it’s wandered out of the pages of an old-meets-new interior-design magazine and into the thick of Vejer’s old town. Beyond a calming reception lounge and fountain-bathed patio, it has seven exquisitely designed rooms adorned with antique-style tiles, wood-beamed ceilings, shuttered windows and fresh decor in pinks, blues and whites.
La Fonda Antigua BOUTIQUE HOTEL$$
(%625 372616; www.chicsleepinvejer.com; Calle San Filmo 14; r incl breakfast €90-150; aW)
A jerezano couple with an eye for contemporary-chic interiors runs this boutiquey adults-only bolt-hole on the fringes of Vejer’s old town. In the seven individually styled rooms, antique doors morph into bedheads, mismatched vintage tiles dot polished-concrete floors and include glass-walled showers and, for room 6, a claw-foot tub. The rooftop chill-out terrace opens up sprawling old-town vistas.
oV… BOUTIQUE HOTEL$$$
(%956 45 17 57; www.hotelv-vejer.com; Calle Rosario 11-13; r €219-329; aW)
V… (that’s V for Vejer, and, yes, the three dots are part of the name) is one of Andalucía’s most exquisite creations. It’s a brilliantly run 12-room hotel where fashionable, contemporary design (luxurious open-plan bathrooms with huge tubs and giant mirrors) mixes with antique artefacts (pre-Columbus doors). On the vista-laden rooftop there’s a tiny pool and a bubbling hot tub.
5Eating
Mercado de Abastos ANDALUCIAN, INTERNATIONAL$
(Calle San Francisco; dishes €2-8; hnoon-4pm & 7pm-midnight)
Glammed up with modern gastrobar design, Vejer’s Mercado de San Francisco has morphed into a buzzy foodie hot spot. Grab a vino and choose between classic favourites and bold contemporary creations at its wonderfully varied tapas stalls: Iberian ham raciones, tortilla de patatas (potato omelette), fried fish in paper cups or hugely popular sushi.
oEl Jardín del Califa MOROCCAN, FUSION$$
(%956 45 17 06; www.califavejer.com; Plaza de España 16; mains €12-18; h1.30-4pm & 8-11.30pm; v)
The sizzling atmosphere matches the cooking at this exotically beautiful restaurant, also a hotel and tetería (teahouse). It’s hidden in a cavernous house where even finding the bathroom is a full-on adventure. The Moroccan–Middle Eastern menu – tagines, couscous, hummus, falafel – is crammed with Maghreb flavours (saffron, figs, almonds). Book ahead, whether that’s for the palm-sprinkled garden or the moody interior.
With tables on Plaza de España, Califa Exprés (www.califavejer.com; Plaza de España 16; dishes €4-6; h12.30-4pm & 7.30-11.30pm, may close Dec-Mar; v) offers a taste of the Califa magic in a simpler setting.
oCorredera 55 ANDALUCIAN, MEDITERRANEAN$$
(%956 45 18 48; www.califavejer.com; Calle de la Corredera 55; mains €10-19; hnoon-11pm; v)
This fresh-faced veggie-friendly eatery delivers elegant, inventive cooking packed with local flavours and ingredients. Menus change with the seasons. Try chilled, lemon-infused grilled courgette and goat’s-cheese parcels, cauliflower fritters with honey-yoghurt dressing, or cava-baked prawn-stuffed fish of the day. Perch at street-side tables (complete with winter blankets!) or eat in the cosily stylish dining room amid Vejer paintings.
3Entertainment
Peña Cultural Flamenca ‘Aguilar de Vejer’ FLAMENCO
(%606 171732, 956 45 07 89; Calle Rosario 29)
Part of Vejer’s magic is its small-town flamenco scene, best observed in this atmospheric bar and performance space founded in 1989. Free shows usually happen on Saturday at 9.30pm; book in for dinner (mains €12 to €23) or swing by for drinks and tapas (€6). The tourist office has schedules.
8Information
Oficina Municipal de Turismo (%956 45 17 36; www.turismovejer.es; Avenida Los Remedios 2; h10am-2.30pm & 4.30-9pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm & 4.30-9pm Sat, 10am-2pm Sun, reduced hours mid-Oct–Apr) About 500m below the town centre, beside the bus stop and a big, free car park.
8Getting There & Away
From Avenida Los Remedios, Comes (%902 64 64 28; www.tgcomes.es) runs buses to Cádiz, Barbate, Zahara de los Atunes, Jerez de la Frontera and Seville. More buses stop at La Barca de Vejer, on the N340 at the bottom of the hill; from here, it’s a steep 20-minute walk or €6 taxi ride up to town.
| Destination | Cost (€) | Duration | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algeciras | 7.20 | 1¼hr | 10 daily |
| Barbate | 1.40 | 15min | 4 daily |
| Cádiz | 5.70 | 1¼hr | 3-4 daily |
| Jerez de la Frontera | 7.80 | 1½hr | 1 daily Mon-Fri |
| La Línea (for Gibraltar) | 9.10 | 1¾hr | 4 daily |
| Málaga | 22 | 3¼hr | 2 daily |
| Seville | 16 | 2¼hr | 4 daily |
| Seville (from Avenida Los Remedios) | 17 | 3hr | 1 daily Mon-Fri |
| Tarifa | 4.49 | 40min | 8 daily |
| Zahara de los Atunes | 2.50 | 25min | 2-3 daily |
Los Caños de Meca
POP 120
Little laid-back Los Caños de Meca, 16km southwest of Vejer, straggles along a series of spectacular open white-sand beaches that will leave you wondering why Marbella even exists. Once a hippie haven, Caños still attracts beach lovers of all kinds and nations – especially in summer – with its alternative, hedonistic scene and nudist beaches, as well as kitesurfing, windsurfing and board-surfing opportunities.
1Sights & Activities
Caños’ main beach is straight in front of Avenida de Trafalgar’s junction with the A2233 to Barbate. Nudists head to its eastern end for more secluded coves, including Playa de las Cortinas, and to Playa del Faro beside Cabo de Trafalgar. Broad, blonde Playa de Zahora extends northwest from Los Caños.
oParque Natural de la Breña y Marismas del Barbate NATURE RESERVE
(www.ventanadelvisitante.es) 
S
This 50-sq-km coastal park protects important marshes, cliffs and pine forest from Costa del Sol–type development. Its main entry point is a 7.2km (two-hour) walking trail, the Sendero del Acantilado, between Los Caños de Meca and Barbate, along cliff tops that rival Cabo de Gata in their beauty.
Cabo de Trafalgar LIGHTHOUSE
At the western end of Los Caños de Meca, a side road (often half-covered in sand) leads out to an 1860 lighthouse on a low spit of land. This is the famous Cabo de Trafalgar, off which Spanish naval power was swiftly terminated by a British fleet under Admiral Nelson in 1805.
Escuela de Surf 9 Pies SURFING, YOGA
(%620 104241; www.escueladesurf9pies.com; Avenida de la Playa, El Palmar; board & wetsuit rental per 2/4hr €12/18, 2hr group class €28)
Professional surf school offering board hire and surf classes for all levels, plus yoga sessions (€10) and SUP (stand-up paddleboard) rental (€15 for two hours), towards the northern end of El Palmar beach.
4Sleeping & Eating
Casas Karen HOTEL$$
(%649 780834, 956 43 70 67; www.casaskaren.com; Camino del Monte 6; d €85-135, q €155-195; pW)
This eccentric, easygoing Dutch-owned hideaway has characterful, rustic rooms and apartments across a flower-covered, pine-sprinkled plot. Options range from a converted farmhouse to thatched chozas (traditional huts) and two modern, split-level ‘studios’. Decor is casual Andalucian-Moroccan, full of throws, hammocks and colour. It’s 1km northeast of Caños’ Cabo de Trafalgar turn-off.
Las Dunas CAFE$
(%956 43 72 03; www.barlasdunas.es; Carretera del Cabo de Trafalgar; dishes €4-12; h9am-midnight Sep-Jun, to 3am Jul & Aug; W)
Say hola to the ultimate relaxation spot, where kitesurfers kick back between white-knuckle sorties launched from the beach outside. Bob Marley tunes, great bocadillos (filled rolls), fresh juices, platos combinados, a warming winter fire, and a laid-back, beach-shack feel.
8Getting There & Away
Comes (%902 64 64 28; www.tgcomes.es) has two daily weekday buses from Los Caños de Meca to Cádiz (€6.30, 1½ hours) via El Palmar (€2, 15 minutes). Additional summer services may run to Cádiz and Seville.
Tarifa
POP 13,680
Tarifa’s southern-tip-of-Spain location, where the Mediterranean and the Atlantic meet, gives it a different climate and character to the rest of Andalucía. Stiff Atlantic winds draw in surfers, windsurfers and kitesurfers who, in turn, lend this ancient yet deceptively small settlement a refreshingly laid-back international vibe. Tarifa is the last stop in Spain before Morocco, and it’s also a taste of things to come. With its winding whitewashed streets and tangible North African feel, the walled windswept old town could easily pass for Chefchaouen or Essaouira. It’s no secret, however, and, in August especially, Tarifa gets packed (but that’s half the fun).
Tarifa may be as old as Phoenician Cádiz and was definitely a Roman settlement. It takes its name from Tarif ibn Malik, who led a Muslim raid in AD 710, the year before the main Islamic invasion of the peninsula.
1Sights
Tarifa’s narrow old-town streets, mostly of Islamic origin, hint at Morocco. Wander through the fortified Mudéjar Puerta de Jerez, built after the Reconquista, then pop into the lively Mercado de Abastos (Calle Colón; h8.30am-2pm Tue-Sat) before winding your way past the whitewashed, 18th-century baroque-neoclassical Iglesia de San Francisco de Asís (Calle Santísima Trinidad; h10am-1pm & 6.15-8.15pm Mon-Sat, 9.15-11am Sun) to the mainly 16th-century Iglesia de San Mateo (Calle Sancho IV El Bravo; h8.45am-1pm Mon, 8.45am-1pm & 6-8pm Tue-Sat, 10am-1pm & 7-8.30pm Sun). Head south along Calle Coronel Moscardó, then up Calle Aljaranda; the Miramar (Calle Amargura) (atop part of the castle walls) has spectacular views across to Africa and 851m Jebel Musa, one of the ‘Pillars of Hercules’ (Gibraltar is the other).
Castillo de Guzmán CASTLE
(Calle Guzmán El Bueno; adult/child €4/free; h11am-2.30pm & 5-7.30pm Mon-Sat approx Mar-Sep, 11am-2.30pm & 4-6.30pm Mon-Sat approx Oct-Feb, 11am-4pm Sun year-round)
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, when threatened with the death of his captured son unless he surrendered the castle to Merenid attackers from Morocco, El Bueno threw down his own dagger for his son’s execution. Guzmán’s descendants later became the Duques de Medina Sidonia, one of Spain’s most powerful families. Above the interior entrance, note the 10th-century castle-foundation inscription.
DON’T MISS
TARIFA BEACH BLISS
Jazzed up by the colourful kites and sails of kitesurfers and windsurfers whizzing across turquoise waves, the exquisite bleach-blonde beaches that stretch northwest from Tarifa along the N340 are some of Andalucía’s (and Spain’s) most beautiful. In summer they fill up with sun-kissed beach lovers and chill-out bars, though the relentless winds can be a hassle. If you tire of lazing on the sand, kitesurfing, windsurfing and horse riding await.
Playa Chica On the isthmus leading out to Isla de las Palomas at the southernmost tip of Tarifa town, tiny Playa Chica is more sheltered than other local beaches.
Playa de los Lances This broad snow-white sandy beach stretches for 7km northwest from Tarifa. The low dunes behind it are a paraje natural (protected natural area); you can hike across them on the 1.5km Sendero de los Lances, signposted towards the northwestern end of Calle Batalla del Salado.
Playa de Valdevaqueros Sprawling between 7km and 10km northwest of Tarifa, to the great white dune at Punta Paloma, Valdevaqueros is one of Tarifa’s most popular kitesurfing beaches, blessed with dusty alabaster-hued sand and aqua waters.
Punta Paloma One of Andalucía’s most fabulous beaches, Punta Paloma, 10km northwest of Tarifa, is famous for its huge blonde sand dune. At its far western end, you can lather yourself up in a natural mudbath.
2Activities
Horse Riding
Aventura Ecuestre HORSE RIDING
(%956 23 66 32, 626 480019; www.aventuraecuestre.com; Hotel Dos Mares, Carretera N340, Km 79.5)
Well-organised, multilingual equestrian outfit running one-hour rides along Playa de los Lances (€30), four-hour hacks across the Punta Paloma dunes (€80) and four-hour forays into the Parque Natural Los Alcornocales (€80), plus kids’ pony rides (€15 for 30 minutes) and private courses (five days €300). It’s 5km northwest of Tarifa.
Molino El Mastral HORSE RIDING
(%646 964279; www.mastral.com; Carretera Santuario Virgen de la Luz; per hour €30)
This excellent horse-riding establishment, 5km northwest of Tarifa, offers excursions into the hilly countryside. It’s signposted off the CA9210 (off the N340).
Whale Watching
The waters off Tarifa are one of the best places in Europe to see whales and dolphins as they swim between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean from April to October; sightings of some kind are almost guaranteed during these months. In addition to striped and bottlenose dolphins, long-finned pilot whales, orcas (killer whales) and sperm whales, you may also spot endangered fin whales and common dolphins. Sperm whales swim the Strait of Gibraltar from April to August; the best months for orcas are July and August. Find out more at Tarifa’s Centro de Interpretación de Cetáceos (www.facebook.com/CICAMTARIFA; Avenida Fuerzas Armadas 17; hMar-Oct) F.
FIRMM WHALE WATCHING
(%956 62 70 08; www.firmm.org; Calle Pedro Cortés 4; 2hr tours adult/child €30/20; h10am-7pm Easter-Oct) S
Among Tarifa’s dozens of whale-watching outfits, not-for-profit FIRMM is a good option. Its primary purpose is to study the whales and record data, and this gives rise to environmentally sensitive two- or three-hour tours and week-long whale-watching courses.
Kitesurfing & Windsurfing
Tarifa’s legendary winds have turned the town into one of Europe’s premier windsurfing and kitesurfing destinations. The most popular strip is along the coast between Tarifa and Punta Paloma, 10km northwest. Over 30 places offer equipment hire and classes, from beginner to expert level. The best months are May, June and September, but bear in mind that the choppy seas aren’t always beginners’ territory. Some schools also offer SUP sessions.
ION Club WINDSURFING, KITESURFING
(%956 68 90 98; www.ion-club.net; Hurricane Hotel, Carretera N340, Km 78; 2hr group kitesurfing/windsurfing class €80/60; hEaster-Dec)
Recommended group/private windsurfing and kitesurfing classes (beginner, intermediate or advanced level), equipment rental (€90 per day) and paddle-boarding (€25 per hour), 7km northwest of Tarifa. Spanish, English, French, Italian and German spoken. Also at Valdevaqueros (%619 340913; www.ion-club.net; Carretera N340, Km 76, Playa de Valdevaqueros; 2hr group kitesurfing/windsurfing class €80/60; hEaster-Dec), 10km northwest of town.
Gisela Pulido Pro Center KITESURFING
(%608 577711; www.giselapulidoprocenter.com; Calle Mar Adriático 22; 3hr group courses per person €70)
World champion Gisela Pulido’s highly rated kitesurfing school offers year-round group/private courses, including six-hour ‘baptisms’ (€135) and nine-hour ‘complete’ courses (€199), in Spanish, French, English and German. Also rents kitesurfing gear (€70 per day).
Spin Out WINDSURFING, KITESURFING
(%956 23 63 52; www.tarifaspinout.com; Carretera N340, Km 75.5, Playa de Valdevaqueros; 90min windsurfing class per person €59, board & sail rental per hour €30; h10.30am-7pm Apr-Oct)
Daily windsurfing classes and five-day courses for beginners, kids and experts, from a switched-on, multilingual team, 11km northwest of town. There’s also a kitesurfing school.
zFestivals & Events
Feria de la Virgen de la Luz FAIR
(h1st week Sep)
Tarifa’s town fair, honouring its patron, mixes religious processions, handsome horses and your typical Spanish fiesta.
4Sleeping
oHostal África HOSTAL$
(%956 68 02 20; www.hostalafrica.com; Calle María Antonia Toledo 12; s €40-55, d €55-80, tr €80-110; hMar-Nov; W)
This mellow, revamped 19th-century house within Tarifa’s old town is one of the Costa de la Luz’ (and Cádiz province’s) best hostales (budget hotels). Full of potted plants and sky-blue-and-white arches, it’s run by hospitable, on-the-ball owners, and the 13 all-different rooms (including one triple) sparkle with bright colours. Enjoy the lovely roof terrace, with its loungey cabana and Africa views.
Sulok Hostel HOSTEL$
(%603 567229; http://suloktarifa.com; Calle Sancho IV El Bravo 23; dm €20-40; hmay close Dec-Feb; aW)
This contemporary hostel, accessed through a Tarifa-chic old-town boutique, is a welcoming, reliable budget choice. There are three spotless dorms sleeping six, eight or 10 people, plus separate bathrooms for men and women; each capsule-style bunk bed comes with two plugs, a light, a locker and a curtain for privacy.
Hotel Misiana BOUTIQUE HOTEL$$
(%956 62 70 83; www.misiana.com; Calle Sancho IV El Bravo 16; s €105-120, d €125-155, ste €235-310; aW
#)
The Misiana’s penthouse suite, with private roof terrace engulfed in wraparound Morocco views, is one of Tarifa’s top-choice rooms. But the doubles are lovely, too, with their stylish whiteness, pale greys, driftwood-chic decor, sea-life paintings and desks with tea/coffee sets. Light sleepers might prefer a quieter room at the back. It’s predictably popular; book ahead.
Breakfast (€10) is served in the lively streetside cafe-bar.
Hotel Convento Tarifa HOTEL$$
(%956 68 33 75; www.hotelconventotarifa.es; Calle Batalla del Salado 14; d €90-160, tr €113-195; aW)
White, bright and pastels are the themes at this efficient hotel built around the ruined walls of an ancient convent just outside the old town. Expect power showers, huge mirrors and vases of flowers in the modern, tranquil-toned rooms.
oRiad BOUTIQUE HOTEL$$$
(%856 92 98 80; www.theriadtarifa.com; Calle Comendador 10; r incl breakfast €140-210)
This seductive hotel is an exquisitely converted 17th-century townhouse. Opening through a polished-concrete lobby punctuated by an ornamental fountain/pool, it’s dressed with original architecture: exposed-stone walls, antique doors, red-brick arches and a frescoed facade. The 10 intimate rooms are pocketed away off the patio, styled with tadelakt (waterproof plaster) walls, bold reds and blues, and chic Andalucía-meets-Morocco design.
5Eating
oCafé Azul CAFE, BREAKFAST$
(www.facebook.com/cafeazultarifa; Calle Batalla del Salado 8; breakfasts €2-8; h9am-3pm; Wv)
This long-established Italian-run place with eye-catching blue-and-white Moroccan-inspired decor whips up the best breakfasts in Tarifa, if not Andalucía. You’ll want to eat everything. The fresh fruit salad with muesli, yoghurt and coconut, and the fruit-and-yoghurt-stuffed crêpe are works of art. It also serves good coffee, smoothies, juices, bocadillos (filled rolls) and cooked breakfasts, with delicious gluten-free and vegan options.
Tarifa Eco Center VEGETARIAN$
(%956 92 74 56; www.tarifaecocenter.com; Calle San Sebastián 6; mains €8.50-12.50; h9.30am-11.30pm; Wv) S
This relaxed terrace restaurant, co-working space and cocktail/juice bar pulls out all the stops with its ultra-enticing, organic vegetarian and vegan cooking. Wholemeal wood-oven pizzas with a rainbow of plant-based toppings are the speciality, or pick from wholesome bites like vegetable curry, soy burgers, pasta specials or ‘Verdísima’ green salads, many artfully presented in mini paella pans.
El Francés TAPAS$
(Calle Sancho IV El Bravo 21; tapas €2.50-4.80; h12.30pm-midnight Fri-Tue; v)
Squeeze into the standing-room-only bar or battle for your terrace table at always-rammed El Francés, which gives Andalucian classics a subtle twist. Tarifa’s favourite tapas bar is a buzzing place, serving patatas bravas and tortillitas de camarones (shrimp fritters) alongside mini chicken-veg couscous or prawn curry. No reservations; pop in on the day to secure a table (dinner from 6.30pm only).
La Oca da Sergio ITALIAN$$
(%956 68 12 49, 615 686571; Calle General Copons 6; mains €8.50-19; h1-4pm & 8pm-midnight daily Jun-Oct & Dec, 8pm-midnight Mon & Wed-Fri, 1-4pm & 8pm-midnight Sat & Sun Jan-May)
Italians rule the Tarifa food scene. Amiable Sergio roams the tables Italian style, armed with loaded plates and amusing stories, and presides over genuine home-country cooking at this forever popular restaurant tucked behind the Iglesia de San Mateo. Look forward to caprese salads, homemade pasta (try the truffle pappardelle), wood-oven thin-crust pizzas, cappuccinos and after-dinner limoncello.
Mandrágora MOROCCAN, ANDALUCIAN$$
(%956 68 12 91; www.mandragoratarifa.com; Calle Independencia 3; mains €11-18; h6.30pm-midnight Mon-Sat Easter-Oct; v)
On a quiet street behind the Iglesia de San Mateo, this intimate palm-dotted spot serves Andalucian–Moroccan–Middle Eastern food and does so terrifically well. It’s hard to know where to start, but tempting choices include falafel and hummus, lamb with plums and almonds, Moroccan vegetable couscous and chicken or monkfish tagine.
WORTH A TRIP
BAELO CLAUDIA
The ruined town of Baelo Claudia (%956 10 67 96; www.museosdeandalucia.es; €1.50, EU citizens free; h9am-3pm Tue-Sun mid-Jun–mid-Sep, 9am-8pm Tue-Sat, to 3pm Sun Apr–mid-Jun, 9am-6pm Tue-Sat, to 3pm Sun mid-Sep–Mar) is one of Andalucía’s most important Roman archaeological sites. These majestic beachside ruins – with fine views across to Morocco – include the substantial remains of a theatre, a paved forum, thermal baths, a market, a marble statue and the columns of a basilica, and the workshops that turned out the products that made Baelo Claudia famous in the Roman world: salted fish and garum (spicy seasoning made from leftover fish parts). There’s a good museum.
Baelo Claudia particularly flourished during the reign of Emperor Claudius (AD 41–54), but it declined after an earthquake in the 2nd century. In 2017, the site celebrated a century since it was first excavated.
The site is near the village of Bolonia, signposted off the N340 15km northwest of Tarifa. In July and August, three weekday Horizonte Sur buses run between Bolonia and Tarifa (€2.50, 30 to 40 minutes). Otherwise it’s your own wheels.
6Drinking & Nightlife
With all the surfers, kitesurfers and beachgoers breezing through, Tarifa has a busy bar scene (especially in summer), plus a few late-night clubs. The after-dark fun centres on the old town’s narrow Calles Cervantes, San Francisco and Santísima Trinidad. Summer chiringuitos (snack bars) get going with music/DJs on Playa de los Lances and the beaches northwest of town, particularly around sunset.
Tumbao LOUNGE, BAR
(www.facebook.com/tumbaotarifa; Carretera N340, Km 76, Playa de Valdevaqueros; h5pm-midnight Easter-Sep)
The ultimate Tarifa-cool beach hangout, Tumbao serves up cocktails, tinto de verano (cold, wine-based drink similar to sangria) loungey sunset beats on a grassy, beanbag-strewn patch overlooking the kitesurfing action on Playa de Valdevaqueros, 10km northwest of town. The kitchen delivers burgers, salads, nachos, grilled chuletones (giant beef chops) and other tasty bites, mostly sizzled up on the open barbecue (mains €7 to €15).
Tangana BAR
(%956 68 51 32; www.tarifaweb.com/tangana; Carretera N340, Km 75.5, Playa de Valdevaqueros; h10am-9pm Easter-Oct; W)
This mellow beach bar is set around a boho-chic boutique and two chill-out lounges, one with deckchairs looking out across the beach, 11km northwest of Tarifa. Turquoise-washed bench-style tables set a lazy-life scene for sipping mojitos and caipirinhas (€6), balanced out by bocadillos (filled rolls), burgers, pastas, paella and build-your-own salad bowls (dishes €5 to €12).
Bear House BAR
(www.facebook.com/bearhousetarifa; Calle Sancho IV El Bravo 26; h4pm-2am Sun-Thu, to 3am Fri & Sat)
This neon-lit bar de copas (drinks bar) has low, cushioned chill-out sofas, good mojitos and other cocktails, a lengthy happy hour, and football on the big screen (but no bears). Hours vary.
8Information
Oficina de Turismo (%956 68 09 93; Paseo de la Alameda; h10am-1.30pm & 4-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1.30pm Sat & Sun)
8Getting There & Away
BOAT
FRS (%956 68 18 30; www.frs.es; Avenida de Andalucía 16; adult/child/car/motorcycle 1 way €41/15/136/33) runs one-hour ferries up to eight times daily between Tarifa and Tangier (Morocco). Inter Shipping (%956 68 47 29; www.intershipping.es; Recinto Portuario, Local 4; adult/child/car/motorcycle 1 way €38/14/100/24) offers up to seven daily one-hour ferries to Tangier. All passengers need a passport.
BUS
Comes (%902 64 64 28; www.tgcomes.es) operates from the bus station (%956 68 40 38; Calle Batalla del Salado) beside the petrol station at the northwestern end of town. In July and August, Horizonte Sur (%699 427644; http://horizontesur.es) runs 11 to 14 daily buses Monday to Saturday from here to Punta Paloma via Tarifa’s beaches.
| Destination | Cost (€) | Duration | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algeciras | 2.45 | 30min | 13-25 daily |
| Cádiz | 9.83 | 1½hr | 6 daily |
| El Puerto de Santa María | 10 | 2hr | 2 daily |
| Jerez de la Frontera | 11 | 2½hr | 12 daily |
| La Barca de Vejer (for Vejer de la Frontera) | 4.49 | 40min | 7 daily |
| La Línea (for Gibraltar) | 4.45 | 1hr | 6 daily |
| Málaga | 17 | 2¾hr | 3 daily |
| Marbella | 11 | 1¾hr | 3 daily |
| Seville | 20 | 3hr | 4 daily |
Córdoba Province
Once the dazzling beacon of Al-Andalus, the historic city of Córdoba is the main magnet of its namesake province. But there’s plenty of less-trampled territory to explore outside the provincial capital. To the north rises the Sierra Morena, a rolling upcountry expanse of remote villages, ruined castles and protected forests. To the south, olive trees and grapevines carpet the rippling terrain, yielding some of Spain’s best oils and wines.
Córdoba
POP 294,300 / ELEV 130M
One building alone is reason enough to put Córdoba high on your itinerary: the mesmerising multiarched Mezquita. One of the world’s greatest Islamic buildings, the Mezquita is a symbol of the worldly, sophisticated culture that flourished here more than a millennium ago when Córdoba was capital of Islamic Spain and western Europe’s biggest, most cultured city. But today’s Córdoba is much more than the Mezquita. With a lot to see and do, some charming accommodation, and excellent restaurants and bars, it merits far more than the fleeting visit many travellers give it. Córdoba’s real charms unfold as you explore the winding, stone-paved lanes of the medieval city to the west, north and east of the gaudy touristic area immediately around the Mezquita.
Andalucía’s major river, the Guadalquivir, flows just below the Mezquita, and the riverfront streets are home to a band of lively restaurants and bars making the most of the view. The life of the modern city, meanwhile, focuses just to the north of the historic centre, around Plaza de las Tendillas, where you’ll find a more local feel with some excellent bars and restaurants.
Córdoba bursts into life from mid-April to mid-June, when it stages most of its major fiestas. At this time of year the skies are blue, the temperatures are perfect and the city’s many trees, gardens and courtyards drip with foliage and blooms. September and October are also excellent weatherwise, but July and August sizzle.
History
The Roman settlement of Corduba was established in the 3rd century BC as a provisioning point for Roman troops. In about 25 BC Emperor Augustus made the city capital of Baetica, one of the three Roman provinces on the Iberian Peninsula, ushering in an era of prosperity and cultural ascendancy that saw Córdoba produce the famous writers Seneca and Lucan. The Roman bridge over the Guadalquivir and the temple on Calle Claudio Marcelo are the most visible remains of this important Roman city, most of whose traces now lie a metre or two below ground. By the 3rd century, when Christianity reached Córdoba, the Roman city was already in decline. It fell to Islamic invaders in AD 711.
The city took centre stage in 756 when Abd ar-Rahman I set himself up here as the emir of Al-Andalus (the Muslim-controlled parts of the Iberian Peninsula), founding the Umayyad dynasty, which more or less unified Al-Andalus for two and a half centuries. Abd ar-Rahman I founded the great Mezquita in 785. The city’s, and Al-Andalus’, heyday came under Abd ar-Rahman III (r 912–61). Spurred by rivalry with the Fatimid dynasty in North Africa, he named himself caliph (the title of the Muslim successors of Mohammed) in 929, ushering in the era of the Córdoba caliphate.
Córdoba was by now the biggest city in western Europe, with a flourishing economy based on agriculture and skilled artisan products, and a population somewhere around 250,000. The city shone with hundreds of dazzling mosques, public baths, patios, gardens and fountains. This was the famed ‘city of the three cultures’, where Muslims, Jews and Christians coexisted peaceably and Abd ar-Rahman III’s court was frequented by scholars from all three communities. Córdoba’s university, library and observatories made it a centre of learning whose influence was still being felt in Christian Europe many centuries later.
Towards the end of the 10th century, Al-Mansur (Almanzor), a ruthless general whose northward raids terrified Christian Spain, took the reins of power from the caliphs. But after the death of Al-Mansur’s son Abd al-Malik in 1008, the caliphate descended into anarchy. Berber troops terrorised and looted the city and, in 1031, Umayyad rule ended. Córdoba became a minor part of the Seville taifa (small kingdom) in 1069, and has been overshadowed by Seville ever since.
Twelfth-century Córdoba did nevertheless produce the two most celebrated scholars of Al-Andalus – the Muslim Averroës (1126–98) and the Jewish Maimonides (1135–1204), men of multifarious talents most remembered for their efforts to reconcile religious faith with Aristotelian reason. After Córdoba was taken by Castilla’s Fernando III in 1236, it declined into a provincial city and its fortunes only looked up with the arrival of industry in the late 19th century. Christian Córdoba did, however, give birth to one of the greatest Spanish poets, Luis de Góngora (1561–1627), still much remembered in the city.
1Sights
oMezquita MOSQUE, CATHEDRAL
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; Mosque; %957 47 05 12; www.mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es; Calle Cardenal Herrero; adult/child €10/5, 8.30-9.30am Mon-Sat free; h8.30-9.30am & 10am-7pm Mon-Sat, 8.30-11.30am & 3-7pm Sun Mar-Oct, 8.30-9.30am & 10am-6pm Mon-Sat, 8.30-11.30am & 3-6pm Sun Nov-Feb)
It’s impossible to overemphasise the beauty of Córdoba’s great mosque, with its remarkably serene (despite tourist crowds) and spacious interior. One of the world’s greatest works of Islamic architecture, the Mezquita hints, with all its lustrous decoration, at a refined age when Muslims, Jews and Christians lived side by side and enriched their city with a heady interaction of diverse, vibrant cultures.
Arab chronicles recount how Abd ar-Rahman I purchased half of the Visigothic church of San Vicente for the Muslim community’s Friday prayers, and then, in AD 784, bought the other half on which to erect a new mosque. Three later extensions nearly quintupled the size of Abd ar-Rahman I’s mosque and brought it to the form you see today – with one major alteration: a Christian cathedral plonked right in the middle of the mosque in the 16th century (hence the often-used description ‘Mezquita-Catedral’).
Mass is celebrated in the central cathedral at 9.30am Monday to Saturday, and at noon and 1.30pm Sundays.
Patio de los Naranjos
This lovely courtyard, with its orange, palm and cypress trees and fountains, forms the entrance to the Mezquita. It was the site of ritual ablutions before prayer in the mosque. Its most impressive entrance is the Puerta del Perdón, a 14th-century Mudéjar archway next to the bell tower. The Mezquita’s ticket office is just inside here.
Bell Tower (Torre Campanario)
You can climb the 54m-high bell tower for fine panoramas and an interesting bird’s-eye angle on the main Mezquita building. Up to 20 people are allowed up the tower every half hour from 9.30am to 1.30pm and 4pm to 6.30pm (to 5.30pm November to February; no afternoon visits in July or August). Tickets (€2) are sold on the inner side of the Puerta del Perdón, next to the tower: they often sell out well ahead of visit times, so it’s a good idea to buy them early in the day. Originally built by Abd ar-Rahman III in 951–52 as the Mezquita’s minaret, the tower was encased in a strengthened outer shell and heightened by the Christians in the 16th and 17th centuries. You can still see some caliphal vaults and arches inside.
The original minaret would have looked something like the Giralda in Seville, which was practically a copy. Córdoba’s minaret influenced all minarets built thereafter throughout the western Islamic world.
The Mezquita’s Interior
The Mezquita’s architectural uniqueness and importance lies in the fact that, structurally speaking, it was a revolutionary building for its time. Earlier major Islamic buildings such as the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and the Great Mosque in Damascus placed an emphasis on verticality, but the Mezquita was intended as a democratically horizontal and simple space, where the spirit could be free to roam and communicate easily with God – a kind of glorious refinement of the original simple Islamic prayer space (usually the open yard of a desert home).
Men prayed side by side on the argamasa, a floor made of compact, reddish slaked lime and sand. A flat roof, decorated with gold and multicoloured motifs, was supported by striped arches suggestive of a forest of date palms. The arches rested on, eventually, 1293 columns (of which 856 remain today). Useful leaflets in several languages are available free just inside the door by which visitors enter.
Abd ar-Rahman I’s initial prayer hall – the area immediately inside today’s visitor entrance – was divided into 11 ‘naves’ by lines of arches striped in red brick and white stone. The columns of these arches were a mishmash of material collected from the earlier church on the site, Córdoba’s Roman buildings and places as far away as Constantinople. To raise the ceiling high enough to create a sense of openness, inventive builders came up with the idea of a two-tier construction, using taller columns as a base and planting shorter ones on top.
Later enlargements of the mosque, southward by Abd ar-Rahman II in the 9th century and Al-Hakim II in the 960s, and eastward by Al-Mansur in the 970s, extended it to an area of nearly 14,400 sq metres, making it one of the biggest mosques in the world. The arcades’ simplicity and number give a sense of endlessness to the Mezquita.
The final Mezquita had 19 doors along its north side, filling it with light and yielding a sense of openness. Nowadays, nearly all these doorways are closed off, dampening the vibrant effect of the red-and-white double arches. Christian additions to the building, such as the solid mass of the cathedral in the centre and the 50 or so chapels around the fringes, further enclose and impose on the airy space.
Mihrab & Maksura
Like Abd ar-Rahman II a century earlier, Al-Hakim II in the 960s lengthened the naves of the prayer hall, creating a new qiblah wall (indicating the direction of Mecca) and mihrab (prayer niche) at the south end. The bay immediately in front of the mihrab and the bays to each side form the maksura, the area where the caliphs and courtiers would have prayed. The mihrab and maksura are the most beautifully and intricately decorated parts of the whole mosque.
The greatest glory of Al-Hakim II’s extension was the portal of the mihrab – a crescent arch with a rectangular surround known as an alfiz. For the portal’s decoration, Al-Hakim asked the emperor of Byzantium, Nicephoras II Phocas, to send him a mosaicist capable of imitating the superb mosaics of the Great Mosque of Damascus, one of the great 8th-century Syrian Umayyad buildings. The Christian emperor sent the Muslim caliph not only a mosaicist but also a gift of 1600kg of gold mosaic cubes. Shaped into flower motifs and inscriptions from the Quran, this gold is what gives the mihrab portal its magical glitter. Inside the mihrab, a single block of white marble sculpted into the shape of a scallop shell, a symbol of the Quran, forms the dome that amplified the voice of the imam (the person who leads Islamic worship services) throughout the mosque.
The arches of the maksura are the mosque’s most intricate and sophisticated, forming a forest of interwoven horseshoe shapes. Equally attractive are the maksura’s skylit domes, decorated with star-patterned stone vaulting. Each dome is held up by four interlocking pairs of parallel ribs, a highly advanced technique for 10th-century Europe.
Cathedral
Following the Christian conquest of Córdoba in 1236, the Mezquita was used as a cathedral but remained largely unaltered for nearly three centuries. But in the 16th century King Carlos I gave the cathedral authorities permission to rip out the centre of the Mezquita in order to construct a new Capilla Mayor (main altar area) and coro (choir).
Legend has it that when the king saw the result he was horrified, exclaiming that the builders had destroyed something unique in the world. The cathedral took nearly 250 years to complete (1523–1766) and thus exhibits a range of architectural fashions, from plateresque and late Renaissance to extravagant Spanish baroque. Among the later features are the Capilla Mayor’s rich 17th-century jasper and red-marble retable (altar screen), and the fine mahogany stalls in the choir, carved in the 18th century by Pedro Duque Cornejo.
Night Visits
A one-hour sound-and-light show (www.elalmadecordoba.com), in nine languages via audio guides, is presented in the Mezquita twice nightly except Sundays from March to October, and on Friday and Saturday from November to February. Tickets are €18 (senior or student €9).
oAlcázar de los Reyes Cristianos FORTRESS
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; Fortress of the Christian Monarchs; %957 42 01 51; www.alcazardelosreyescristianos.cordoba.es; Campo Santo de Los Mártires; adult/student/child €4.50/2.25/free; h8.30am-3pm Tue-Sat & to 2.30pm Sun mid-Jun–mid-Sep, 8.30am-8.45pm Tue-Fri, to 4.30pm Sat & to 2.30pm Sun mid-Sep–mid-Jun; c)
Built under Castilian rule in the 13th and 14th centuries on the remains of a Moorish predecessor, this fort-cum-palace was where the Catholic Monarchs, Fernando and Isabel, made their first acquaintance with Columbus in 1486. One hall displays some remarkable Roman mosaics, dug up from Plaza de la Corredera in the 1950s. The Alcázar’s terraced gardens – full of fish ponds, fountains, orange trees and flowers – are a delight to stroll around.
At 9pm (except Mondays) there’s a popular multimedia show featuring lights, flamenco music and dancing fountains called Noches Mágicas en el Alcázar (Magic Nights in the Alcázar; adult/child €6.50/free). While here, it’s also interesting to visit the nearby Baños del Alcázar Califal (MAP GOOGLE MAP; %608 158893; www.banosdelalcazarcalifal.cordoba.es; Campo Santo de los Mártires; adult/student/child €2.50/1.50/free, free from noon Thu; h8.30am-8.45pm Tue-Fri, to 4.30pm Sat & to 2.30pm Sun mid-Sep–mid-Jun, 8.30am-3pm Tue-Sat & to 2.30pm Sun mid-Jun–mid-Sep), the impressive 10th-century bathhouse of the Moorish Alcázar.
Caballerizas Reales STABLES
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; Royal Stables; %957 49 78 43; www.cordobaecuestre.com; Calle Caballerizas Reales 1; adult/child training €5/1, show €15/10; h10am-1.30pm Sun & Mon, 10am-1.30pm & 4-8pm Tue, 10am-1.30pm & 5-8pm Wed-Sat, show 9pm Wed-Sat)
These elegant stables were built on orders of King Felipe II in 1570 as a centre for developing the tall Spanish thoroughbred warhorse (caballo andaluz). The centre still breeds these fine horses (47 are here today) and trains horses and riders in equestrian disciplines. You can watch training during the daily opening times from Tuesday to Sunday (from 11am in the mornings), or attend the one-hour show which impressively combines horse and rider skills with flamenco dance and music!
Puente Romano BRIDGE
(MAP GOOGLE MAP); Spanning the Río Guadalquivir just below the Mezquita, the handsome, 16-arched Roman bridge formed part of the ancient Via Augusta, which ran from Girona in Catalonia to Cádiz. Rebuilt several times down the centuries, it’s now traffic-free and makes for a lovely stroll. With the aid of CGI, it not long ago featured as the Long Bridge of Volantis in Game of Thrones.
oCentro Flamenco Fosforito MUSEUM
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; Posada del Potro; %957 47 68 29; www.centroflamencofosforito.cordoba.es; Plaza del Potro; h8.30am-3pm Tue-Sun mid-Jun–mid-Sep, 8.30am-7.30pm Tue-Fri, 8.30am-2.30pm Sat & Sun mid-Sep–mid-Jun) F
Possibly the best flamenco museum in Andalucía, the Fosforito centre has exhibits, film and information panels in English and Spanish telling you the history of the guitar and all the flamenco greats. Touch-screen videos demonstrate the important techniques of flamenco song, guitar, dance and percussion – you can test your skill at beating out the compás (rhythm) of different palos (song forms). Regular free live flamenco performances are held here, too, often at noon on Sundays (listed on the website).
The museum benefits from a fantastic location inside the Posada del Potro, a legendary inn that played a part in Don Quijote, where Cervantes described it as a ‘den of thieves’. The famous square it stands on, once a horse market, features a lovely 16th-century stone fountain topped by a rearing potro (colt).
oPalacio de Viana MUSEUM
(www.palaciodeviana.com; Plaza de Don Gome 2; whole house/patios €8/5; h10am-7pm Tue-Sat & to 3pm Sun Sep-Jun, 9am-3pm Tue-Sun Jul & Aug)
A stunning Renaissance palace with 12 beautiful, plant-filled patios, the Viana Palace is a particular delight to visit in spring. Occupied by the aristocratic Marqueses de Viana until 1980, the large building is packed with art and antiques. You can just walk round the lovely patios and garden with a self-guiding leaflet, or take a guided tour of the rooms as well. It’s an 800m walk northeast from Plaza de las Tendillas.
Museo Julio Romero de Torres GALLERY
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; Plaza del Potro 1; adult/student/child €4.50/2.25/free; h8.30am-3pm Tue-Sat & 8.30am-2.30pm Sun mid-Jun–mid-Sep, 8.30am-8.45pm Tue-Fri, 8.30am-4.30pm Sat & 8.30am-2.30pm Sun mid-Sep–mid-Jun)
A former hospital houses this popular museum devoted to much-loved local painter Julio Romero de Torres (1874–1930), who is famed for his paintings expressing his admiration of Andalucian female beauty. He was also much inspired by flamenco and bullfighting.
Museo Arqueológico MUSEUM
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %957 35 55 17; www.museosdeandalucia.es; Plaza de Jerónimo Páez 7; EU citizen/other free/€1.50; h9am-8pm Tue-Sat & 9am-3pm Sun mid-Sep–mid-Jun, 9am-3pm Tue-Sun mid-Jun–mid-Sep)
The well-displayed Archaeological Museum traces Córdoba’s many changes in size, appearance and lifestyle from pre-Roman to early Reconquista times, with some fine sculpture, an impressive coin collection, and interesting exhibits on domestic life and religion, with explanations in English and Spanish. In the basement, you can walk through the excavated remains of the city’s Roman theatre.
DON’T MISS
CÓRDOBA’S JEWISH QUARTER
The Judería, Córdoba’s old Jewish quarter, west and northwest of the Mezquita, is part of the old city’s labyrinth of narrow streets and small squares, whitewashed buildings and wrought-iron gates allowing glimpses of plant-filled patios. Some streets here are now choked with gaudy souvenir shops and tourist-oriented restaurants, but others remain quiet and unblemished. The importance of the Jewish community in Moorish Córdoba is illustrated by the Judería’s proximity to the Mezquita and the city’s centres of power. Spain had one of Europe’s biggest Jewish communities, recorded from as early as the 2nd century AD. Persecuted by the Visigoths, they allied themselves with the Muslims following the Arab conquests. By the 10th century they were established among the most dynamic members of society, holding posts as administrators, doctors, jurists, philosophers and poets. One of the greatest Jewish theologians, Maimonides, was born in Córdoba in 1135, though he left with his family at an early age to escape Almohad persecution, eventually settling in Egypt. His magnum opus, the Mishne Torah, summarised the teachings of Judaism and systematised all Jewish law.
In the heart of the Judería, and once connected by tunnel to the synagogue, the Casa de Sefarad (MAP GOOGLE MAP; %957 42 14 04; www.casadesefarad.es; cnr Calles de los Judíos & Averroes; €4; h10am-7pm Jul-Sep, 11am-7pm Mon-Sat & 11am-2.30pm Sun Oct-Jun) is an interesting museum devoted to the Sephardic (Iberian Peninsula Jewish) tradition. Different rooms cover food, domestic crafts, ritual, music, prominent Jews of Córdoba and the Inquisition. There’s also a section on the women intellectuals (poets, artists and thinkers) of Al-Andalus.
Constructed in 1315, Sinagoga (MAP GOOGLE MAP; %957 74 90 15; www.turismodecordoba.org; Calle de los Judíos 20; EU citizen/other free/€0.30; h9am-3pm Tue-Sun mid-Jun–mid-Sep, 9am-8pm Tue-Sat & 9am-3pm Sun mid-Sep–mid-Jun) is a small, probably private or family synagogue that is one of the best-surviving testaments to the Jewish presence in medieval Andalucía, though it hasn’t been used as a place of worship since the expulsion of Jews in 1492. Decorated with extravagant stucco work that includes Hebrew inscriptions and intricate Mudéjar star and plant patterns, it has an upper gallery reserved for women.
zFestivals & Events
Fiesta de los Patios de Córdoba FIESTA
(http://patios.cordoba.es; hMay)
This ‘best patio’ competition sees 50 or more of Córdoba’s beautiful private courtyards open for public viewing till 10pm nightly for two weeks, starting in early May, when the patios are at their prettiest. A concurrent cultural program stages flamenco and other concerts in some of the city’s grandest patios and plazas.
oNoche Blanca del Flamenco MUSIC
Festival de la Guitarra de Córdoba MUSIC
(www.guitarracordoba.org; hearly Jul)
A two-week celebration of the guitar, with performances of classical, flamenco, rock, blues and more by top Spanish and international names in Córdoba’s theatres.
4Sleeping
oBed and Be HOSTEL$
(%661 420733; www.bedandbe.com; Calle José Cruz Conde 22; incl breakfast dm €17-35, s €30-50, d €49-80; aW) S
An exceptional hostel option 300m north of Plaza de las Tendillas. Staff are clued up about what’s on in Córdoba, and there’s a social event every evening – often a drink on the roof followed by a bar or tapas tour. The shared-bathroom private rooms and four- or eight-bunk dorms are all super clean and as gleaming white as a pueblo blanco.
Option Be Hostel HOSTEL$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %661 420733; www.facebook.com/optionbecordoba; Calle Leiva Aguilar 1; incl breakfast dm €18-45, d €44-99; aWs)
Option Be is a small, attractive, welcoming, contemporary-design hostel in a quiet old-city street, with a delightful roof terrace and plunge pool. It has just two private rooms (with private bathrooms) and two dorms, plus a bright ground-floor kitchen and neat central patio-lounge area. It’s run by the same team as the excellent Bed and Be, and guests can share Bed and Be’s nightly social activities.
Hospedería Alma Andalusí HOTEL$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %957 20 04 25; www.almaandalusi.com; Calle Fernández Ruano 5; r €38-70; aW)
This small hotel in a quiet section of the Judería has been brilliantly converted from an ancient structure into a stylish, modern establishment, while rates have been kept sensible. Rooms are small but attractive, with blue-and-white colour schemes, thoughtfully chosen furnishings, appealing large photos of Córdoba’s sights and polished-wood or traditional-tile floors – all making for a comfortable base.
oPatio del Posadero BOUTIQUE HOTEL$$
(%957 94 17 33; www.patiodelposadero.com; Call Mucho Trigo 21; r incl breakfast €95-170; aWs)
A 15th-century building in a quiet lane 1km east of the Mezquita has been superbly converted into a welcoming boutique hideaway combining comfort and unique contemporary design with that old-Córdoba Moorish style. At its centre is a charming cobble-floored, brick-arched patio, with steps leading up to a lovely upper deck with plunge pool, where the first-class homemade breakfasts are served.
oViento10 BOUTIQUE HOTEL$$
(%957 76 49 60; www.hotelviento10.es; Calle Ronquillo Briceño 10; s €84-147, d €100-172; aW)
An inspired conversion of a 15th-century hospital building, Viento10 has just eight relaxing, comfortable rooms, in a beautiful, bright, clean-lined style that harmonises perfectly with the ancient stone pillars of its courtyard. A strong sense of light suffuses the property, not least on the roof terrace with its loungers and views over tiled rooftops to the Mezquita.
Hospedería del Atalia BOUTIQUE HOTEL$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %957 49 66 59; www.hospederiadelatalia.com; Calle Buen Pastor 19; r €50-200; aW)
Entered from a quiet patio in the Judería, the Atalia sports elegant, owner-designed rooms in burgundies, russets and olive greens. Good breakfasts with a wide choice are €6, and there’s a big, sunny roof terrace with chairs, tables and a Mezquita view.
oBalcón de Córdoba BOUTIQUE HOTEL$$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %957 49 84 78; www.balcondecordoba.com; Calle Encarnación 8; incl breakfast s €160-320, d €170-400; aW)
Offering top-end boutique luxury a stone’s throw from the Mezquita, the 10-room Balcón is a riveting place with a charming patio, slick rooms and ancient stone relics dotted around as if it were a wing of the nearby archaeological museum. Service doesn’t miss a beat and the rooms have tasteful, soothing, contemporary decor with a little art but no clutter.
WORTH A TRIP
MEDINA AZAHARA
Eight kilometres west of Córdoba stands what’s left of Medina Azahara (Madinat al-Zahra; %957 10 49 33; www.museosdeandalucia.es; Carretera Palma del Río Km 5.5; EU citizen/other free/€1.50; h9am-7pm Tue-Sat Apr–mid-Jun, to 3pm mid-Jun–mid-Sep, to 6pm mid-Sep–Mar, 9am-3pm Sun year-round; p), the sumptuous palace-city built by Caliph Abd ar-Rahman III in the 10th century. The complex spills down a hillside, with the caliph’s palace (the area you visit today) on the highest levels overlooking what were gardens and open fields. The residential areas (still unexcavated) were set away to each side. A fascinating modern museum has been installed below the site.
Legend has it that Abd ar-Rahman III built Medina Azahara for his favourite wife, Az-Zahra. Dismayed by her homesickness and yearnings for the snowy mountains of Syria, he surrounded his new city with almond and cherry trees, replacing snowflakes with fluffy white blossoms. More realistically, it was probably Abd ar-Rahman’s declaration of his caliphate in 929 that spurred him to construct, as caliphs were wont to do, a new capital. Building started in 940 and chroniclers record some staggering statistics: 10,000 labourers set 6000 stone blocks a day, with outer walls stretching 1518m east to west and 745m north to south.
It is almost inconceivable to think that such a city, built over 35 years, was to last only a few more before the usurper Al-Mansur transferred government to a new palace complex of his own in 981. Then, between 1010 and 1013, Medina Azahara was wrecked by Berber soldiers. During succeeding centuries its ruins were plundered repeatedly for building materials.
From the museum, where you arrive and get tickets for the site (and where you must park if coming in your own vehicle), a shuttle bus (lanzadera; adult/child & senior €2.10/1.50 return) takes you 2km up to the top of the site. The visitors’ route then leads down through the city’s original northern gate. Highlights of the visitable area are the grand, arched Edificio Basilical Superior, which housed the main state admin offices, and the Casa de Yafar, believed to have been residence of the caliph’s prime minister. The crown jewel of the site, the royal reception hall known as the Salón de Abd ar-Rahman III (or Salón Rico), has been closed for restoration since 2009 (with no expected completion date at the time of research). This hall has exquisitely carved stucco work and is said to have been decorated with gold and silver tiles, arches of ivory and ebony, and walls of multicoloured marble.
The museum takes you through the history of Medina Azahara, with sections on its planning and construction, its inhabitants and its eventual downfall – all illustrated with beautifully displayed pieces from the site and interactive displays, and complemented by flawless English translations.
Drivers should leave Córdoba westward along Avenida de Medina Azahara. This feeds into the A431 road, with the turn-off to Medina Azahara signposted after 6km.
A bus to Medina Azahara (adult/child €9/5 return including the shuttle from museum to site and back) leaves from a stop on Glorieta Cruz Roja near Córdoba’s Puerta de Almodóvar at 10.15am and 11am Tuesday to Sunday, plus 2.45pm Tuesday to Saturday from mid-September to mid-June. You can get tickets on the bus, or in advance at tourist offices. Buying in advance is sensible for weekends and public holidays. The bus starts back from Medina Azahara 3¼ hours after it leaves Córdoba.
5Eating
Córdoba’s signature dish is salmorejo, a delicious, thick, chilled soup of blended tomatoes, garlic, bread, lemon, vinegar and olive oil, sprinkled with hard-boiled egg and strips of ham. Along with rabo de toro (oxtail stew), it appears on every menu. There’s traditional meaty and fishy Andalucian fare aplenty here, but also a good sprinkling of more contemporary eateries putting successful fresh twists on Spanish ingredients. Don’t miss the sweet local Montilla-Moriles wine.
oMercado Victoria FOOD HALL$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; http://mercadovictoria.com; Paseo de la Victoria; items €2-19; h10am-midnight Sun-Thu, 10am-2pm Fri & Sat)
The Mercado Victoria is, yes, a food court – but an unusually classy one, with almost everything, from Argentine empanadas and Mexican burritos to sushi and classic Spanish seafood and grilled meats, prepared fresh before your eyes. The setting is special too – a 19th-century wrought-iron-and-glass pavilion in the Victoria gardens just west of the old city.
oLa Bicicleta CAFE$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %666 544690; Calle Cardenal González 1; light dishes €4-13; hnoon-1am, from 6pm Mon-Thu Jul-Aug; Wv) S
This friendly, informal spot welcomes one and all with an array of drinks – from long, cool multi-fruit juices whizzed up on the spot to cocktails, beer and wine – and tasty light dishes such as hummus, avocado-and-ham toasts and delicious fresh-daily cakes.
La Tinaja ANDALUCIAN$
(%957 04 79 98; http://latinajadecordoba.com; Paseo de la Ribera 12; raciones €8-18; h1.30-5pm & 7.30pm-1.30am)
The food at some river-facing restaurants doesn’t live up to the location, but La Tinaja serves reliably good and thoughtful preparations from classic Spanish ingredients, and its terrace is the most romantic of all when candlelit after dark. You might go for the seafood-stuffed leeks, spinach-and-hake ravioli, or the grilled pork with pumpkin hummus. Portions aren’t for giant appetites.
Taberna Salinas ANDALUCIAN$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %957 48 01 35; www.tabernasalinas.com; Calle Tundidores 3; raciones €8-9; h12.30-4pm & 8-11.30pm Mon-Sat, closed Aug)
A historic bar-restaurant (since 1879), with a patio and several rooms, Salinas is adorned in classic Córdoba fashion with tiles, wine barrels, art and photos of bullfighter Manolete. It’s popular with tourists (and offers a five-language menu), but it retains a traditional atmosphere and the waiters are very helpful. Not least, the food is very good, from the orange-and-cod salad to the pork loin in hazelnut sauce.
Bar Santos TAPAS$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; Calle Magistral González Francés 3; tapas €2-5; h10am-midnight)
This legendary little bar across the street from the Mezquita serves the best tortilla de patata (potato omelette) in town – and don’t the cordobeses know it. Thick wedges (€2.30) are deftly cut from giant wheels of the stuff and customarily served with plastic forks on paper plates to eat outside under the Mezquita’s walls. Plenty of other tapas are on offer too. Don’t miss it.
oCasa Pepe de la Judería ANDALUCIAN$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %957 20 07 44; http://restaurantecasapepedelajuderia.com; Calle Romero 1; raciones €10-26; h1-4pm & 7.30-11pm; W)
Thoughtfully prepared classic Andalucian fare, on a sunny roof terrace or in rooms adorned with traditional and contemporary Cordoban art, keeps Pepe’s (first opened in 1920) high in the popularity charts. Dishes range from good salmorejo (a cold tomato-based soup), gazpacho, flamenquín (breaded pork loin wrapped with slices of ham) and salads to turbot meunière or lamb shoulder with apple purée. Service remains attentive and friendly even when it’s packed out.
oBodegas Campos ANDALUCIAN$$
(%957 49 75 00; www.bodegascampos.com; Calle de Lineros 32; mains €14-24; h1.30-4.30pm & 8.30-11.30pm Mon-Sat, 1.30-4.30pm Sun)
This atmospheric warren of rooms and patios is a Córdoba classic, popular with cordobeses and their visitors alike. The restaurant and more informal taberna (tavern) serve up delicious dishes putting a slight creative twist on traditional Andalucian fare – the likes of cod-and-cuttlefish ravioli or pork tenderloin in grape sauce. Campos also produces its own house Montilla.
Garum 2.1 ANDALUCIAN$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %957 48 76 73; Calle de San Fernando 122; tapas €3-9, raciones €8-18; hnoon-midnight)
Garum serves up traditional meaty, fishy and veggie ingredients in creative, tasty concoctions. We recommend the presa ibérica con patatas al pelotón (Iberian pork with a juicy potato-onion-capsicum combination). Service is helpful and friendly.
La Boca FUSION$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %957 47 61 40; www.facebook.com/restaurante.laboca; Calle de San Fernando 39; dishes €6-15; hnoon-4pm & 8pm-midnight Wed-Mon; W)
If oxtail tacos, red-tuna tataki, or a salad of duck-prosciutto and mango in walnut vinaigrette sound appetising, you’ll like La Boca. This inventive eatery serves up global variations in half a dozen appealingly arty, rustic-style ‘taberna’ rooms or in its marginally more formal restaurant section. It’s very well done, though portions are not large. Reservations advisable at weekends.
6Drinking & Nightlife
El Barón BAR
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; Plaza de Abades 4; h12.30pm-midnight)
Set on a traffic-free, orange tree–shaded plaza in the old city, the outside tables at this unassuming local bar are a lovely place for quiet nocturnal drinks. It has Montilla and other wines, cava, craft and other beers, and some good snacks including a very tempting chocolate cake.
Sojo Mercado BAR, LOUNGE
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; http://sojomercado.com; Mercado Victoria, Paseo de la Victoria; h1pm-2am Sun-Thu, to 3am Fri & Sat)
Occupying a corner of the Mercado Victoria gastro-market and a roof terrace above, this fashionable spot gets very lively at weekends, with the 20- and 30-something crowd already starting to dance to the pop/electronic/Latin soundtrack by mid-afternoon on Saturdays.
Bodega Guzmán WINE BAR
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; Calle de los Judíos 7; hnoon-4pm & 8.30-11.30pm Fri-Wed)
This atmospheric, somewhat cavern-like Judería drinking spot, frequented by both locals and tourists, is bedecked with bullfighting memorabilia and dispenses Montilla wine from three giant barrels behind the bar: don’t leave without trying some amargoso (bitter).
Amapola BAR
(www.facebook.com/amapolabarcordoba; Paseo de la Ribera 9; h4pm-2.30am or later, from noon Fri-Sun)
The artiest bar in the riverside area, with elaborate cocktails and a great terrace looking down to the river. Often DJs or live music on Friday and/or Saturday nights.
3Entertainment
Córdoba has a pretty good live music scene, with several venues regularly hosting flamenco, jazz, rock or blues. The Centro Flamenco Fosforito is one place staging regular flamenco events and is a good place to ask about what else is coming up.
Jazz Café LIVE MUSIC
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; www.facebook.com/jazzcafecordoba; Calle Rodríguez Marín; h6pm-3am or 4am; W)
An enticing music den decked with musical paraphernalia, Jazz Café stages blues jams on Thursdays and jazz jams on Tuesdays (both from 10pm), plus other live acts. It rocks on until the wee hours; on Fridays and Saturdays you’ll often find DJs spinning EDM.
7Shopping
Córdoba’s time-honoured craft specialities are colourful embossed leather (cuero repujado), silver jewellery and some attractive pottery. The embossed leather is also known as guadamecí (if it’s sheepskin) or cordobán (goatskin). Calles Cardenal González and Manríquez have some of the classier craft shops.
Meryan ARTS & CRAFTS
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %957 47 59 02; www.meryancor.com; Calleja de las Flores 2; h9am-8pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-2.30pm Sat)
This shop has a particularly good range of embossed leather goods: wallets, bags, boxes, notebooks, leather-covered wooden chests and even copies of Picasso paintings.
8Information
Córdoba (www.cordobaturismo.es) Tourist information for Córdoba province.
Centro de Visitantes (Visitors Centre; %902 201774; www.turismodecordoba.org; Plaza del Triunfo; h9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-2.15pm Sat & Sun) The main tourist information centre, with an exhibit on Córdoba’s history, and some Roman and Visigothic remains downstairs.
Municipal Tourist Information Kiosk (%902 201774; www.turismodecordoba.org; Plaza de las Tendillas; h9am-2pm)
Municipal Tourist Information Office (%902 201774; www.turismodecordoba.org; train station; h9am-2pm & 4.30-7pm) In the station’s main entry hall.
8Getting There & Away
TRAIN
Córdoba’s modern train station (%91 232 03 20; www.renfe.com; Plaza de las Tres Culturas), 1.2km northwest of Plaza de las Tendillas, is served both by fast AVE services and by some slower regional trains.
| Destination | Cost (€) | Duration | Frequency (daily) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andújar | 8-16 | 50min | 5 |
| Antequera (Santa Ana) | 14-34 | 30-40min | 12-16 |
| Granada | service due to restart 2018 | ||
| Jaén | 15 | 1¾hr | 4 |
| Madrid | 33-63 | 1¾-2hr | 24-33 |
| Málaga | 20-42 | 1hr | 14-18 |
| Seville | 14-30 | 45-80min | 27-39 |
| DESTINATION | BUS COMPANY | COST (€) | DURATION (HR) | FREQUENCY (DAILY) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baeza | Alsa | 12 | 2¼ | 2 |
| Granada | Alsa | 15 | 2¾-4 | 7 |
| Jaén | Grupo Sepulvedana | 11 | 2 | 5-6 |
| Madrid | Socibus | 17-23 | 5 | 8 |
| Málaga | Alsa | 12 | 3 | 4 |
| Seville | Alsa | 12 | 2 | 7 |
| Úbeda | Alsa | 12 | 2½ | 4 |
8Getting Around
BUS
Bus 3 (%957 76 46 76; www.aucorsa.es) (€1.30, every 14 to 20 minutes), from Avenida Vía Augusta (the street between the train and bus stations), runs down Calle Diario de Córdoba and Calle de San Fernando, east of the Mezquita. For the return trip, catch it on Ronda de Isasa near the Puente Romano, or from Campo Santo de los Mártires, Glorieta Cruz Roja or Paseo de la Victoria.
CAR
Córdoba’s one-way system is nightmarish, and cars are banned from the historic centre unless they are going to unload, load or park at hotels, most of which are reasonably well signposted as you approach. There is free, unmetered parking south of the river across the Puente de Miraflores, and a mixture of free and metered parking on Paseo de la Victoria, Avenida Doctor Fleming (Avenida Doctor Fleming) and streets to their west. Metered zones (with blue lines along the street) are free of charge from 2pm to 5pm and 9pm to 9am, and from 2pm Saturday to 9am Monday.
BUSES FROM CÓRDOBA
The bus station (%957 40 40 40; www.estacionautobusescordoba.es; Avenida Vía Augusta) is located behind the train station, 1.3km northwest of Plaza de las Tendillas.
Alsa (%902 422242; www.alsa.es)
Autocares Carrera (%957 50 16 32; www.autocarescarrera.es)
Autocares San Sebastián (%957 42 90 30; www.autocaressansebastian.es)
Grupo Sepulvedana (%902 119699; www.sepulvedana.es)
Socibus (%902 229292; http://socibus.es)
WORTH A TRIP
CASA OLEA
Set in its own little olive grove 12km north of Priego, the British-owned country house Casa Olea (%696 748209; www.casaolea.com; Carretera CO7204, near El Cañuelo; s/d incl breakfast €107/121; paWs) S has a beautifully spacious and relaxed feel. It makes a delightful rural retreat and base for exploring the region, with easy access to walks in the Sierras Subbéticas, mountain bikes to rent (€15 per day), and Córdoba and Granada both within 1½ hours’ drive.
There’s a lovely pool, and excellent dinners (two/three courses €20/25) are available five nights a week. Your hosts are full of information and tips on where to go and what to do. No children under seven.
Parque Natural Sierras Subbéticas
This 320-sq-km park in the southeast of Córdoba province encompasses a set of craggy, emerald-green limestone hills pocked with caves, springs and streams, with some charmingly appealing old villages and small towns set round its periphery. It makes for lovely exploring and good hiking among valleys, canyons and high peaks (the highest is 1570m La Tiñosa). Most visitors base themselves in or near picturesque Zuheros or Priego de Córdoba. The ideal months for walking are April, May, September and October.
The park’s visitor centre, the Centro de Visitantes Santa Rita (%957 50 69 86; Carretera A339, Km 11.2; h9am-2pm Wed-Fri & 9am-2pm & 6-8pm Sat & Sun May-Jun, 9am-2pm Fri-Sun Jul-Aug, 9am-2pm Wed-Sun Sep, 9am-2pm Wed-Fri & 9am-2pm & 4-6pm Sat & Sun Oct-Apr), is on the Cabra–Priego de Córdoba road.
Zuheros
POP 660 / ELEV 640M
On the northern edge of the Parque Natural Sierras Subbéticas, Zuheros sits in a supremely picturesque location, its tangle of white streets and crag-top castle crouching in the lee of towering hills with olive groves stretching away below as far as the eye can see. Approached by twisting roads up from the A318, the village has a delightfully relaxed atmosphere.
1Sights
Castillo de Zuheros CASTLE
(Plaza de la Paz; admission or tour incl Museo Arqueológico adult/child €2/1.25; h10am-2pm & 5-7pm Tue-Fri, tours 11am, 12.30pm, 2pm, 5pm & 6.30pm Sat, Sun & holidays, all afternoon times 1hr earlier Oct-Mar)
Set on a picturesque pinnacle, Zuheros’ castle is of 9th-century Moorish origin, but most of what survives is Christian construction from the 13th and 14th centuries, with remains of a 16th-century Renaissance palace attached. It’s small but panoramic, with fine views from the top. Visits on weekends and holidays are guided; other days, visits are unguided. Tickets are sold at, and include, the little Museo Arqueológico (Archaeological Museum; %957 69 45 45; Plaza de la Paz; adult/child incl Castillo €2/1.25; h10am-2pm Tue-Sun year-round, 5-7pm Tue-Fri Apr-Sep, 4-6pm Tue-Fri Oct-Mar), just across the square, which also doubles as Zuheros’ tourist office.
Cueva de los Murciélagos CAVE
(Cave of the Bats; %957 69 45 45; adult/child €6/5; hguided tours 12.30pm & 5.30pm Tue-Fri, 11am, 12.30pm, 2pm, 5pm & 6.30pm Sat & Sun, afternoon tours 1hr earlier Oct-Mar; p)
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 700 steps) through a series of corridors filled with fantastic rock formations and traces of Neolithic rock paintings showing abstract figures of goats. Visits are by guided tour only: reserve by phoning or emailing Zuheros’ tourist office between 10am and 1.30pm Tuesday to Friday.
4Sleeping & Eating
oHotel Zuhayra HOTEL$
(%957 69 46 93; www.zercahoteles.com; Calle Mirador 10; incl breakfast s €42-48, d €52-60; aWs)
A short distance below Zuheros’ castle, this hotel has breathtaking views of the countryside from every one of its unfussily comfortable rooms, and is an excellent base for exploring the area. The friendly proprietors, the Ábalos brothers (who speak English), offer masses of information about things to see and do.
There is also a first-class restaurant (mains & raciones €7-18, medias raciones €4-7.50; h1-4pm & 8.30-11pm; v).
Mesón Atalaya ANDALUCIAN$$
(%957 69 45 28; Calle Santo 58; mains €7-19; h1-4pm & 9-11pm Tue-Sun)
This family-run establishment at the east end of the village does excellent local fare, with plenty of lamb, pork, ham, potajes and cazuelas (types of stew), local cheese and homemade desserts. There are two nice, plant-filled patios inside. It’s pretty popular and fills up at weekends.
DON’T MISS
VÍA VERDE DEL ACEITE
The area’s easiest and best marked path is the Vía Verde del Aceite (www.viasverdes.com; c) S, a disused railway converted to a cycling and walking track, which you can see snaking across the countryside below Zuheros. It runs 128km across Córdoba and Jaén provinces from Camporreal near Puente Genil to Jaén city, skirting the western and northern fringes of the Parque Natural Sierras Subbéticas.
With gentle gradients and utilising old bridges, tunnels and viaducts, the greenway makes for a fun outing for travellers of all ages. There are cafes and bike-hire outlets in old station buildings along the route, and informative map-boards – it’s impossible to get lost! The section in Córdoba province is also still known by its old name, Vía Verde de la Subbética.
Subbética Bike’s Friends (%691 843532, 672 605088; www.subbeticabikesfriends.com; bikes per half-day/day €9/12, baby seats per day €2; h10am-6pm Sat & Sun; c) at Doña Mencía station, 4km west down the hill from Zuheros, rents a range of different bikes, including children’s, and can normally provide them any day of the week if you call ahead.
8Information
Tourist Office (%957 69 45 45; http://turismodelasubbetica.es/zuheros; Plaza de la Paz 1; h10am-2pm Tue-Sun year-round, 5-7pm Tue-Fri Apr-Sep, 4-6pm Tue-Fri Oct-Mar) Zuheros’ helpful tourist office shares premises with the archaeological museum. Come here for tickets or guided visits to the castle.
8Getting There & Away
Buses depart from Mesón Atalaya.
Autocares Carrera Two to four daily buses to/from Córdoba (€6.45, 1¾ hours).
Autocares Valenzuela (%956 70 26 09; www.grupovalenzuela.com) Two or more to/from Seville (€17, 3¾ hours).