Blog

Trip to Andalusia, what I liked and what not…

I have just returned from a trip on the road to Andalusia, southern Spain, and with still hot emotions and feelings, it’s time to make a balance and tell you what I liked most, and what less.

Journey details

Lenght: 10 giorni (9 notti)
Flights : Ryanair –  Hahn-Alicante / Malaga – Hahn
Rental Car Hertz – Seat Ibiza
Itinerary: Alicante > Tabernas > Granada > Cordova > Sevilla> Cadiz > Nerja > Malaga
Distance covered by foot: around 300Km
Churros enjoyed: around 30
Cervezas drank: around 50 🙂

What I liked most

• TABERNAS DESERT – Just get lost in this desert with beautiful arid landscapes and you can discover abandoned set of old Western movies.
• SEVILLE – I do not know if “the perfect city” exists, but this approaches a lot: sunny, vibrant, clean, active and beautiful, so beautiful. The city is very safe and extremely tidy and clean and seems to be built around the needs of the citizen. Dedicated cycling paths, no traffic in central districts, modern architectures perfectly integrated into the urban plan, offering endless venues and events.
• SEVILLE  – Breakfast with Churros and hot chocolate at “Bar Comercio”. Local and relaxed environment.
• SEVILLE – The Alcazar palace, heaven on earth. Relaxing.
• SEVILLE – The delicious tapas of the tabernas “Blanco Paloma” in the Triana district. The best tapas in Seville.
• SEVILLE – Flamenco show, sensuality and passion at the pure state. Ahhhh
• GRANADA – The Sacromonte gitanos district, in the evening, to explore and live in every nuance.
• GRANADA – The Zambra show, the flamenco of Gitanos, an overwhelming and suffering dance, unforgettable experience.
• GRANADA – Seafood tapas from Los Diamantes in Plaza Nueva
• CORDOBA – The tranquillity and peaceful atmosphere of this city that you can safely visit on foot in one day.
• CORDOBA – The Mezquita, both inside and outside, is very beautiful and photogenic.
• CORDOBA – The Goat Cheese ice cream with Pumpkin Jam and Nuts Cocina 33: Simply Delicious!
• CARMONA – A surprisingly beautiful Pueblos Blanco, full of white lanes and churches. Worth a visit.
• CADIZ – Sunset over the Atlantic Ocean seen from Playa de la Caleta. The peace of the senses
• CADIZ – The sunset over the Cathedral offering a postcard view
• CADIZ – Dinning at the “La Bodeguita de Plocia“ tabernacle with fresh fish and seafood
• CADIZ – The rich and abundant “Mercado Publico”, both fresh fish, fruit, meat and salami.
• ANDALUSIA – Landscapes along the Pueblos Blanco’s Road, from Cadiz to Malaga. Wonderful.
• ANDALUSIA – Moorish architectures, Moroccan or Arabic atmospheres that you breathe on everywhere. Maybe It’s because I have a weakness for Morocco, a land I truly love.
• ANDALUSIA – Drinkingn a Cerveza in any tabernas, accompanied by delicious tapas.

(All the following pictures have been taken with an iPhone 6s)

 

 

 

What I liked most

• Ronda – This spot deserves the first place among the biggest disappointments of this trip. A hyper-touristic city, maybe perfect for those who love shopping. The main sight is a Roman bridge, impressively huge, yes, but for me, it is not worth a visit. Overrated
• Setenil de las Bodegas – Another well-publicized destination but in my opinion, it does not deserve a more than 15-minute visit, or rather, it does not deserve a detour along the itinerary. Yes, there is the peculiarity of the rocks that almost swallow the houses, but it really is two 30-meter narrow streets, including bars and shops. Boring
• Frigiliana – Another destination often mentioned and recommended for the area around Malaga, but to me insignificant. A small fortieth tourist village that has nothing but a dotted street and many tourist bars. Anonimous.
• Malaga – I knew it already and it was just a confirmation. A brutal city and invaded by buildings that take the breath away from the sea.
• Torre Vieja – We just stopped here for a break. Mamma mia! what an horror, a flashy example of urban rape, with the coast overwhelmed by imposing and ugly buildings. How to kill the sea.
• The espresso, from Cadiz to Malaga, is it long and served in a glass. Not the italian way. No No No
• Seville – The torture, aka “La Corrida”. The bulls fight. On this subject, I’ll write a separate article because no, there can not be so much brutality at the service of the show.

Conclusions

By eliminating any useless premise, I immediately tell you that my final judgment is YES, I like it! Andalusia is a truly wonderful land, full of life and character, fun and easy to explore. It has a lot to live and to see, not only for Moorish architecture and breathtaking scenery.

Andalusia is to live intensely in the warmth and smiles of its inhabitants, in the slow and peaceful life of its Pueblos Blanco, in the intense sunlight and in its hot evenings between tapas and cervezas

Is it enough for 10 days?

For a first taste, of course, yes, in Andalusia, the days live longer as in the summer season there’s sunlight until more than 22. The first thing I thought when I came back to my daily life in Luxembourg is that here, we live only half of our lives.

In Andalucia you will never say “it’s too late” as we always say here, where everything ends and goes off after the 18th. You’ll maybe say “it’s too soon”, because everything starts from 10 onwards …

But 10 days are not enough to see everything calmly because this region really offers a lot, each city has so much history and wonderful architectures of Muslim or Christian heritage. Just the desert of Tabernas deserves a separate trip, especially for photographers like me, or for those who simply love trekking and wild excursions.

Finally, for me, Andalucia is definitely a place to live, Seville or Cadiz, who knows, perhaps in the near future!!!

 

Muchas Gracias, Andalusia!

Sabino