Top Sights in Spain's Andalucia
Ten Must-See Places to Go in Southern Spain and the Costa del Sol
Aug 22, 2008
Some of the most beautiful Spanish landscapes fill the southwestern region, whose golden beaches are washed by both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, and whose hillsides are carpeted in olive groves or crowned by the fabled White Towns. It has most of Spain’s sites remaining from the Islamic Caliphate’s long rule, and it’s the birthplace of flamenco, bullfighting and Picasso.
During the age of discoveries, ships laden with gold and silver from the New World had to stop there first to pay duties, leaving its churches awash in gold.
Seville’s Cathedral and La Giralda
La Giralda tower, Seville Cathedral and the Alcazar combine to form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tower is a minaret, a “masterpiece of Almohad architecture,” according to UNESCO. The Cathedral has more interior space than St. Peter’s in Rome and a 120-foot main altar of carved statues covered in gold. The tomb of Christopher Columbus is held aloft by a quartet of larger-than-life figures.
Seville’s Alcazar
The Alcazar was begun by the Moors in 712 and continued by King Pedro in the 1300s in the ornate Moorish style called Mudejar. The rooms and salons are breathtaking, and the gardens a joy to stroll in, shaded by fragrant orange and lemon trees.
The Alhambra and Generalife
Granada’s Alhambra is perhaps the signature piece of the Islamic period, when Al-Andalus -- as they called it -- represented the epitome of culture and civilization in Europe’s Middle Ages. There is no adequate way to describe the intricate carvings, the perfect courtyards, the breath-stopping decoration of the Alhambra. Generalife’s terraced gardens offer the right chaser – and splendid views back at the rest of the complex.
Great Mosque of Cordoba
More than 1000 columns of marble, granite, onyx and jasper support row on row of rounded Moorish arches, in a symmetrical pattern so pleasing and so majestic that most who enter are stopped in their tracks.
Andalucian Riding School
While a visit to a sherry bodega is important in Jerez de la Frontera, don’t miss the Royal Andalucian School of Equestrian Art for stable tours and shows where the famous Andalucian thoroughbreds perform high precision ballet.
Before visiting one of Seville’s popular tablaos or Jerez’s peña flamenca to see flamenco performed, learn about this art at the vibrant new Museum of Flamenco Dancing in Seville – perhaps even learning a few steps.
White Towns
The Pueblos Blancos, White Towns, crown hilltops with their pure white buildings shimmering in the Andalucian sun. Arcos de la Frontera is the most spectacular, set atop a 450-foot cliff, with a Moorish castle, several palaces and two churches with outstanding altars to discover along its winding cobbled streets.
Ronda
Perched over a huge gorge in the mountains above Málaga, Ronda sits astride a 400-foot gorge, spanned by Moorish and Medieval bridges. Its bullring is one of Spain’s most famous.
Doñana National Park
Between Moorish sites and dazzling cities, it’s easy to forget natural attractions. Below Seville, the Guadalquivir River forms the large delta of dunes, sandbars and marshes, a World Heritage Site and one of Europe's most important wetland reserves.
Málaga
Determined to be named one of Europe’s Cities of Art, Málaga has transformed itself in the past few years. Follow a trail of Picasso sights that include his birthplace and a sparkling new museum of his works.
