Red pillar boxes, fish-and-chip shops and creaky 1970s seaside hotels: Gibraltar – as British writer Laurie Lee once commented – is a piece of Portsmouth sliced off and towed 500 miles south. ‘The Rock’ overstates its Britishness, a bonus for pub-grub and afternoon-tea lovers, but a confusing double-take for modern Brits who thought the days of Lord Nelson memorabilia were long gone. Poised strategically at the jaws of Europe and Africa, Gibraltar, with its Palladian architecture and camera-hogging Barbary macaques, makes an interesting break from the white towns of bordering Cádiz province (Andalucía, Spain). Playing an admirable supporting role is the swashbuckling local history; the Rock has been British longer than the United States has been American.
This towering 5km-long limestone ridge rises to 426m, with cliffs on its northern and eastern sides. Gibraltarians speak English, Spanish and a curiously accented, sing-song mix of the two, swapping mid-sentence. Signs are in English.
History
Both the Phoenicians and the ancient Greeks left traces here, but Gibraltar really entered the history books in AD 711 when Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Muslim governor of Tangier, made it the initial bridgehead for the Islamic invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, landing with an army of 10,000 men. The name Gibraltar derives from Jebel Tariq (Tariq’s Mountain).
The Almohad Muslims founded a town here in 1159 and were usurped by the Castilians in 1462. In 1704 an Anglo-Dutch fleet captured Gibraltar during the War of the Spanish Succession. Spain ceded the Rock to Britain by the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, but it didn’t give up military attempts to regain it until the failure of the Great Siege of 1779–83; Spain has wanted it back ever since.
In 1969, Francisco Franco (infuriated by a referendum in which Gibraltarians voted by 12,138 to 44 to remain under British sovereignty) closed the Spain–Gibraltar border. The same year a new constitution committed Britain to respecting Gibraltarians’ wishes over sovereignty, and gave Gibraltar domestic self-government and its own parliament, the House of Assembly (now the Gibraltar Parliament). In 1985, just before Spain joined the European Community (now the EU), the border was reopened after 16 long years.
Gibraltarians believe in their right to self-determination and, in a 2002 vote, resoundingly rejected the idea of joint British-Spanish sovereignty. The thorny issue of the Rock’s long-term future still raises its head, with debates sparked by conflict over who controls its surrounding waters and, more recently, the still-unclear effects of the UK’s decision to leave the EU.
Gibraltar
2Activities, Courses & Tours
1Sights
Most Gibraltar sojourns start in Grand Casemates Sq, accessible through Landport Tunnel (at one time the only land entry through Gibraltar’s walls), then continue along Main St, a slice of the British high street under the Mediterranean sun.
oUpper Rock Nature Reserve NATURE RESERVE
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; adult/child incl attractions £10/5, vehicle £2, pedestrian excl attractions 50p, combined ticket with cable car adult/child £22/14; 
h9.30am-6.45pm Apr-Sep, 9am-5.45pm Oct-Mar) 
S
The Rock is one of the most dramatic landforms in southern Europe. Most of its upper sections (but not the main lookouts) fall within the Upper Rock Nature Reserve. Entry tickets include admission to St Michael’s Cave (MAP GOOGLE MAP; St Michael’s Rd), the Apes’ Den (MAP GOOGLE MAP), the Great Siege Tunnels (MAP GOOGLE MAP), the Moorish Castle (MAP GOOGLE MAP; Tower of Homage; Willis’ Rd), the Military Heritage Centre (MAP GOOGLE MAP; crn Willis’ & Queen’s Rds) and Nelson’s Anchorage. The upper Rock is home to 600 plant species and is the perfect vantage point for watching bird migration between Europe and Africa.
About 1km (15 minutes’ walk) south down St Michael’s Rd from the top cable-car station, O’Hara’s Rd leads left up to O’Hara’s Battery (MAP GOOGLE MAP; 9.2 Gun; O’Hara’s Rd; adult/child £3/2; h10am-5pm Mon-Fri), a gun emplacement on the Rock’s summit (not included in nature-reserve tickets). Slightly further down is the extraordinary St Michael’s Cave, a spectacular natural grotto full of stalagmites and stalactites. People once thought the cave was a possible subterranean link with Africa. Today, apart from attracting tourists in droves, it’s used for concerts, plays and even fashion shows. For a more extensive look (including a glimpse of the cave’s underground lake), take the three-hour guided Lower St Michael’s Cave Tour (£10); the tourist office can recommend guides; no children under 10.
A 1.5km (30-minute) walk north (downhill) from the top cable-car station, the Military Heritage Centre occupies the 18th-century Princess Caroline’s Battery. From here one road leads down to Princess Royal Battery – more gun emplacements – while another heads 300m up to the Great Siege Tunnels, a complex defence system hewn out of the Rock by the British during the siege of 1779–83 to provide gun emplacements. The WWII tunnels (MAP GOOGLE MAP; 
%20071649; Willis’ Rd, Hay’s Level; tours £8, incl Upper Rock Nature Reserve & attractions £18; h10am-4pm Mon-Sat), where the Allied invasion of North Africa was planned, can also be visited, but you’ll need to book ahead; you must have a nature-reserve ticket to access the tunnels, but they aren’t actually included in that ticket. Even combined, the Great Siege and WWII tunnels constitute only a tiny proportion of the Rock’s more than 50km of tunnels, most of which remain off-limits to visitors.
Gibraltar’s Moorish Castle was rebuilt in 1333 after being retaken from the Spanish; it’s on the way down to town from Princess Caroline’s Battery.
oGibraltar Museum MUSEUM
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %20074289; www.gibmuseum.gi; 18-20 Bomb House Lane; adult/child £2/1; h10am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 2pm Sat)
Gibraltar’s swashbuckling history quickly unfolds in this fine museum, which comprises a labyrinth of rooms and exhibits ranging from prehistoric and Phoenician Gibraltar to the infamous Great Siege (1779–83). Don’t miss the well-preserved 14th-century Islamic baths, and a 7th-century-BC Egyptian mummy found in the bay in the 1800s.
Nelson’s Anchorage LANDMARK
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; 100-Tonne Gun; Rosia Rd; £1, incl Upper Rock Nature Reserve & attractions adult/child £10/5; h9.30am-6.15pm Apr-Sep, 9am-5.45pm Oct-Mar)
At the southwestern end of town, Nelson’s Anchorage pinpoints the site where Nelson’s body was brought ashore from the HMS Victory after the Battle of Trafalgar – preserved in a rum barrel, so legend says. A 100-tonne, British-made Victorian supergun (1870) commemorates the spot.
COMBO TICKETS
The best way to explore the Rock is to whizz up on the cable car (Lower Cable-Car Station; Red Sands Rd; adult one way/return £13/15, child one way/return £6/6, adult/child one way incl nature reserve £22/14; h9.30am-7.45pm Apr-Oct, to 5.15pm Nov-Mar) to the top cable-car station, then stop off at all the Upper Rock Nature Reserve sights on your way down. You can get special cable car–nature reserve one-way combo tickets for this (adult/child £22/14). Note that the lower cable-car station stops selling these about two hours before the reserve closes. For the Apes’ Den, hop out at the middle station (hclosed Apr-Oct).
Combined dolphin-watching and cable-car tickets (adult/child £30/16) are also available through dolphin-watching companies.
2Activities
oMediterranean Steps HIKING
(MAP GOOGLE MAP); Not the most well-known attraction in Gibraltar, but surely the most spectacular, this narrow, ancient path with steep steps – many hewn into the limestone – starts at the nature reserve’s southern entrance at Jews’ Gate and traverses the southern end of Gibraltar before steeply climbing the crag on the eastern escarpment. It emerges on the ridge near O’Hara’s Battery.
4Sleeping
Bristol Hotel HOTEL€€
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %20076800; www.bristolhotel.gi; 10 Cathedral Sq; s £69-74, d £86-93, tr £99-105; 
a
W
s)
Where else can you stay in a retro 1970s hotel that isn’t even trying to be retro? The dated but decent-enough Bristol has creaking floorboards, red patterned carpets, a walled garden and a small swimming pool, though staff aren’t particularly helpful. Breakfast is available (£6). It’s just off Main St.
Rock Hotel HOTEL€€€
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %20073000; www.rockhotelgibraltar.com; 3 Europa Rd; incl breakfast r £120-150, ste £145-240; 
paWs)
As famous as the local monkeys, Gibraltar’s grand old dame is looking fab and rejuvenated after a massive makeover. There are 86 elegant yet cosy, creamy, wood-floored rooms with fresh flowers, tea/coffee kits, sea views and, for some, private balconies. Tick off gym, pool, welcome drink, writing desks, bathrobes, a sparkling cafe-bar, winter Sunday roasts (£25) and summer poolside barbecues.
5Eating
Goodbye tapas, hello fish and chips. Gibraltar’s food is unashamedly British – and pretty pricey by Andalucian standards. The staples are pub grub, beer, sandwiches, chips and stodgy desserts, though a few international flavours can be found at Queensway Quay, Marina Bay and Ocean Village. There’s a cluster of good restaurants on Fish Market Lane, just outside Grand Casemates Sq.
Clipper PUB FOOD€
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; 78B Irish Town; mains £5-9; h9am-10pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat, 10am-10pm Sun; W)
Ask five…10…20 people in Gibraltar for their favourite pub and, chances are, they’ll choose the Clipper. Looking sparklingly modern nowadays, the Clipper does real pub grub in traditionally large portions. British faves include jacket potatoes, chicken tikka masala, cheesy chips, Sunday roasts and that essential all-day breakfast (£5.95).
Star Bar PUB FOOD€€
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; www.starbargibraltar.com; 12 Parliament Lane; dishes £5-14; h8am-11pm Mon-Sat, 10am-10pm Sun)
The Rock’s oldest bar (if house advertising is to be believed) has a vaguely Mediterranean-influenced pub menu that even features evening tapas like patatas bravas (potatoes in spicy tomato sauce) and Manchego cheese. Squeeze inside for wraps, burgers, pies, salads, rib-eye steak, butternut-squash-and-goat’s-cheese pasta and, of course, fish and chips.
Sacarello’s INTERNATIONAL, CAFE€€
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %20070625; www.sacarellosgibraltar.com; 57 Irish Town; mains £8-15; h8.30am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-3pm Sat; W
v)
A jack of all trades and master of…well…some, Sacarello’s offers a great range of vegetarian cooking (pastas, quiches) alongside pub-style dishes in an old multilevel coffee warehouse. There’s a good coffee list, plus lots of cakes, a salad bar and daily specials. From 3.30pm to 7.30pm you can linger over cream tea (£6.20).
The Lounge INTERNATIONAL€€€
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %20061118; 17A & B Ragged Staff Wharf, Queensway Quay; mains £14-19; hnoon-4pm & 6-10pm Mon-Sat, noon-4pm Sun)
This popular, stylish waterside gastrobar and lounge, just south of the town centre, serves a globetrotting, fresh-produce menu of salads, pastas, risottos, sandwiches, meats, and fish and chips, along with creative, seasonal specials. Starters like gin-cured salmon with beetroot are followed by, say, beer-battered cod or rib-eye steak with chimichurri sauce, all overlooking Queensway Quay’s megayachts.
8Information
Tourist Office (%20045000; www.visitgibraltar.gi; Heritage Bldg, 13 John Mackintosh Sq; h9am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-3.30pm Sat, 10am-1pm Sun)
Tourist Office (%20050762; www.visitgibraltar.gi; Customs Bldg, Winston Churchill Ave; h9am-4.30pm Mon-Fri)
DOLPHIN WATCHING
The Bahía de Algeciras has a sizeable year-round population of dolphins (striped, bottlenose and short-beaked common) and a Gibraltar highlight is spotting them. Dolphin Adventure (MAP GOOGLE MAP; %20050650; www.dolphin.gi; 9 The Square, Marina Bay; adult/child £25/13) and Dolphin Safari (MAP GOOGLE MAP; Blue Boat; %20071914; www.dolphinsafari.gi; 6 The Square, Marina Bay; adult/child £25/15) run excellent dolphin-watching trips of one to 1½ hours. Most of the year each usually has two to three daily excursions. Dolphin Adventure also does summer whale-watching trips in the Strait of Gibraltar (adult/child £40/30). Advance bookings essential.
September to November are the best months for seeing dolphins, while March and April have the least sightings.
8Getting There & Away
BOAT
FRS (www.frs.es) sails from Gibraltar to Tangier Med (Morocco; adult/child one way £39/26, 1½ hours) every other Friday at 7pm (at research time there were indications that this route may be discontinued). Turner & Co (%20078305; www.turnershipping.com; 67 Irish Town; h9am-4pm Mon-Fri) books tickets.
BUS
No buses go directly to Gibraltar, but the bus station (Avenida de Europa) in La Línea de la Concepción (Spain) is only 400m north of the border. From here, there are regular buses to/from Algeciras, Cádiz, Málaga, Seville and Tarifa.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
Long vehicle queues at the border and congested streets in Gibraltar make it far less time-consuming to park in La Línea and walk south across the frontier (1.5km to Casemates Sq). To take a car into Gibraltar (free), you need an insurance certificate, a registration document, a nationality plate and a driving licence. Gibraltar drives on the right.
In Gibraltar, there are car parks on Line Wall Rd, Reclamation Rd and Devil’s Tower Rd (50p per 30 minutes). La Línea has some street parking, but it’s easier and safer to use the underground car parks (€21 per 24 hours) just north of Avenida Príncipe de Asturias.
8Getting Around
Bus 5 runs between town and the border every 10 to 20 minutes. Bus 2 serves Europa Point, bus 3 the southern town; buses 4 and 8 go to Catalan Bay. All these buses stop at Market Pl (Market Pl), immediately northwest of Grand Casemates Sq. Tickets cost £1.50, or £2.25 for a day pass. Check schedules at www.gibraltarbuscompany.gi/site.
Jaén Province
For anyone who loves culture, nature, history or good food, this relatively little-visited province turns out to be one magical combination. Endless lines of pale-green olive trees – producing one-sixth of all the world’s olive oil – carpet much of the landscape. Castle-crowned hills are a reminder that this was once a frontier zone between Christians and Muslims, while the gorgeous Renaissance architecture of Unesco World Heritage towns Úbeda and Baeza showcases the wealth amassed by the Reconquista nobility.
Beyond the towns and olive groves, Jaén has wonderful mountain country. The Parque Natural Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas, Spain’s biggest protected area, is a highlight of Andalucía for nature lovers, with rugged mountains, deep green valleys, prolific wildlife and dramatically perched villages – and good lodgings, roads and trails to help you make the most of it.
Jaén
POP 111,000 / ELEV 575M
Set amid vast olive groves, upon which its precarious economy depends, Jaén is somewhat overshadowed by the beauty of nearby Úbeda and Baeza, and is often passed over by visitors to the province. But once you make it into town you will discover a charming, if mildly dilapidated, historic centre with hidden neighbourhoods, excellent tapas bars and a grandiose cathedral.
Muslim Yayyan was a significant city before its conquest by Castilla in 1246. For 2½ centuries Christian Jaén remained important thanks to its strategic location near the border with Nasrid Granada – until the Muslims were finally driven out of Granada in 1492. Jaén then sank into a decline with many of its people emigrating to the Spanish colonies – hence the existence of other Jaéns in Peru and the Philippines.
1Sights
oCatedral de la Asunción CATHEDRAL
(Plaza de Santa María; adult incl audio guide €5, child/senior €1.50/2; h10am-2pm & 4-8pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm & 4-7pm Sat, 10am-noon & 4-7pm Sun)
Jaén’s massive cathedral still dwarfs the rest of the city, especially when seen from the hilltop eyrie of Cerro de Santa Catalina. Its construction lasted from 1540 to 1724, replacing a crumbling Gothic cathedral which itself had stood on the site of a mosque. Its perceived perfection of design – by Andrés de Vandelvira, the master architect of Úbeda and Baeza, and his father Pedro – made Jaén Cathedral a model for many of the great churches of Latin America.
The facade on Plaza de Santa María, completed in the 18th century, owes more to the baroque tradition than to the Renaissance, thanks to its host of statuary by Seville’s Pedro Roldán. But the predominant aesthetic is Renaissance – particularly evident in its huge, round arches and clusters of Corinthian columns. A great circular dome rises over the crossing before the main altar. From the sacristy antechamber, south of the crossing, a 57-step staircase leads up to corridors along the cathedral’s south and west sides yielding impressive views down into the cathedral.
oCastillo de Santa Catalina CASTLE
(Cerro de Santa Catalina; adult/senior, student & child €3.50/1.50, 3-6pm Wed free; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat, to 3pm Sun; p
c)
High above the city, atop cliff-girt Cerro de Santa Catalina, this fortress’s near-impregnable position is what made Jaén important during the Muslim and early Reconquista centuries. At the end of the ridge stands a large cross, on the spot where Fernando III had a cross planted after Jaén finally surrendered to him in 1246; the views are magnificent.
Palacio de Villardompardo BATHHOUSE, MUSEUM
(Centro Cultural Baños Árabes; www.bañosarabesjaen.es; Plaza de Santa Luisa de Marillac; h9am-10pm Tue-Sat, to 3pm Sun) 
F
This Renaissance palace houses one of the most intriguing collections of historical, archaeological and artistic exhibits found under one roof in Andalucía: the beautiful 11th-century Baños Árabes, one of the largest surviving Islamic-era bathhouses in Spain; the Museo de Artes y Costumbres Populares, with extensive, diverse exhibits showcasing the life of pre-industrial Jaén province; and the Museo Internacional de Arte Naïf with a large collection of colourful and witty Naïve art.
5Eating
There aren’t many fancy restaurants in Jaén, but one of Andalucía’s best tapas zones is here, north of the cathedral, along and between Calles Maestra and Cerón. There are plenty of bars to choose from, but in the wafer-thin alleys that run between the two streets, you’ll find a couple of particularly cherished establishments that have been going strong for well over a century.
El Gorrión ANDALUCIAN€
(Calle Arco del Consuelo 7; tapas from €2, raciones €8-18; h1.30-4pm Tue-Sun & 8.30pm-12.30am Fri & Sat)
Lazy jazz plays in the background, old newspaper cuttings and lopsided paintings hang from the walls, and it feels as though local punters have been propping up the bar ever since 1888 (when it opened). But all ages from near and far drop in to sample the atmosphere, the local wine and food offerings such as pepper sausage and seafood-stuffed artichokes.
Taberna La Manchega ANDALUCIAN€
(Calle Bernardo López 12; bocadillos €2-2.50, platos combinados & raciones €6-12; h10am-5pm & 8pm-1am Wed-Mon)
La Manchega has been in action since the 1880s; apart from enjoying the bocadillos (long bread rolls with fillings including five types of tortilla) and raciones (full plates of tapas items) such as chorizo de ciervo (venison chorizo), conejo al ajillo (rabbit in garlic) and solomillo (pork tenderloin), you can drink wine and practise your Spanish with the old-time barmen.
oCasa Antonio SPANISH€€€
(%953 27 02 62; www.casantonio.es; Calle Fermín Palma 3; mains €19-24; h1-4pm & 8.30-11.30pm Tue-Sat, 1-4pm Sun, closed Aug)
This elegant little restaurant, in an unpromising street off Parque de la Victoria, prepares top-class Spanish fare rooted in local favourites, such as partridge in escabeche (an oil-vinegar-wine marinade), lamb chops or roast shoulder of goat kid. There’s also excellent seafood. Nothing over-complicated, just top ingredients expertly prepared. Service is polished and attentive.
8Information
Oficina de Turismo (%953 19 04 55; www.turjaen.org; Calle Maestra 8; h9am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm & 5-7pm Sat, to 3pm Sun) Combined city and regional tourist office with helpful multilingual staff.
8Getting There & Away
TRAIN
Jaén’s train station (www.renfe.com; Plaza Jaén por la Paz) has four trains a day to Cádiz (€38, five hours) via Córdoba (€15, 1¾ hours) and Seville (€28, three hours), and four to Madrid (€35, 3¾ hours).
Baeza
POP 15,400 / ELEV 760M
The World Heritage–listed twin towns of Baeza (ba-eh-thah) and Úbeda, 9km apart, scupper any notion that there is little of architectural interest in Andalucía apart from Moorish buildings. These two remote country towns guard a treasure trove of superb Christian Renaissance buildings from a time when a few local families managed to amass huge fortunes and spent large parts of them beautifying their home towns. Baeza, the smaller of the two, can be visited in a day trip from Úbeda, though it has some good accommodation of its own. Here a handful of wealthy, fractious families, rich from grain-growing and cloth and leather production, left a marvellous catalogue of perfectly preserved Renaissance churches and civic buildings.
Baeza was one of the first Andalucian towns to fall to the Christians (in 1227), and little is left today of the Muslim town of Bayyasa after so many centuries of Castilian influence.
1Sights
Baeza’s main sights mostly cluster in the narrow streets south of the central Plaza de España and the broad Paseo de la Constitución (once Baeza’s marketplace and bullring).
oOleícola San Francisco WORKSHOP
(%953 76 34 15; www.oleoturismojaen.com; Calle Pedro Pérez, Begíjar; 1½hr tours €5; htours 11am & 5pm) S
These fascinating tours of a working oil mill near Baeza will teach you all you could want to know about the process of turning olives into oil, how the best oil is made and what distinguishes extra virgin from the rest. At the end you get to taste a few varieties, and you’ll probably emerge laden with a bottle or two of San Francisco’s high-quality product.
oCatedral de Baeza CATHEDRAL
(Plaza de Santa María; adult/child €4/1.50; h11am-2pm & 4-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-7pm Sat, to 6pm Sun)
As was the case in much of Andalucía, the Reconquista destroyed Baeza’s mosque and in its place built a cathedral. This was the first step towards the town’s transformation into a Castilian gem. The cathedral is a stylistic melange, though the predominant style is 16th-century Renaissance, visible in the facade on Plaza de Santa María and in the basic design of the three-nave interior (by Andrés de Vandelvira).
oPalacio de Jabalquinto PALACE
(Plaza de Santa Cruz; h9am-2pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm & 4-8pm Sat-Sun) F
Baeza’s most flamboyant palace was probably built in the late 15th century for a member of the noble Benavides clan. Its chief glory is the spectacular facade in decorative Isabelline Gothic style, with a strange array of naked humans clambering along the moulding over the doorway; above is a line of shields topped by helmets topped by mythical birds and beasts. The patio has a two-tier Renaissance arcade with marble columns, an elegant fountain, and a magnificent carved baroque stairway.
Plaza del Pópulo SQUARE
(Plaza de los Leones)
This handsome square is surrounded by elegant 16th-century buildings. The central Fuente de los Leones (Fountain of the Lions) is made of carvings from the Ibero-Roman village of Cástulo and is topped by a statue reputed to represent Imilce, a local princess who became one of the wives of the famous Carthaginian general Hannibal.
Antigua Universidad HISTORIC BUILDING
(Old University; Calle del Beato Juan de Ávila; h10am-2pm & 4-7pm) F
Baeza’s historic university was founded in 1538. It became a font of progressive ideas that generally conflicted with Baeza’s conservative dominant families, often causing scuffles between the highbrows and the well-heeled. Since 1875 the building has housed a secondary school. The main patio, with elegant Renaissance arches, is open to visitors, as is the preserved early-20th-century classroom of the famed poet Antonio Machado, who taught French here from 1912 to 1919.
zFestivals & Events
Semana Santa RELIGIOUS
(www.semanasantabaeza.com; hMar/Apr)
Baeza’s Easter processions are solemn, grand and rooted very deep in the town’s traditions. Evenings from Palm Sunday to Good Friday.
Feria FERIA
(hmid-Aug)
The summer fair starts with a big Carnaval-style procession of gigantones (papier-mâché giants) and other colourful figures, and continues with five days of fireworks, a huge funfair, concerts and bullfights.
5Eating
Paseo de la Constitución and Plaza de España are lined with bar-cafe-restaurants that are great for watching local life, but most of the best finds are tucked away in the narrow old-town streets. As throughout the province, you’ll get a free tapas with drinks in almost every bar.
Bar Pacos SPANISH€
(Calle de Santa Catalina; tapas & medias raciones €4.50-12; h1.30-4pm & 8.30pm-midnight)
Frequently thronged with locals and visitors, Pacos prepares a big array of well-presented, creative taste experiences – mostly larger than your average tapas. The crêpes (with fillings such as pork and fried egg) are one speciality, but there are dozens of other tempting choices such as spinach with prawns, or beef tartare with an apple sauce.
oPalacio de Gallego SPANISH€€
(%667 760184; www.palaciodegallego.com; Calle de Santa Catalina 5; mains €15-30; h8pm-midnight Wed, 1-4pm & 8pm-midnight Thu-Mon)
In the atmospheric setting of a 16th-century house, with tables on the delightful patio as well as in an old wood-beamed dining room, the Gallego serves up superb meat and fish dishes, barbecued and otherwise. There’s a list of well over 100 Spanish wines, and you won’t come across many starters better than their goat’s cheese, orange and walnut salad.
WORTH A TRIP
PARQUE NATURAL SIERRA DE ANDÚJAR
This large (748 sq km) natural park north of Andújar town has the biggest expanses of natural vegetation in the Sierra Morena as well as plenty of bull-breeding ranches. It’s an exciting destination for wildlife-spotters, with numerous large mammals and birds found here including five emblematic endangered species: the Iberian lynx, wolf, black vulture, black stork and Spanish imperial eagle. The Iberian lynx population is the largest in the world, with around 200 lynxes here and in the neighbouring Parque Natural Sierra de Cardeña y Montoro (Córdoba province). There are also 25 breeding pairs of Spanish imperial eagle in the Andújar park (one-tenth of the total population of this mighty bird, found only in the Iberian Peninsula).
Staff at the park visitors centre, the Centro de Visitantes Viñas de Peñallana (%953 53 96 28; Carretera A6177, Km 13; h10am-2pm Thu, 10am-2pm & 3-6pm Fri-Sun, closed afternoons mid-Jun–mid-Sep, closed Thu Jul & Aug), 13km north of Andújar town, can tell you the best areas for wildlife sightings, though you also need luck on your side. The best months for spotting lynxes are December and January, the mating season. Local guiding outfits can take you on to private land where sighting prospects are often higher: they include Iberus Birding&Nature (%680 468098; www.iberusmedioambiente.com; Centro de Visitantes Viñas de Peñallana, Carretera A6177, Km 13), IberianLynxLand (%636 984515, English 626 700525; www.iberianlynxland.com) and Turismo Verde (%628 709410; www.lasierradeandujar.com). A full-day outing costs around €150/250 for two/four people.
On a hilltop in the heart of the park stands the Santuario de la Virgen de la Cabeza (Carretera A6177, Km 31, Cerro del Cabezo; p), a chapel that is the focus of one of Spain’s biggest and most emotive religious events, the Romería de la Virgen de la Cabeza, on the last weekend in April.
A great base for wildlife watchers, hotel La Caracola (%640 758273; www.lacaracolahotelrural.com; Carretera A6177, Km 13.8; s/d incl breakfast €40/60; pWs) sits among woodlands and offers bright, contemporary rooms, comfortable common areas and good meals (lunch or dinner €15). They’ll serve breakfast as early as you like, or make you a picnic. It’s 1.4km off the A6177: the signed turn off is 800m north of the park visitors centre.
Andújar town is served by several daily trains and buses from Jaén and Córdoba, and by buses from Baeza and Úbeda. There are buses to the sanctuary on Saturday and Sunday.
6Drinking & Nightlife
oCafé Teatro Central BAR
(www.facebook.com/cafeteatrocentral; Calle Barreras 19; h4pm-3am; W)
The most original and consistent nightspot in the province, with fascinatingly eclectic decor and determined support for live music, the Central fills up around midnight Thursday to Saturday with an arty-indie crowd from other towns as well as Baeza. Live acts play to enthusiastic crowds amid the Buddha statues, historic instruments and coloured lighting every Thursday and most Fridays from October to June.
8Information
Tourist Office (%953 77 99 82; www.andalucia.org; Plaza del Pópulo; h9am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-3pm Sat & Sun) Housed in the 16th-century Casa del Pópulo.
8Getting There & Away
BUS
Alsa (%902 422242; www.alsa.es) runs services from the bus station (%953 74 04 68; Avenida Alcalde Puche Pardo), 900m northeast of Plaza de España.
| Destination |
Cost (€) |
Duration |
Frequency (daily) |
| Cazorla | 4.85 | 1¼-1½hr | 3 |
| Córdoba | 11.50 | 2½hr | 2 |
| Granada | 13 | 2½hr | 7-9 |
| Jaén | 4.50 | 45min-1hr | 7-14 |
| Úbeda | 1.15 | 15min | 12-19 |
TRAIN
The nearest station is Linares-Baeza (www.renfe.com), 13km northwest of town, with a few daily trains to Almería, Córdoba, Jaén, Madrid and Seville. An Alsa (%902 422242; www.alsa.es) bus leaves Baeza bus station for the train station (€2.70, one hour) at 5.30pm, and two come back, at 7.10am and 3.45pm. There are more buses from Úbeda. A taxi costs €24.
Úbeda
POP 33,600 / ELEV 760M
Beautiful Renaissance buildings grace almost every street and plaza in the casco antiguo (old quarter) of World Heritage–listed Úbeda (oo-be-dah). Charming hotels in several historic mansions, and some top-class restaurants and tapas bars, make a stay here an all-round delight.
Úbeda’s aristocratic lions jockeyed successfully for influence at the Habsburg court in the 16th century. Francisco de los Cobos y Molina became state secretary to King Carlos I, and his nephew Juan Vázquez de Molina succeeded him in the job and kept it under Felipe II.
High office exposed these men to the Renaissance aesthetic just then reaching Spain from Italy. Much of the wealth that they and a flourishing agriculture generated was invested in some of Spain’s purest examples of Renaissance architecture. As a result, Úbeda (like its little sister Baeza) is one of the few places in Andalucía boasting stunning architecture that was not built by the Moors.
1Sights
Plaza Vázquez de Molina PLAZA
The lovely Plaza Vázquez de Molina is the monumental heart of Úbeda’s old town and the perfect place to start exploring. An early case of Andalucian urban redevelopment, the plaza took on its present aspect in the 16th century when Úbeda’s nobility decided to demolish existing buildings to make way for an assemblage of grand Renaissance buildings befitting their wealth and importance.
oSacra Capilla de El Salvador CHAPEL
(Sacred Chapel of the Saviour; www.fundacionmedinaceli.org; Plaza Vázquez de Molina; adult/child incl audio guide €5/2.50; h9.30am-2.30pm & 4.30-7.30pm Mon-Sat, 11.30am-3pm Sun, plus 4-6pm Sun Oct-Apr)
This famous chapel, built between 1536 and 1559, is the flagship of Úbeda Renaissance architecture. Commissioned by Francisco de los Cobos y Molina as his family’s funerary chapel, it presents a marked contrast between the relatively sober proportions of the interior (by Diego de Siloé, architect of Granada’s cathedral) and the more decorative western facade. The facade, a pre-eminent example of plateresque style, was designed by Andrés de Vandelvira, one of Siloé’s stonemasons, who took over the project in 1540.
oSinagoga del Agua HISTORIC BUILDING
(%953 75 81 50; www.sinagogadelagua.com; Calle Roque Rojas 2; tours adult/child €4.50/3.50; htours every 45min 10.30am-1.30pm & 5-7.15pm, 5.45-8pm Jul & Aug)
The medieval Sinagoga del Agua was discovered in 2006 by a refreshingly ethical property developer who intended to build apartments here, only to discover that every swing of the pickaxe revealed some tantalising piece of an archaeological puzzle. The result is this sensitive re-creation of a centuries-old synagogue and rabbi’s house, using original masonry whenever possible. Features include the women’s gallery, a bodega with giant storage vessels, and a miqvé ritual bath.
oPalacio de Vázquez de Molina HISTORIC BUILDING
(Plaza Vázquez de Molina; h8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm & 5-7.30pm Sat & Sun) F
Úbeda’s ayuntamiento (town hall) is undoubtedly one of, if not the, most beautiful town halls in Spain. It was built by Vandelvira in about 1562 as a mansion for Juan Vázquez de Molina, whose coat of arms surmounts the doorway. The perfectly proportioned, deeply Italian-influenced facade is divided into three tiers by slender cornices, with the sculpted caryatids on the top level continuing the lines of the Corinthian and Ionic pilasters on the lower tiers.
Casa Museo Andalusí MUSEUM
(%953 75 40 14; Calle Narváez 11; €4; h11am-2pm & 5.30-8pm)
This fascinating private museum comprises a 16th-century house that was inhabited by conversos (Jews who converted to Christianity) and a huge, diverse collection of antiques assembled by owner Paco Castro. The informal guided tours make it all come alive. The first hint that this is somewhere special is the original 16th-century heavy carved door. Ring the bell if it’s closed.
Centro de Interpretación Olivar y Aceite VISITOR CENTRE
(www.centrodeolivaryaceite.com; Corredera de San Fernando 32; adult/child €3.50/free; h10am-1pm & 6-9pm Tue-Sat, to 1pm Sun Jun-Sep, 11am-2pm & 5-8pm Tue-Sat, to 2pm Sun Oct-May)
Úbeda’s olive-oil interpretation centre explains all about the area’s olive-oil history, and how the oil gets from the tree to your table, with the help of models, mill equipment and videos in English and Spanish. You get the chance to taste different oils, and to buy from a broad selection.
4Sleeping
oAfán de Rivera HERITAGE HOTEL€€
(%953 79 19 87; www.hotelafanderivera.com; Calle Afán de Rivera 4; s/d/tr incl breakfast Sun-Thu €45/69/89, Fri & Sat €52/108/130; aW)
This superb small hotel lies inside one of Úbeda’s oldest buildings, predating the Renaissance. Expertly run by the amiable Jorge, it has beautifully historic common areas, and comfortable rooms that offer far more than is usual at these prices: shaving kits, fancy shampoos and tastefully eclectic decor combining the traditional and the contemporary.
Breakfast is a locally sourced feast that makes staying here even more of a pleasure.
Parador de Úbeda HISTORIC HOTEL€€€
(Parador Condestable Dávalos; %953 75 03 45; www.parador.es; Plaza Vázquez de Molina; r €95-200; aW)
One of Spain’s original paradors (opened in 1930) and an inspiration for many that were to follow, this plush hotel occupies a historic monument, the Palacio del Deán Ortega, on the wonderful Plaza Vázquez Molina. It has been comfortably modernised in period style and the rooms and common areas are appropriately luxurious. Breakfast costs €17.
The best rooms have their own little garden patios.
5Eating
Úbeda is the culinary hotspot of Jaén province; its talented andaluz-fusion chefs are one reason why Spaniards flock here for weekend breaks.
oCantina La Estación ANDALUCIAN€€
(%687 777230; www.facebook.com/cantinalaestacion; Cuesta Rodadera 1; mains €17-21; h1-4pm & 8pm-midnight Thu-Mon, 1-4pm Tue; W)
The charming originality here starts with the design – three rooms with railway themes (the main dining room being the deluxe carriage). It continues with the seasonal array of inspired fusion dishes, such as wild boar in red-wine sauce, or octopus with garlic chips and paprika. Do sample an anchovy or two with the ‘false olive’ of cheese as an aperitif.
oMisa de 12 ANDALUCIAN€€
(www.misade12.com; Plaza 1º de Mayo 7; raciones €10-24; h1-4pm & 8.30pm-midnight Wed-Sun)
From the tiny cooking station in this little corner bar, a succession of truly succulent platters magically emerges – slices of presa ibérica (a tender cut of Iberian pork) grilled to perfection, juicy fillets of bacalao (cod), or revuelto de pulpo y gambas (eggs scrambled with octopus and shrimp).
Llámame Lola ANDALUCIAN€€
(Calle Baja del Salvador 5; mains & raciones €9-15; h12.30pm-midnight; v)
With an inviting location under the trees near the Sacra Capilla de El Salvador, Lola serves up good, creative andaluz fare with less fanfare than some other places and at slightly lower prices. The solomillo ibérico (pork tenderloin), the octopus and the revueltos (scrambled-egg dishes) are all very tasty.
They do more vegetarian dishes than most Úbeda eateries, including hummus and various salads.
Zeitúm ANDALUCIAN, FUSION€€
(www.zeitum.com; Calle San Juan de la Cruz 10; mains €10-16, menú €25; h1-4pm & 8.30-11.30pm Tue-Sat, 1-4pm Sun)
Zeitúm is housed in a headily historic 14th-century building, where staff will show you the original well, and the stonework and beams bearing Jewish symbols. Olive-oil tastings (selected oils to soak into bread) are a feature here, along with top-class preparation of a diverse, frequently changing menu – the likes of venison and tuna sashimi, trout tartare, or pork tenderloin in wild-mushroom sauce.
Restaurante Antique ANDALUCIAN€€
(%953 75 76 18; www.restauranteantique.com; Calle Real 25; mains €15-20, raciones €9-19; hnoon-4pm & 8pm-midnight)
Antique is not at all ‘antique’, but puts a contemporary, high-quality twist on traditional raw materials – try its vegetable wok with partridge and rice noodles, or the mini-brochette of seafood marinated in soy, olive oil and spiced yoghurt. Decor is fittingly simple but stylish.
8Information
Oficina de Turismo (%953 75 04 40; www.turismodeubeda.com; Plaza de Andalucía 5; h9am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-3pm & 5-7.30pm Sat, 9.30am-3pm Sun) Helpful place on the edge of the old town.
8Getting There & Away
BUS
Alsa (%902 422242; www.alsa.es) runs services from the bus station (%953 79 51 88; Calle San José 6), which is in the new part of town, 700m west of Plaza de Andalucía.
| Destination |
Cost (€) |
Duration |
Frequency (daily) |
| Baeza | 1.15 | 15min | 11-17 |
| Cazorla | 4.25 | 1hr | 3-5 |
| Córdoba | 12.20 | 2½hr | 4 |
| Granada | 13 | 2¼-3hr | 6-10 |
| Jaén | 5.40 | 1-1¼hr | 9-15 |
TRAIN
The nearest station is Linares–Baeza (www.renfe.com), 21km northwest, which you can reach on four daily buses (€2.10, 30 minutes).
| Destination |
Cost (€) |
Duration |
Frequency (daily) |
| Almería | 20-28 | 3¼hr | 3 |
| Córdoba | 14-20 | 1¾hr | 1 |
| Jaén | 6 | 45min | 3-4 |
| Madrid | 21-33 | 3-4hr | 5-7 |
| Seville | 20-29 | 3hr | 1 |
Cazorla
POP 7265 / ELEV 800M
This picturesque, bustling white town sits beneath towering crags just where the Sierra de Cazorla rises up from a rolling sea of olive trees, 45km east of Úbeda. It makes the perfect launching pad for exploring the beautiful Parque Natural Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas, which begins dramatically among the cliffs of Peña de los Halcones (Falcon Crag) directly above the town.
1Sights
The heart of town is Plaza de la Corredera, with busy bars and the elegant ayuntamiento and clock tower looking down from the southeast corner. Canyonlike streets lead south to the Balcón de Zabaleta. This little mirador is like a sudden window in a blank wall, with stunning views up to the Castillo de la Yedra and beyond. From here another narrow street leads down to Cazorla’s most picturesque square, Plaza de Santa María.
oCastillo de la Yedra CASTLE
(Museo del Alto Guadalquivir; EU citizen/other free/€1.50; h9am-3pm Tue-Sun mid-Jun–mid-Sep, 9am-8pm Tue-Sat, to 3pm Sun mid-Sep–mid-Jun)
Cazorla’s dramatic Castle of the Ivy, a 700m walk above Plaza de Santa María, has great views and is home to the interesting Museum of the Upper Guadalquivir, whose diverse collections include traditional agricultural and kitchen utensils, religious art, models of an old olive mill, and a small chapel featuring a life-size Romanesque-Byzantine crucifixion sculpture.
2Activities
There are some great walks straight out of Cazorla town – all uphill to start with, but your reward is beautiful forest paths and fabulous panoramas of cliffs, crags and circling vultures. Agencies here offer a host of other activities locally, including canyoning in the parque natural and an exciting via ferrata for climbers at the neighbouring village of La Iruela.
Via Ferrata La Mocha CLIMBING
(La Iruela)
This high-adrenaline challenge is a set of steel ladders, steps, cables and chains fixed into the precipitous rocky cone, La Mocha, above La Iruela village just outside Cazorla. Established in 2016, it ascends 130m and includes a ‘Tibetan bridge’ – a set of horizontal cables strung across a precipice. Tierraventura (%953 71 00 73; www.aventuracazorla.com; Carretera A319, Km 16.5, La Iruela; h10am-2pm & 5-8pm Mon-Sat) offers guided climbs (€36 per person, about three hours).
TTours
Turisnat WILDLIFE WATCHING
(%953 72 13 51; www.turisnat.es; Calle Martínez Falero 11; half-day tours per person €30-39; hoffice 10am-2pm & 5-8pm Mon-Sat, to 2pm Sun) S
This highly experienced agency is a good option for 4WD trips along the forest tracks of the parque natural, with an emphasis on wildlife-spotting. English- or French-speaking guides are available at no extra cost.
4Sleeping
Hotel Guadalquivir HOTEL€
(%953 72 02 68; www.hguadalquivir.com; Calle Nueva 6; s/d incl breakfast €43/57; aW)
Welcoming, family-run Guadalquivir has well-kept, comfy, ample rooms with pine furniture, though no memorable views. It’s well run, just a few steps from the central Plaza Corre-dera, and serves up a decent breakfast. It all equals straightforward, no-fuss, good value for money.
Casa Rural Plaza de Santa María CASA RURAL€€
(%953 72 20 87; www.plazadesantamaria.com; Callejón Plaza Santa María 5; incl breakfast s €39-44, d €55-77; aW
#)
This multilevel house is set round a lovely garden-patio with a fish pond. Its terraces and a couple of the rooms enjoy superb views over Plaza de Santa María, Cazorla’s castle and the mountains beyond. The attractive rooms are all different, in yellows, oranges and blues, with a variety of folksy styles.
5Eating
Bar Las Vegas TAPAS€
(Plaza de la Corredera; tapas €1, raciones €4-12; h10am-4pm & 8pm-midnight Tue-Sat, 10am-4pm Sun)
It’s tiny but it’s the best of Cazorla’s central bars, with barrel tables outside (and it gets packed inside when the weather’s poor). They do great tapas including one called gloria bendita (blessed glory – scrambled eggs with prawns and capsicum), as well as raciones of local favourites such as cheese, ham, venison and lomo de orza (spiced pork).
Mesón Leandro SPANISH€€
(www.mesonleandro.com; Calle Hoz 3; mains €9-19; h1.30-4pm & 8.30-11pm Wed-Mon)
Leandro is a step up in class from most other Cazorla eateries – professional but still friendly service in a bright dining room with lazy music, and only one set of antlers on the wall. The broad menu of nicely presented dishes ranges from partridge-and-pheasant pâté to fettuccine a la marinera (seafood fettuccine) and a terrific solomillo de ciervo (venison tenderloin).
La Cueva de Juan Pedro ANDALUCIAN€€
(Plaza de Santa María; raciones & mains €8-20, menú €13; hnoon-10pm; v)
The ancient, wood-beamed bar has antlers and boar heads protruding from the walls, and there’s a dining room adjoining, plus outdoor tables on the plaza just below. It’s a place for no-frills traditional Cazorla fare including meaty grills (lamb, pork, rabbit, wild boar, venison), trout and rin-rán (a mix of salted cod, potato and dried red peppers).
8Information
Oficina Municipal de Turismo (%953 71 01 02; www.cazorla.es/turismo; Plaza de Santa María; h10am-1pm & 4-8pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct, to 7pm Nov-Mar) Inside the remains of Santa María church, with some information on the natural park as well as the town.
Punto de Información Cazorla (%953 72 13 51; Calle Martínez Falero 11; h10am-2pm & 5-8pm Mon-Sat, 10am-2pm Sun) Good for information on the parque natural as well as the town and surrounds.
8Getting There & Away
Alsa (www.alsa.es) runs three to five daily buses to Úbeda (€4.25, one hour), Baeza (€4.85, 1¼ hours), Jaén (€9.25, two to 2½ hours) and Granada (€17.60, 3¾ hours). The bus stop is on Calle Hilario Marco, 500m north of Plaza de la Corredera via Plaza de la Constitución.
Parque Natural Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas
One of the biggest drawcards in Jaén province – and, for nature lovers, in all of Andalucía – is the mountainous, lushly wooded Parque Natural Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas. This is the largest protected area in Spain – 2099 sq km of craggy mountain ranges, deep, green river valleys, canyons, waterfalls, remote hilltop castles and abundant wildlife, threaded by well-marked walking trails and forest roads, with a snaking, 20km-long reservoir, the Embalse del Tranco, in its midst. The abrupt geography, with altitudes varying from 460m up to 2107m at the summit of Cerro Empanadas, makes for dramatic changes in the landscape. The Río Guadalquivir, Andalucía’s longest river, rises in the south of the park, and flows northwards into the Embalse del Tranco, before heading west across Andalucía to the Atlantic Ocean.
The best times to visit the park are spring and autumn, when the vegetation is at its most colourful and temperatures are pleasant. The park is hugely popular with Spanish tourists and attracts several hundred thousand visitors each year. Peak periods are Semana Santa, July, August, and weekends from April to October.
8Getting There & Away
Cazorla town is the nearest you can get by bus to the southern part of the park. For the northern part, a Transportes Sierra Segura bus to Segura de la Sierra (€2.60, 45 minutes) leaves Puente de Génave bus station (%953 43 53 17; Puente de Génave), just off the N322, at 12.15pm Monday to Friday. The return service departs Segura at 7.30am Monday to Friday.
8Getting Around
Exploring the park is far easier if you have a vehicle. The network of paved and unpaved roads and footpaths reaches some remote areas and offers plenty of scope for panoramic day walks or drives. If you don’t have a vehicle, you have the option of guided walks, 4WD excursions and wildlife-spotting trips with agencies based in Cazorla and elsewhere. Bus services are effectively nonexistent.
Hornos
POP 410 / ELEV 867M
Like better-known Segura de la Sierra, little Hornos is fabulously located – atop a crag backed by a sweep of mountains, with marvellous views over the shimmering Embalse del Tranco and the lush, green countryside, richly patterned with olive, pine and almond trees and the occasional tossed dice of a farmhouse.
The castle on the crag was built by Christians in the mid-13th century, probably on the site of an earlier Muslim fortification. Don’t expect colour-coordinated geraniums, souvenir shops or a tourist office: Hornos’ charms lie in exploring the narrow, winding streets and wondering at the view from several strategically placed miradors.
1Sights
Iglesia de la Asunción CHURCH
(Plaza de la Rueda)
The early-16th-century Iglesia de la Asunción has the oldest, albeit crumbling, plateresque portal in the province, plus a vibrant and colourful retablo (altarpiece) with nine painted panels dating from 1589.
DON’T MISS
RÍO BOROSA WALK
The most popular walk in the Cazorla natural park, Río Borosa Walk, follows the crystal-clear Río Borosa upstream to its source through scenery that progresses from the pretty to the majestic, via a gorge, two tunnels and a mountain lake. The walk is about 11km each way, with an ascent of about 600m, and takes about seven hours there and back.
To reach the start, turn east off the A319 at the ‘Sendero Río Borosa’ sign opposite the Centro de Visitantes Torre del Vinagre (%953 72 13 51; Ctra A319 Km 48; h10am-2pm & 4-7pm, 5-8pm Jul–mid-Sep, 4-6pm Nov-Mar, closed Mon Nov-Mar), and go 1.7km. The first section of the walk criss-crosses the tumbling, beautiful river on a couple of bridges. After just over 3km, where the main track starts climbing to the left, take a path forking right (with a rickety ‘Cerrada de Elías’ sign at research time). This leads through a lovely 1.5km section where the valley narrows to a gorge, the Cerrada de Elías, where the path becomes a wooden walkway. You re-emerge on the dirt road and continue 4km to the Central Eléctrica, a small hydroelectric station.
Past the power station, the path crosses a footbridge, after which a ‘Nacimiento Aguas Negras, Laguna Valdeazores’ sign directs you on and upward. The path winds its way up the valley, through increasingly dramatic scenery and getting gradually steeper. After about an hour, you enter the first of two tunnels cut through the rock for water flowing to the power station. It takes about five minutes to walk the narrow path through the first tunnel (the path is separated from the watercourse by a metal handrail), then there’s a short section in the open air before a second tunnel, which takes about one minute to get through. You emerge just below the dam of the Embalse de los Órganos (Laguna de Aguas Negras), a small reservoir surrounded by forested hills. Take the leftward path at the dam and in five minutes you reach the Nacimiento de Aguas Negras, where the Río Borosa begins life welling out from under a rock. Enjoy your picnic beneath the spreading boughs of a large tree here, then head back down the way you came.
Due to its popularity, it’s preferable to do this walk on a weekday! Do carry a water bottle: all the trackside springs are good and drinkable but the last is at the Central Eléctrica. A torch is comforting, if not absolutely essential, for the tunnels.
4Sleeping & Eating
Hornos has a handful of tourist apartments, hostales and pensiones if you fancy staying.
At least three of Hornos’ hostales have restaurants attached – serving straightforward but hearty sierra fare.
8Getting There & Away
To get to Hornos, take the A319 12km north of the Tranco dam to a T-junction; from here the A317 winds 4km up to Hornos village.
Segura de la Sierra
POP 250 / ELEV 1145M
One of Andalucía’s most picturesque villages, Segura de la Sierra perches on a steep hill crowned by a Reconquista castle. The village takes some of its character from its five Moorish centuries before the Knights of Santiago captured it in 1214, after which it became part of the Christian front line against the Almohads and then the Granada emirate.
As you drive up into the village, the Puerta Nueva, one of four gates of Islamic Saqura, marks the entrance to the old part of Segura. Signs to the Castillo lead you round to a junction on the northern side by the little walled bullring. Turn left here for the castle itself.
1Sights
oCastillo de Segura CASTLE
(%627 877919; adult/child & senior €4/3, audio guide €2.50; h10.30am-2pm & 5-8.45pm Jul & Aug, approx 11am-2pm & 4.30-7.45pm Wed-Sun Mar-Jun & Sep-Dec, closed Wed Apr-May; c)
This lofty castle dates from Moorish times but was rebuilt after the Christian conquest in the 13th century. Abandoned in the 17th century, it was restored in the 1960s and has now become a ‘frontier territory ‘ interpretation centre. The ticket office is also Segura’s main tourist information point.
4Sleeping & Eating
La Mesa Segureña APARTMENT€
(%953 48 21 01; Calle Cruz de Montoria; incl breakfast 2-person apt €45-55, 4-person apt €80; aW)
Seven cosy apartments just below Segura castle, with great views, a touch of bright art, cast-iron trimmings, fireplaces and minikitchens.
Mirador de Peñalta ANDALUCIAN€€
(%953 48 20 71; Calle San Vicente 29; mains €5-18; h1.30-4pm & 8-10pm Tue-Sun; W)
On the street entering Segura from below, this place caters to hungry travellers with a meaty menu that includes steaks, lamb chops and pork, as well as smoked trout and some sierra specialities such as ajo atao (a belly-filling fry-up of potatoes, garlic and eggs).
8Getting There & Away
Several country roads meet here: the main approach is from the A317 between Cortijos Nuevos and La Puerta de Segura.
Almería Province
Boasting silent mountain valleys, sublime beaches and vast tracts of semi-desert scrubland, Almería province is an area of haunting natural beauty. Despite this, and despite enjoying 3000 hours of annual sunshine, it remains relatively unknown outside of Spain. Its obvious drawcard is its glorious coastline, most notably the thrilling beaches of the Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata-Níjar, and the lively, good-time resort of Mojácar. But venture inland, and you’ll discover plenty to explore in its sparsely populated and often other-worldly hinterland. Tour the spaghetti-western badlands of the Desierto de Tabernas and discover underground treasures in the Sorbas caves. Further north, the wooded peaks of Los Vélez provide a majestic backdrop for mountain walking. After so much nature, the port city of Almería offers a welcome blast of urban energy with its impressive monuments, handsome centre and buzzing tapas bars.
Almería
POP 165,180
An energetic port city with an illustrious past, Almería is one of Andalucía’s emerging destinations. Until fairly recently the city was generally overlooked by travellers, but recent efforts to spruce it up are beginning to pay dividends. It boasts a handsome centre, punctuated by palm-fringed plazas and old churches, several interesting museums and a plethora of fantastic tapas bars. Best of all – and reason alone for a visit – is its spectacular Moorish Alcazaba (fortress).
1Sights
Almería’s top sights are the Alcazaba and the cathedral, both of which can be explored in a morning, but there are plenty of interesting additional distractions in the city’s meandering streets. Orientate yourself from Paseo de Almería, the city’s main drag, which runs north–south through the historic centre.
oAlcazaba FORTRESS
(%950 80 10 08; Calle Almanzor; h9am-8pm Tue-Sat Apr–mid-Jun, to 3pm Tue-Sat mid-Jun–mid-Sep, to 6pm Tue-Sat mid-Sep–Mar, to 3pm Sun year-round) F
A looming fortification with great curtain-like walls rising from the cliffs, Almerìa’s Alcazaba was founded in the mid-10th century and went on to become one of the most powerful Moorish fortresses in Spain. It’s survived in good shape and while it lacks the intricate decoration of Granada’s Alhambra, it’s still a magnificent sight. Allow about 1½ hours to explore everything. Pick up a guide leaflet at the kiosk inside the four-arch entrance gate.
The Alcazaba is divided into three distinct recintos (compounds). The lowest, the Primer Recinto, was residential, with houses, streets, wells, baths and other necessities – now replaced by lush gardens and water channels. From the battlements, you can look over the city’s huddled rooftops and down to the Muralla de Jayrán, a fortified wall built in the 11th century to defend the outlying northern and eastern parts of the city.
Further up in the Segundo Recinto you’ll find the ruins of the Muslim rulers’ palace, built by the taifa ruler Almotacín (r 1051–91), under whom medieval Almería reached its peak, as well as a chapel, the Ermita de San Juan, that was originally a mosque. The highest section, the Tercer Recinto, is a castle added by the Catholic Monarchs.
oCatedral de la Encarnación CATHEDRAL
(%950 23 48 48; www.catedralalmeria.com; Plaza de la Catedral 8, entrance Calle Velázquez; €5, 8.30-9am Mon-Sat & 10.30-11.30am Sun free; h10am-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2.30pm & 3.30-7pm Sat, 1.30-7pm Sun Apr-Jun, 10am-8.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2.30pm & 3.30-7pm Sat, 1.30-7pm Sun Jul-Sep, shorter hours Oct-Dec)
Almería’s formidable, six-towered cathedral, begun in 1525, was conceived both as a place of worship and a refuge for the population from frequent pirate raids from North Africa. It was originally Gothic-Renaissance in style, but baroque and neoclassical features were added in the 18th century. The Gothic interior, entered through a fine neoclassical cloister, is an impressive spectacle with its sinuous, ribbed ceiling, 16th-century walnut choir stalls and monumental Capilla Mayor (Chancel).
Museo de la Guitarra MUSEUM
(%950 27 43 58; Ronda del Beato Diego Ventaja; adult/reduced €3/2; h10.30am-1.30pm Tue-Sun & 6-9pm Fri & Sat Jun-Sep, 10am-1pm Tue-Sun, 5-8pm Fri & Sat Oct-May)
It’s worth establishing two important facts before you enter this absorbing museum. First: the word ‘guitar’ is derived from the Andalucian-Arabic word qitara, hinting at its Spanish roots. Second: all modern acoustic guitars owe a huge debt to Almerían guitar-maker Antonio de Torres (1817–92), to whom this museum is dedicated. The museum itself details the history of the guitar and pays homage to Torres’ part in it.
Museo de Almería MUSEUM
(Museo Arqueológico; %950 17 55 10; www.museosdeandalucia.es; Calle Azorín; h9am-3pm Tue-Sun & 6-9.30pm Wed-Sat mid-Jun–mid-Sep, 9am-8pm Tue-Sat, 9am-3pm Sun mid-Sep–mid-Jun) F
Almería’s excellent archaeology museum, housed in a spacious modern building, focuses on two local prehistoric cultures – Los Millares (3200–2250 BC; probably the Iberian Peninsula’s first metalworking culture), and El Argar (2250–1550 BC), which ushered in the Bronze Age. Artefacts from these important sites are well displayed and accompanied by informative explanatory panels in English and Spanish.
Refugios de la Guerra Civil HISTORIC SITE
(Civil War Shelters; %950 26 86 96; Plaza de Manuel Pérez García; adult/reduced €3/2; htours 10am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 6pm & 7.30pm Jun-Sep, 10.30am & noon Tue-Sun, plus 5pm & 6.30pm Fri & Sat Oct-May)
During the civil war, Almería was the Republicans’ last holdout in Andalucía, and was repeatedly and mercilessly bombed. The attacks prompted a group of engineers to design and build the Refugios, a 4.5km-long network of concrete shelters under the city. Visits – by 1¼-hour guided tour, in Spanish only – take you through 1km of the tunnels, including the recreated operating theatre and store rooms.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
THE OLD MEDINA
Sprawled at the foot of the Alcazaba, the maze-like Almedina is one of Almería’s most atmospheric neighbourhoods. This was the area occupied by the original Almería – a walled medina (city), bounded by the Alcazaba to the north, the sea to the south, and what are now Calle de la Reina and Avenida del Mar to the east and west. At its heart was the city’s main mosque – whose mihrab (a prayer niche indicating the direction of Mecca) survives inside the Iglesia de San Juan (Calle General Luque; hopen for Mass 8pm Apr-Sep, 7pm Oct-Mar, closed Tue & Fri) F – with the commercial area of markets and warehouses spread around it. Calle de la Almedina still traces the line of the old main street running diagonally across the medina.
An excellent place for refreshment is Tetería Almedina, a friendly teahouse-restaurant. Also worth seeking out is the Plaza de Pavía market (h9am-2pm Mon-Sat), at its liveliest on Saturdays, with stalls selling everything from cheap shoes to churros (delicious, fat, tubular doughnuts).
4Sleeping
Hotel Nuevo Torreluz HOTEL€
(%950 23 43 99; www.torreluz.com; Plaza de las Flores 10; r €55-70; paW)
A polished four-star enjoying a superb location on a small square in the historic centre. Carpeted corridors lead to smallish but comfortable rooms sporting parquet floors and modern pearl-grey colours. The hotel also runs a trio of cafes and restaurants around the square. Parking is available for €11.90.
Hotel Catedral BOUTIQUE HOTEL€€
(%950 27 81 78; www.hotelcatedral.net; Plaza de la Catedral 8; r €90-150; aW)
Boasting a prime location overlooking the cathedral, this debonair four-star occupies a handsome 1850s building. Inside, the decor slickly marries the old and the new, combining clean contemporary lines with Gothic arches and an artesonado (coffered) ceiling in the restaurant. Rooms are large and high-ceilinged, and the roof terrace offers heady cathedral views.
5Eating
Almería is a great place to eat well. The city is awash with restaurants and tapas bars, ranging from old-school bodegas to trendy modern hang-outs. Frequented as much by locals as out-of-towners and tourists, many are squeezed into the tight-knit area between Plaza de la Constitución and Paseo de Almería.
oTetería Almedina MOROCCAN€€
(%629 277827; www.teteriaalmedina.com; Calle Paz 2, off Calle de la Almedina; mains €10-15, fixed-price menus €17-30; h1-11pm Tue-Sun; v)
For a break from tapas, this welcoming little tearoom-restaurant is the answer. Hidden away in a backstreet below the Alcazaba, it serves a reassuring menu of home-style Moroccan staples – think tagines, tabbouleh, couscous and lightly spiced legume soups. To drink, a herbed tea or infusion is the way to go.
The restaurant is run by a local group dedicated to revitalising the old town, with its many Moroccan immigrants, and reviving the culture of Al-Andalus.
El Asador SPANISH€€€
(%950 23 45 45; www.elasadoralmeria.com; Calle Fructuoso Pérez 14; mains €18-25; h1.30-4.30pm Mon-Sat & 8.30pm-midnight Tue-Sat)
Formal and elegantly furnished, El Asador is smarter than most of its tapas-bar neighbours. Tall-backed chairs and starched table settings set the tone for high-end Spanish cuisine that features foie-gras starters and succulent barbecued steaks.
Casa Joaquín SEAFOOD€€€
(%950 26 43 59; Calle Real 111; raciones €12-36; h1.30-4.30pm & 9-11.30pm Mon-Fri, to 3.30pm Sat)
Fresh seafood is the star of this historic Almería bodega, classically attired with hanging hams and rustic clutter. What’s on offer depends on the day’s catch but regular crowd-pleasers include juicy gambas rojas (red prawns) cooked a la plancha (grilled on a hotplate), and fried calamares (squid).
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
TAPAS TOUR
The area between Paseo de Almería and Plaza de la Constitución is packed with busy and atmospheric tapas bars. Many maintain the civilised tradition of serving a free tapas with your drink. As a rule, portions are generous, and for the hungry – or to share – almost everywhere offers raciones and medias raciones (full- and half-sized plates of tapas items).
Casa Puga (www.barcasapuga.es; Calle Jovellanos 7; tapas from €1.70, raciones €8-15; hnoon-4pm & 8.15pm-midnight Mon-Sat) Dating to 1870, this is one of Almería’s oldest and best-known tapas bars. Its small interior, a cluttered space of hanging hams, yellowing wall pictures and wine bottles, gets very animated as locals and visitors squeeze in to snack on classic, old-school tapas.
Nuestra Tierra (Calle Jovellanos 16; tapas €2.80-5; h7.30am-noon Mon, to midnight Tue-Thu, to 1am Fri, 8.30am-1am Sat, noon-midnight Sun) Head to this good-looking modern eatery on bar-heavy Calle Jovellanos for creative tapas made with seasonal Andalucian ingredients. Showstoppers include garlic lamb with potatoes and octopus grilled to buttery softness.
El Quinto Toro (%950 23 91 35; Calle Juan Leal 6; tapas from €1.50, raciones €8-15; hnoon-5pm Mon-Sat & 8pm-midnight Mon-Fri) Keep it traditional at this old-school bar near the central market. Don’t expect culinary fireworks, just tried-and-tested staples such as chorizo ibérico (spicy sausage) and albóndigas (meatballs) in wine sauce.
La Mala (Calle Real 69; tortillas €8-12, raciones €6-22; h1-5pm & 8.30pm-1.30am) A favourite local hang-out, this buzzing corner bar fills quickly on weekend evenings. With its boho decor and young crowd, it’s a great spot to try a genuine Spanish tortilla (omelette), here prepared with everything from tuna to prawns and chilli.
Entrefinos (%950 25 56 25; www.entrefinos.es; Calle Padre Alfonso Torres 8; tapas €3.50, fixed-price menus €35-50; h1-4pm & 8pm-midnight Mon-Sat) Dressed like a woody wine bar with a timber-beamed ceiling, barrel-top tables and blackboard menus, this ever-popular eatery offers a menu of timeless tapas, such as grilled mushrooms and fried anchovies.
Taberna Postigo (Calle Guzmán; tapas €2.50-3; h11am-5pm & 7pm-midnight Tue, Wed & Sun, to 1am Thu-Sat) Laid-back, friendly and often very busy, this tavern is tucked away in a leafy corner off Paseo de Almería. Grab an outdoor table and dig into crowd-pleasing tapas a la brasa (grilled over hot coals), including a flavoursome bacon with pimientos (peppers). No credit cards.
6Drinking & Nightlife
La Cueva PUB
(%950 08 25 21; www.lacueva-almeria.com; Calle Canónigo Molina Alonso 23; h4pm-4am)
Craft beer goes hand-in-hand with jam sessions and live music at this laid-back pub. The subdued lighting and walls plastered with posters and concert flyers create an intimate vibe for everything from blues and rock to punk, rap and heavy metal. Gigs are either free or cost around €3 to €5.
Bar Hotel Catedral BAR
(Plaza de la Catedral 8; h7.30am-11pm)
Almería’s cathedral provides the atmospheric backdrop to leisurely drinks at the slick in-house bar of the Hotel Catedral. Sit out on the plaza or head inside to the bar’s elegant interior, decked out with giant blackboards and sharp, minimalist furniture.
3Entertainment
MadChester LIVE MUSIC
(%661 696930; www.facebook.com/madchesterclub; Parque Nicolás Salmerón 9; cover €8-16; h11pm-late Fri & Sat, 6-11pm Sun)
This club venue hosts Spanish and international DJs and regular gigs by bands playing indie, rock and electronica.
Clasijazz JAZZ
(www.clasijazz.com; Calle Maestro Serrano 9; nonmembers €2-25)
Located in a bland shopping centre, Clasijazz is a thriving music club that stages four or five weekly gigs – ranging from jam sessions to jazz, big band and classical concerts – in a clean, contemporary space. Check the website for upcoming events.
Peña El Taranto FLAMENCO
(%950 23 50 57; www.eltaranto.com; Calle Tenor Iribarne 20)
This is Almería’s top flamenco club, where local guitar star Tomatito has been known to stroke the strings. Housed in a series of medieval cisterns, it hosts exhibitions, runs courses and puts on occasional recitals and performances.
8Information
Oficina Municipal de Turismo (%950 21 05 38; www.turismodealmeria.org; Plaza de la Constitución; h10am-2pm & 6-8pm Jul & Aug, 9am-3pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat & Sun Sep-Jun) Helpful English-speaking staff can provide maps and city information.
Regional Tourist Office (%950 17 52 20; www.andalucia.org; Parque de Nicolás Salmerón; h9am-7.30pm Mon-Wed, to 3pm Thu & Fri, 9.30am-3pm Sat & Sun) Can provide information and printed material on the entire AndalucÍa region.
8Getting There & Around
BOAT
Acciona Trasmediterránea (%902 454645; www.trasmediterranea.es) sails from the passenger port (%950 23 60 33; www.apalmeria.com) to the Moroccan ports of Nador (€62, six hours) and Melilla (€35, eight hours) at least once daily, and to the Algerian cities of Orán (€81, nine hours) and Ghazaouet (€81, nine hours) at least once weekly.
BUS
Buses and trains share the Estación Intermodal just east of the centre. Bus Bam (%902 22 72 72; www.busbam.com) runs up to six daily buses (one on Sunday) to/from Madrid (€23, 6¾ hours). Most other intercity services are operated by ALSA (%902 42 22 42; www.alsa.es).
| Destination |
Cost (€) |
Duration (hr) |
Frequency (daily) |
| Córdoba | 29 | 5 | 1 |
| Granada | 14-17.50 | 2-4¼ | 8 |
| Guadix | 9.50 | 2 | 2 |
| Jaén | 19.50 | 4-5 | 3 |
| Málaga | 19-22 | 2½-5½ | 7 |
| Murcia | 14 | 2¾-4½ | 7 |
| Seville | 37 | 5½-8½ | 4 |
TRAIN
From the Estación Intermodal, there are direct trains to Granada (€20, 2½ hours, four daily), Seville (€41, 5¾ hours, four daily) and Madrid (€33 to €83, 6½ hours, three daily).
Desierto de Tabernas
Travel 30km north of Almería and you enter another world. The Desierto de Tabernas (Tabernas Desert) is a strange and haunting place, a vast, sun-baked scrubland of shimmering, dun-coloured hills scattered with tufts of tussocky brush. In the 1960s the area was used as a film location for Sergio Leone’s famous spaghetti westerns (A Fistful of Dollars; For a Few Dollars More; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly; and Once Upon a Time in the West), and still today filmmakers come to shoot within its rugged badlands. Many of its ‘Western’ sets have now been incorporated into Wild West theme parks, which make for a fun family day out.
The main town in the area is Tabernas, on the N340A road.
1Sights
Fort Bravo AMUSEMENT PARK
(Texas Hollywood; %902 07 08 14; www.fortbravooficial.com; Carretera N340A, Km 468; adult/child €19.40/10; h9am-7.30pm; pc)
Situated in the desert outside Tabernas, this popular Wild West theme park has a certain dusty charm with its movie sets – which are still used for filming – and daily cowboy and can-can shows. There’s a pool (in summer only), buggy rides and horse treks; plus you can stay overnight in a log cabin. The park is 1km off the N340A, signposted 31km from Almería.
Oasys Mini Hollywood AMUSEMENT PARK
(%902 53 35 32; www.oasysparquetematico.com; Carretera N340A, Km 464; adult/child €22.50/12.50; h10am-7.30pm Jun & Sep, to 9pm Jul & Aug, to 6pm Oct-May, closed Mon-Fri Nov-Mar; pc)
This, the best-known and most expensive of Tabernas’ Wild West parks, provides good family entertainment. The set itself is in decent condition, and the well-kept zoo has some 800 animals, including lions, giraffes, tigers and hippos. Children usually enjoy the 20-minute shoot-outs, while adults may prefer the clichéd can-can show (or at least the beer) in the saloon. There are also two summer pools, restaurants and cafes. Take sunscreen and a hat: there’s little shade.
WORTH A TRIP
CUEVAS DE SORBAS
The rare and spectacular Cuevas de Sorbas (%950 36 47 04; www.cuevasdesorbas.com; basic tour adult/child €15/10.50; htours 10am-1pm year-round & 3-7pm summer, 4-6pm spring, 4-5pm winter & autumn; pc), 2km east of Sorbas, are part of a vast network of underground galleries and tunnels. Guided visits lead through the labyrinthine underworld, revealing glittering gypsum crystals, tranquil ponds, stalactites, stalagmites and dark, mysterious tunnels. The basic tour, suitable for everyone from children to seniors, lasts about 1½ hours. Tours need to be reserved at least one day ahead; English- and German-speaking guides are available
TTours
Malcaminos TOURS
(%652 022582; www.malcaminos.com; Avenida de las Angustias, Tabernas)
A local outfit running excellent tours of Tabernas’ cinematic landscape. The guides are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the area – not just its filmic geography but also its history and geology. Packages include a two-hour 4WD tour (per adult/child €30/18.50) of the area’s movie locations.
Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata-Níjar
Extending southeast of Almería, the Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata-Níjar (www.degata.com/en) boasts some of Spain’s flawless and least crowded beaches. The park, which stretches from Retamar in the west up to Agua Amarga in the east, encompasses 340 sq km of dramatic cliff-bound coastline and stark semi-desert terrain punctuated by remote white villages and isolated farmsteads. Adding to the often eerie atmosphere are the abandoned mines and bizarre rock formations that litter the landscape.
There is plenty to do in the area besides enjoying the beaches and walking: diving, snorkelling, kayaking, sailing, cycling, horse riding, and 4WD and boat tours are all popular. A host of operators offers these activities from the coastal villages during Easter and from July to September, though only a few carry on year-round.
The park’s main hub is San José, a popular resort on the east coast.
1Sights
Faro de Cabo de Gata LIGHTHOUSE
(p)
Marking the southwest point of the promontory, this photogenic lighthouse commands stirring views of a jagged volcanic reef known as the Arrecife de las Sirenas (Reef of the Mermaids), after the monk seals that used to lounge here.
From the site, a side road runs 3km up to the Torre Vigía Vela Blanca, an 18th-century watchtower boasting even more coastal vistas.
Mirador de la Amatista VIEWPOINT
(p)
On the main road between La Isleta del Moro and Rodalquilar, this high viewpoint commands breathtaking views of the vertiginous, unspoilt coastline. From here the road snakes down into the basin of the Rodalquilar valley.
Gold Mines RUINS
(p)
Set amid the Martian red-rock terrain at the top of the village, the skeletal remains of Rodalquilar’s gold mines are an eerie sight. The complex, which was fully operational as recently as the mid-20th century, lies abandoned – and you’re free to explore its former crushing towers and decantation tanks.
Jardín Botánico El Albardinal GARDENS
(%971 56 12 26; Calle Fundición; h9am-2pm Tue-Fri, 10am-2pm & 4-6pm Sat & Sun; p) F
Rodalquilar’s extensive botanical gardens showcase the vegetation of Andalucía’s arid southeast. It’s well planned, with every plant, tree and shrub identified. There’s also a charming huerta (vegetable garden), complete with jam recipes and a scarecrow.
TTours
El Cabo a Fondo BOATING
(%637 449170; www.elcaboafondo.es; 1½hr tour adult/child €25/20)
Some of the most spectacular views of the Cabo de Gata coast are from the sea – a perspective you’ll get on Cabo a Fondo’s outings, which start from La Isleta del Moro, Las Negras or La Fabriquilla. Tours run up to seven times daily and are offered year-round, weather permitting (minimum numbers may be needed in low season). Reservations required.
4Sleeping
Hotel Senderos HOTEL€€
(%950 13 80 87; www.hotelsenderos.com; Calle Pueblecico 1; s €59-105, d €79-135; aWs)
Like everywhere in Agua Amarga, the Senderos hides its charms behind a cool white exterior. Inside it reveals spacious, light-filled rooms with polished marble floors and big, firm beds. There’s public parking just outside and the beach is about two minutes’ walk away.
5Eating
o4 Nudos SEAFOOD€€
(%620 938160; Club Náutico, Puerto Deportivo; mains €15-20; h9am-5pm & 7.30pm-midnight Tue-Sun)
Of San José’s various seafood restaurants, the ‘Four Knots’ is the star performer. Aptly housed in the Club Náutico at the marina, it serves classic Spanish dishes – paella included – alongside more innovative creations such as baby-prawn ceviche and tuna marinated in soy sauce, ginger and rosemary. Reservations advised except at the quietest times.
La Gallineta MEDITERRANEAN€€
(%950 38 05 01; El Pozo de los Frailes; mains €11-27; h1.30-3.30pm & 9-11pm, closed dinner Sun & Mon)
An elegant restaurant in the village of El Pozo do los Frailes, 4km north of San José, La Gallineta is a hit with city escapees who make the drive out for its innovative, outward-looking cuisine. Menu highlights include ravioli stuffed with foie gras and carpaccio of red prawns.
Casa Miguel SPANISH€€
(%950 38 03 29; www.restaurantecasamiguel.es; Avenida de San José 43-45; mains €10-20; h1-4.30pm & 7.30-11.30pm Tue-Sun)
Service and food are reliably good at this long-standing San José favourite, one of several places with outdoor seating on the main drag. There’s plenty to choose from on the extensive menu but you’ll rarely go wrong ordering the grilled fish of the day.
oRestaurante La Villa MEDITERRANEAN€€€
(%950 13 80 90; Carretera Carboneras 18; mains €15-25; h8pm-midnight Jun-Sep, closed Mon & Tue Oct-Dec & Mar-May, closed Jan & Feb)
La Villa is a sophisticated Agua Amarga restaurant with a romantically lit dining room and an elegant outdoor terrace. Dishes are original and artfully presented, ranging from Tex-Mex starters to steak tartare and gourmet black-Angus burgers. Reservations advised.
DON’T MISS
CABO DE GATA BEACHES
Cabo de Gata’s best beaches are strung along the south and east coasts, with some of the most beautiful southwest of San José. A dirt road signposted ‘Playas’ and/or ‘Genoveses/Mónsul’ runs to them from San José. However, from mid-June to mid-September, the road is closed to cars once the beach car parks (€5) fill up, typically by about 10am, but a bus (€1 one way) runs from town every half hour from 9am to 9pm.
The first beach outside of San José is Playa de los Genoveses (p), a 1km stretch of sand where the Genoese navy landed in 1147 to help the Christian attack on Almería. A further 2.5km on, pristine Playa de Mónsul (p) is another glorious spot – you may recognise the large free-standing rock on the sand from the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Tracks behind the large dune at Mónsul’s east end lead down to nudist Playa del Barronal (600m from the road). If you bear left just before Barronal, and work your way over a little pass just left of the highest hillock, you’ll come to El Lance del Perro. This beach, with striking basalt rock formations, is the first of four gorgeous, isolated beaches called the Calas del Barronal. Tides permitting, you can walk round the foot of the cliffs from one to the next.
A little west of Playa de Mónsul, paths lead from the road to two other less-frequented beaches, Cala de la Media Luna and Cala Carbón.
San José has a busy sandy beach of its own, and to the northeast there are reasonable beaches at Los Escullos and La Isleta del Moro. Much finer is Playa del Playazo (p), a broad, sandy strip between two headlands 3.5km east of Rodalquilar (the last 2km along a drivable track from the main road) or 2.5km south of Las Negras via a coastal footpath.
Las Negras, which has its own part-sandy, part-stony beach, is also a gateway to the fabulous Playa San Pedro, 3km to the northeast. Set between dramatic headlands and home to a small New Age settlement, this fabled beach can be reached only on foot or by boat (€12 return) from Las Negras.
Further up the coast, the small resort of Agua Amarga is fronted by a popular sandy beach. A short but steep 1.5km trek to the southwest leads to Cala de Enmedio, a pretty, secluded beach enclosed between eroded rocks.
8Information
Centro de Información (%950 38 02 99; www.cabodegata-nijar.com; Avenida San José 27; h10am-2pm & 5.30-8.30pm Apr-Oct, to 2pm Nov-Mar) Park information centre in San José.
Centro de Interpretación Las Amoladeras (%950 16 04 35; Carretera Retamar-Pujaire, Km 7; h10am-2pm Wed-Sun) The park’s main visitor centre, 2km west of Ruescas on the main road from Almería.
8Getting There & Away
ALSA (%902 42 22 42; www.alsa.es) runs at least six daily buses from Almería’s Estación Intermodal to San Miguel de Cabo de Gata (€2.90, one hour), and one to Las Negras (€2.90, 1¼ hours) and Rodalquilar (€2.90, 1½ hours).
Autocares Bernardo (%950 25 04 22; www.autocaresbernardo.com) operates buses from Almería to San José (€2.90, 1¼ hours, two to four daily).
Mojácar
POP 6490
Both a massively popular beach resort and a charming hill town, Mojácar is divided into two quite separate parts. Mojácar Pueblo is the attractive historic centre, a picturesque jumble of white-cube houses daubed down an inland hilltop. Some 3km away on the coast, Mojácar Playa is its young offspring, a modern low-rise resort fronting a 7km-long sandy beach.
As recently as the 1960s, Mojácar was decaying and almost abandoned. But a savvy mayor managed to resurrect its fortunes by luring artists and travellers to the area with offers of free land – which brought a distinct bohemian air that endures to this day.
1Sights
The main sight is Mojácar’s hilltop pueblo, with its whitewashed houses, charming plazas, bars and cafes. Beach lovers should head down to Mojácar Playa, which boasts 7km of mainly sandy beach. To reach the pueblo from the playa turn inland at the roundabout by the Parque Comercial, a large shopping centre towards the north end of the beach. Regular buses also connect the two.
Mirador del Castillo VIEWPOINT
(Plaza Mirador del Castillo, Mojácar Pueblo)
Casa La Canana HOUSE
(%950 16 44 20; Calle Esteve 6, Mojácar Pueblo; €2.50; h10.30am-2pm & 5.30-10pm Tue-Sat, 11am-3pm Sun)
This recently opened house-museum recreates the dwelling of a well-to-do villager from the first half of the 20th century. The layout of the furniture, some of which is original to the house, reflects the interior decor of the period, while information panels, tools and model animals illustrate the household habits of the time.
Fuente Pública FOUNTAIN
(Public Fountain; Calle La Fuente, Mojácar Pueblo)
Hidden near the foot of the hilltop pueblo, this historic fountain is a village landmark. Locals and visitors come to fill containers with the water that pours out of 13 spouts into marble troughs and tinkles along a courtyard below colourful plants. A plaque states that in 1488 this was where the envoy of the Reyes Católicos (the Catholic Monarchs Fernando and Isabel) met Mojácar’s last Moorish mayor, Alavez, to negotiate the village’s surrender.
4Sleeping
oHostal Arco Plaza HOSTAL€
(%950 47 27 77, 647 846 275; www.hostalarcoplaza.es; Calle Aire 1, Mojácar Pueblo; d €39-45, tr €45-50; aW)
Right in the heart of the action, this friendly, good-value hostal has attractive sky-blue rooms with wrought-iron beds and terracotta-tiled floors. The best have private balconies overlooking Plaza Nueva, though you can enjoy the same views from the communal rooftop terrace. The plaza can be noisy in the evening but generally quietens after midnight.
oHostal El Olivar HOSTAL€€
(%950 47 20 02, 672 019767; www.hostalelolivar.es; Calle Estación Nueva 11, Mojácar Pueblo; incl breakfast s €44-59, d €54-89; aW)
A stylish retreat in Mojácar’s historic centre, the welcoming Olivar has eight pearl-grey rooms furnished in a cool, modern style. Some overlook a plaza, others the mountains behind the pueblo. Breakfast is generous and you can take it on the panoramic roof terrace when the weather is decent.
5Eating
oTito’s INTERNATIONAL€€
(%950 61 50 30; Paseo del Mediterráneo 2, Mojácar Playa; mains €9.50-16; h10am-9pm Apr-Oct, to midnight late Jun–Aug; W)
Picture the ideal beachside bar and chances are it would look something like Tito’s, a cane-canopied hangout set amid palm trees on the southern promenade. It’s a wonderfully laid-back spot to sate your thirst on fresh-fruit cocktails and enjoy international, fusion-leaning food.
Arlequino FUSION€€
(%950 47 80 37; Plaza de las Flores, Mojácar Pueblo; mains €10-20; h1-4pm Wed-Sun & 7pm-2am daily)
The Arlequino’s studiedly mismatched bohemian decor and panoramic rooftop terrace pair well with the fusion Middle Eastern cuisine it serves. Vegetable samosas pave the way for mains such as lightly herbed lamb, elegantly presented on a slate-grey plate, and satisfyingly rich desserts.
8Information
Oficina Municipal de Turismo (%950 61 50 25; www.mojacar.es; Plaza Frontón, Mojácar Pueblo; h9.30am-2pm & 5-8pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm & 5-8pm Sat, 10am-2pm Sun) Up in Mojàcar’s hilltop pueblo.
Tourist Information Point (www.mojacar.es; Playa Villazar, Mojácar Playa; h10am-2pm daily & 5-8pm Mon-Sat) Down on the beach in front of the Parque Comercial (shopping centre).
8Getting There & Away
Intercity buses stop at various spots around the Parque Comercial roundabout in Mojácar Playa and on Avenida de Andalucía in Mojácar Pueblo.
ALSA (%902 42 22 42; www.alsa.es) runs buses to/from Almería (€7.67, 1¼ to 1¾ hours, two to four daily) and Murcia (€9.18, 2½ to three hours, three daily). Buy tickets at Mojácar Tour (%950 47 57 57; Centro Comercial Montemar, Avenida de Andalucía, Mojácar Playa; h10am-1.30pm & 5.30-8pm), a travel agency at the Parque Comercial in Mojácar Playa.
A local bus (€1.20) runs a circuit from Mojácar Pueblo along the full length of the beach and back again, roughly every half-hour from 9.15am to 11.35pm June to September, and until 9.15pm from October to May.
i