Malaga has a reputation for being a jumping off point for holidays elsewhere in Andalusia rather than a destination in itself. But it was bonkers when we visited, full of tourists who’d decided it was worth a day or two of their precious vacations. And while it doesn’t have a wealth of things to see,…
Category: Spain
Granada: Beyond the Alhambra
The Emirate of Granada was the last bastion of the Arabs who ruled much of the Iberian Peninsula from the 8th century until 1492. In January that year the sultan surrendered to the Christian forces and the Alhambra fell. It may have been the end of the Moorish rulers but much of what they built,…
The Alhambra, Granada
The guidebooks tell us that the Alhambra in Granada is one of those sights that just has to be seen at least once. But is it worth the aggravation, worth putting up with the crowds? Is it worth the hype? During our week in Andalusia we had the chance to find out. A mix of…
Cordoba: A palace, patios and tapas
Visiting Cordoba is like visiting an old friend. It’s a recognisably Andalusian city with its cobbled alleys and white-washed terraces highlighted in reds and ochres. Like Seville and Jerez, Cordoba has an historic heart with obvious Roman foundations and a street plan that reflects the medinas of Arab cities. There’s an atmospheric Jewish district of…
Cordoba’s Mezquita, an architectural masterpiece
The magnificent Mezquita in Cordoba is without doubt one of the world’s great buildings, once a mosque and now a cathedral. It’s also somewhere to shelter from the city’s oven-like heat, for even at the end of September the thermometer was recording late 30s centigrade. I really struggle with the heat and spent much of…
An Easter weekend in Palma, Mallorca’s capital
In London the sun was shining, temperatures were hitting new records for an Easter weekend and the newspapers were crowing about it. In Palma, it was cool, drab, drizzly and windy. This was not how it was supposed to be, and my mood was just as gloomy. Perhaps that’s why it took me several days…
Mallorca: Palma’s foodie scene
Mallorca’s capital Palma has a well-deserved reputation when it comes to food and the star of the show is the San Juan Gastronomic Market in the north of the city. Once a slaughterhouse, it opened in 2015 and houses up to 20 stalls that offer local treats and international dishes, small plates and full-on meals….
Mallorca: A walk from Sóller to the coast
It was mum who recommended taking the narrow gauge railway up to the prosperous country town of Sóller while we were staying in Mallorca. The journey itself promised to be as memorable as the destination… But as was the way with our Easter weekend in the Balearic island’s capital Palma, we were to be disappointed…
Jerez and its sherry
Jerez is a city built on the riches of sherry. And the word ‘sherry’ is itself a corruption of Jerez. This delicious fortified wine was our main reason for visiting and throughout our short stay we’d taken the chance to enjoy a tipple. Back in Britain it may be regarded as the drink of grannies…
Jerez: A palacio, archaeology and Flamenco
Sunday in Jerez means religion for many locals but for us it meant visits to the Count of the Andes’ palace, a flea market and a museum. But only after breakfast in Plaza Plateros, where we watched those religious types promenading past on their way to one or other of the city’s many historic churches….
Jerez and its Alcazar
Jerez and Seville are two of Andalucia’s great cities, and they have much in common. Both were born out of civilisations that were at times pagan, Islamic and Christian. That history is written over the streets and the architecture, and reflected in the way locals live their lives. It’s a fascinating muddle. Jerez in November…
Tenerife: A drive to La Laguna
If I learnt anything in Tenerife, it’s never to trust a sat-nav. After the traumas of getting to Teide, our expensive piece of tech managed to land us, somewhat embarassed, in the pedestrianised shopping streets of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of La Laguna. All I wanted to do was park the car but it…
Tenerife: The epic Mount Teide
When the clouds weren’t hovering threateningly over Tenerife we couldn’t miss the island’s magnificent volcano, Mount Teide. Descending from 35,000ft in our Airbus on that first day, we saw it dominating the island that it helped to create, its upper slopes covered in snow. And from our hotel grounds in the resort town of Puerto de…
A visit to La Oratava in Tenerife
We went all the way to Tenerife for winter sun and relaxation only to find a depressing layer of cloud that refused to budge from the volcanic mountains around Puerto de la Cruz. So while the Hotel Botanico pool may have looked inviting, it was a bit too cold to sit out, read and swim –…
Tenerife: Exploring the gardens of Puerto de la Cruz
Puerto de la Cruz is part modern resort, part historic harbour village. And it’s surprisingly green too. Walking around town, and we did a lot of that when the weather was drab, we were impressed by the way locals kept their gardens tended and how even the smallest of green spaces had been kept spick…