To complement our travel itineraries, this section gives more background information about places to visit in Andalucía. This includes the “main sights” like the Alhambra, Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba and Seville Cathedral, as well as some of the neighbourhoods, towns and villages with most character.
It really is a case of “the more you look, the more there is to see”. Even after 20 years in Andalucía, we keep finding new places to visit – be it a whitewashed village, olive mill, speciality museum, viewpoint, traditional bar tucked away in a side-street or hiking trail. We really want to encourage you to go beyond the most obvious destinations and explore Andalucía, so we’ll be adding some lesser-known sights to this section as well. Make sure to check back regularly.
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Albaicín
The Albaicín is the part of Granada which best preserves the character of the Muslim medieval city, and together with the Alhambra it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can easily spend a morning or afternoon getting lost in its narrow streets and alleyways.
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Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos
As its name suggests, the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos (Castle of the Christian Monarchs) is largely the work of Córdoba’s Christian rulers, but it is built on top of earlier Roman and Muslim structures.
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Alhambra and Generalife
By far the most famous of Granada’s monuments is the spectacular Alhambra, or “red palace”, which is one of the finest and best-preserved examples of historic Islamic architecture in the world.
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Córdoba’s Judería
With its narrow, winding streets, the judería – or Jewish quarter – is perhaps the most charming part of Córdoba’s historic centre. It’s made up of 12 few streets centred around Plaza Maimonides, Calle Judíos and Calle Tomás Conde.
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Dolmens of Antequera
Antequera’s dolmens are an outstanding example of megalithic culture, and one of the most important prehistoric monuments anywhere in Spain. The word megalith means “great stone”, and megalithic cultures used huge rocks to create burial chambers and religious or ceremonial structures.
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Málaga’s Art Museums
Building on its reputation as the birthplace of Picasso, Málaga is now home to a number of excellent art museums. Apart from the Picasso Museum, the best-known ones are the Museo Carmen Thyssen Málaga and the Centre Pompidou Málaga, but there are also several others worth visiting.
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Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba
The idiosyncratic combination of Muslim and Christian religious architecture makes the Mezquita, as it is generally known, one of the world’s most remarkable and easily identifiable buildings. Together with the Alhambra, it is the outstanding example of Andalucía’s Islamic heritage, and no first visit to Córdoba would be complete without stepping inside.
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Real Alcázar of Seville
“Real” means “royal”, and Seville’s Real Alcázar likes to claim it’s the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe. It’s a fascinating and beautiful place, and you can easily spend a whole morning or afternoon exploring the palaces and gardens.
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Realejo
Realejo is thought to have been Granada’s main Jewish quarter. Although Realejo’s medieval origins are much less well-preserved than the Albaicín, it’s still a fascinating district to explore.
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Sacromonte
Just outside Granada’s old city walls lies Sacromonte, most famous for its cave houses. Historically, the residents of this neighbourhood were marginalised groups like the Roma. It was here that flamenco developed in Granada, and there are many atmospheric flamenco venues where you can catch a show.
