If nothing else is of any use, this site can at least contribute something to flag knowledge ;-)
As of now (beginning of 2019) we have been to Andalusia 5 times and can rightly say that it is currently our favorite travel destination. It's not a specific place or place, but we love the 'overall concept': country, people, food, drinks, sights, ...
At this point we would like to introduce the places, squares and restaurants that we liked best on our tours.
You can now easily browse through the text or directly click on the region that interests you:
If you are interested in the pictures:
I have put together many pictures from our holiday destinations in the
Andalusian Gallery.
There is also a separate gallery for each location with images only from that region.
City emblemThe absolute highlight and not to be topped was the visit to Seville to Corpus Christi. You have to know that we - as people raised Protestant - have absolutely no idea about Catholic holidays. We were just surprised that the overnight stay in Seville was significantly more expensive than in previous years.
It was only when we walked into the city center in the morning that we noticed that something was 'different' than usual. There were magnificently embroidered tapestries with religious motifs and garlands hanging on the house walls, the large square in front of the town hall was decorated and furnished with seating, the residents of Seville were festively dressed.
And to this day we have not been able to understand or explain what happened next.
As I said, we didn't know about this holiday and certainly not about the process or schedule of the festival. Let alone that in Seville the city is turned upside down on this holiday! But wherever chance took us, something special just started:
The coincidences will come across us a lot in the next few sentences,
so that you can actually no longer believe in coincidence...
...speaking of "believe"... Heike once again put it perfectly:
Is it all just a coincidence?!?
If you're not lucky enough to be in Corpus Christi, Seville still has a lot to offer. The cathedral is actually constantly under siege, so we weren't in there (except on the date mentioned above).
But the highlight for us is the Real Alcazar! This is the medieval royal palace with extensive (read: EXTENSVE) gardens and parks that make every hobby gardener's heart beat faster. As a passionate gardener, Heike fought the long way to the origin of the irrigation system to inspect it, despite the extreme heat.
This has remained unchanged ( ! ) since it was built during the Moorish period.
In terms of architectural style, the Alcazar of Seville is based on the Moorish period, whose influences can be felt everywhere. There are wonderful ornaments everywhere that you don't even want to see!
The Alcazar is also usually besieged by hordes of tourists - and that is unlikely to change since the Alcazar was chosen as the home of the Sand Vipers of Dorne in the series 'Game Of Thrones'.
A little further from the city center you can admire the legacies of two world exhibitions (and with a nice twist of numbers): the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929 and the World Exhibition EXPO 1992.
In addition to the many pavilions of the South American states located on the main street, the Plaza de España should of course be mentioned at the 29er exhibition.
And what remains of the EXPO is the launch vehicle Ariane 4, visible from afar. The theme of the exhibition was "The Age of Discovery" to mark the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America. Seville (unlike other cities we know in Germany...) knew how to use the EXPO wonderfully for the good of the city - for example to renew the infrastructure (6 new bridges, motorway connection, new train station, expansion of the airport, to name just a few).
All in all you can find 51 pics that prove our words ;-)
has a very spacious pedestrian zone with good shops (e.g.: SFERA, a kind of Zara or Mango, where women over the age of teenagers also like to shop). Quality is usually top, prices are absolutely cheap.
Further down in the old town there is a maze of alleys in which it is not difficult to get lost. If you have booked a hotel in the old town and want to get there by car, you should have the route described in detail - a navigation system is of little or no help here! And when renting a car, you should ask for the width, because some streets are so narrow that you can't get through and literally get stuck (I speak from experience!).
The biggest highlight in Cordoba is of course the Mezquita, a former mosque into which Christian elements and altars were added after the Reconquista. The monarch who gave the order is said to have found the result stupid. The (slightly modified) quote is attributed to him: 'You built... something that already existed elsewhere, and in return you destroyed something that was unique in the world!'.
But what can I mention at this point that isn't already described in any number of travel guides, programs or reports? Actually, it's just that we make the pilgrimage there every time, even though we've already seen it four times. The mix between Moorish and Christian culture and construction simply blows you away!
What we didn't expect in the tourist zone around the Mezquita is a taparia that is both good and cheap. But there is: 101 tapas!
The name says it all: there are 101 different dishes, served in three sizes. Tapa, Media Racion and Racion for 2, 3 or 4 euros each.
Very good selection, deliciously prepared and friendly staff in a rustic atmosphere - what more could you want? This is our constant point of contact in Cordoba and we are now recognized even though we were only there for 2 to 3 days per stay.
Addendum 2023:
Unfortunately this taparia did not survive the Covid era and was closed...
We hope it finds new owners who will continue this concept!
You can browse through 29 pictures of the Mezquita.
is a completely underestimated small town located directly on the Mediterranean. If you're just passing through, you won't particularly notice this place because the waterfront promenade doesn't have a lot of shops - but the sandy beach is even more impressive. As is often the case, the beauty of Estepona can be found in the outskirts of the town, which is best or can only be reached on foot. You can see hanging baskets and nicely decorated doors and windows everywhere. There is also a highly recommended fish restaurant: Pescados y Mariscas on Calle Terraza.
A hotel that we highly recommend is located directly on the main street: the Hotel Mediteraneo. Very simple hotel for 50 euros (as of 2019) per night (yes: NOT per person!). And then with this view from the room:
There is no breakfast, but you just walk 5 steps further to Pepe and get wonderful bocadillos with jamon and, if necessary, fresh garlic cloves to grate on them, strong local coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice. Authentic Andalusian breakfast - our insider tip for Estepona!
We captured 19 beautiful pics for you!
And if you are interested in beautiful flowers, you can view 40 orchid pictures from the 2015 exhibition!
has one of the oldest and most venerable bullrings in Spain and a truly impressive gorge.
The gorge is truly breathtaking and can hardly be described in words. Even capturing the whole thing in two dimensions does not convey the fascinating view that this gorge offers.
Admittedly, we weren't particularly impressed with the rest of the place.
But it's definitely worth taking a look at the 24 pictures from Ronda!
Whoever says "Granada" actually means "Alhambra".
Okay - that's pretty disrespectful and doesn't really do the place justice.
But the Alhambra is the standout feature of Granada and if the Alhambra didn't exist, we wouldn't have stopped here.
However, a "standout feature" can also have disadvantages... For example, you're not the only one who wants to go there ;-)
In our case, we were fortunate to know well in advance that we wanted to go there. That's why we booked tickets well before our vacation, with a fixed date and time!
When we arrived, we had to hand our tickets to the tour guide so he could exchange them for the actual entrance tickets. So despite having bought tickets and booked a time slot, we had to wait a long time until it finally started! And we had to wait! Again and again! It felt like this every time we wanted to leave a building and "rush" to the next building.
The Lion Fountain in particular was literally besieged - I still had no idea what was so special about it... judge for yourself:
The restoration took over 11 years and cost 2,243,730 euros. Just for the fountain!
But I don't want to badmouth everything! The Alhambra is really a real eye-catcher :-)
I'm treating you to 28 out of the dozens of photos I've taken here.
We only made a short stopover in Jerez and visited, among other things, Gonzalo Byass' sherry factory.
Gonzalo Byass is best known for the sherry Tio Pepe made here.
First we were taken to a bodega that was almost reminiscent of an arena. The La Concha winery was built in honor of the Spanish Queen Isabella II. Over 200 barrels of Amontillado are stored here. The barrels are marked with a flag and are intended to make it clear in which countries Tio Pepe's sherry is sold.
In the wine cellars of Tio Pepe they tell a delightful story about mice. A cellar worker once decided to make life more pleasant for the little rodents who lived under the barrels. He placed a small sherry glass filled to the brim on the floor and built a tiny ladder that reached to the rim of the glass. This meant the mice could easily get to the sherry. During the tour, the mice were of course too shy to show themselves. But there are pictures that show some of the mice examining the glass...do they drink too?
18 pictures made it into our selection.
Gibraltar is ...
... not in Andalusia
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. It has been under sovereignty since 1704 after the War of the Spanish Succession of the United Kingdom and was officially ceded by Spain in the Peace of Utrecht in 1713, however, has since been claimed by Spain. (end of wiki ;-)
If you're at the southern tip of Spain, you can just turn right for a moment, and then continue in left-hand traffic.
You know Gibraltar from the media (if you haven't been there before) depending on your own interests especially because of the history, the Barbary macaques, duty-free shopping, the big rock or again James Bond (The Living Daylights).
We were lucky that a BA plane landed right when we arrived. This then drove past us only a few meters - separated only by a small barrier. But at least it comes with a very strict warning sign ;-)
The road for pedestrians and the few cars that are allowed here leads just behind the border and the aforementioned barrier directly over the runway of the small but international airport.
Gibraltar became a full member of UEFA in 2013 and is actually allowed to host home games in its own small Victoria Stadium.
I tried to show what I just described in 11 pictures.
A final word about the temperatures in Andalusia:
Anyone who sees this temperature display on the side of the road...
... doesn't feel like walking long distances anymore ;-)
P.S.: ... it was even hotter, but I couldn't capture that in a picture...
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