OReilly

Hello all:

Thanks for the advice on hotels. I have done some reading and thinking and would now like advice and feedback on the following itinerary for a 5-day trip to Andalucía in February, flying in and out of Malaga from London.

I want to:
- Explore the glories of Granada
- Avoid the coast and built-up areas
- Concentrate on “off-the-beaten path”, small towns and villages, stunning scenery.

Please feel free to offer alternatives, suggest how long to spend exploring. All comments are welcome and gratefully accepted. I would like to know if I am getting the best out of my time.

Also, if you know of any wonderful restaurants in the towns on my journey, please share.

Best regards Ger

Day 1 - Thursday: Malaga Airport to Granada
Fly to Malaga from London; Arrive @ 1130
IAirport to Alhama de Granada
Explore Alhama de Granada
Alhama de Granada to Granada

Stay @ Alhambra Palace
http://www.h-alhambrapalace.es/Web/Index.htm


Friday
Explore Granada
Stay @ Alhambra Palace

Saturday
Granada to Priego de Cordoba
Explore Priego de Cordoba
Priego de Cordoba to Baeza
Explore Baeza
Baeza to Cazorla

Stay @ Cazola Parador
http://www.paradores-spain.com/spain/pcazorla.html


Sunday
Burunchel to Cazorla
Explore Cazorla
Cazorla to Tiscar
Explore Tiscar
Tiscar to Ubeda
Explore Ubeda
Ubeda to Cordoba

Stay @ NH Amistad
http://tinyurl.com/y6cm47


Monday
Explore Cordoba
Drive to Malaga Airport

josele

First of all, having in mind that in February days are still short, you cannot plan many things in one day. I have prepared the itineraries I’d do, which in fact I’ve done.

Airport to Alhama de Granada: 100km, 2hrs. drive highway towards Granada/Sevilla; upon reaching Casabermeja, exit to Colmenar and Velez-Malaga, reaching Alfarnate: lunch at Restaurant Antigua Venta de Alfarnate, 952 759 409. (outside the town, you cannot miss it). Rec Sopa de Picadillo and fried eggs with Migas and chorizo and lomo. Dishes are big: careful.
Continue to Alazores (beautiful landscapes), Zafarraya and Alhama de Granada. There is a parking lot at the very centre, Plaza de la Constitución. Tourist office right there, if open get map and info. If not, walk to Mirador, upon a crag, beautiful sights. Then to Iglesia de la Encarnacion, impressive, and its surroundings, and that is almost everything. Get car and drive (60km more, 1hour) to Moraleda de Zafayona (nothing remarkable) and A-92 highway to Granada.

Granada to Priego de Cordoba: total 80km, 1’30hrs. Drive to Atarfe, Pinos Puente and Alcala la Real, and Priego.
Excellent info at www.turismodepriego.com, clic on the left: on llegar, donde comer, plano (interactive map) and folleto: printable ones, choose urbano-reverso.
You’ll want to spend the whole day there, so beautiful it is.
Itinerary I recommend: First, Park where you are able, it is difficult. Try along plaza Constitucion, Carrera Monjas, Plaza Palenque, Obispo Perez Muñoz.
First the Fuente del Rey, then walk calle del Rio, full of XIX ct.palaces. Then calle Solana to ch. San Pedro, Abad Palomino gardens, and Plaza Santa Ana and Parroquia de la Asunción. On this spot you enter the whitewashed narrow streets of the old Jewish Quarters, a delight to walk, and then the Adarve (mirador). Walk to Paseo de Colombia, to eat at the Rest. Balcon del Adarve 957 547 075, my recommendation. Depending on time, you can have lunch first and then walk the Juderia.


At this point you’ll realise you have no time to continue to Baeza and Cazorla, (Priego to Baeza non-stop via Martos and Jaen is 120km, 2hrs.) and I feel you should re-arrange your plans for this part. IMO you can drive to Ubeda Parador and quit Cazorla and even Cordoba, dedicating the Saturday evening and Sunday to explore Ubeda and Baeza (Baeza is just 8km.away). These two cities have so many things to see. (Or you can drive from Priego TO Cordoba and stay there, but on Sunday Cordoba may be crowded).
As Priego is especially beautiful in May-June (though hotter) and Ubeda-Baeza are Renaissance cities, mostly granite buildings, perhaps in Feb you should dedicate to these ones with (or without) the Cazorla towns, (which I do not know).

OReilly

Josele

Many, many thanks for your wonderful advice.

Yes, perhaps I should try to do less and possibly eliminate Cordoba. I will work up another itinerary based on your excellent tips.

ONE more question: If you had to choose between Cordoba and Granada, which would it be? My reading suggests Granada wins over Cordoba and I have visited Cordoba briefly before.

Best regards Ger

Diz01

To chuck in my 2 cents worth.

Granada or Cordoba? Difficult. Granada for the Alhambra palace and gardens. I have visited twice and despite what others may say I don't feel the city itself has that much else to offer. Conversely the city of Cordoba is fascinating to explore plus the mezquieta. If you have't seen the Alhambra I would go for Granada.

I can recomend Las Mimbres for dinner in Granada just outside the Alhambra walls.

Diz01

marigross

Ger, I'm envious! Granada is my all-time Spain favorite. Wonderful place to wander aimlessly around. The drive across the mountains to Ronda is stunning, it felt like a moonscape. Endless photo ops

josele

I'd choose Granada. Cordoba has beautiful places, though fewer and most of them near each other (speaking generally, of course).
About your second part, choose ubeda-baeza if you want astounding architecture (links and photos at www.patrimonio-mundial.com/ubeda-baeza/; and Cazorla and towns if you are more for wilderness; but have in mind that in Feb you may find snow. Photos at www.cazorlaturismo.com

kenderina

Granada, without any doubt. Granada has a big university and in winter is a very lively city. Don't forget to visit the Cathedral, it's beautiful.

OReilly

Thanks to all.

Here is the revised itinerary, based on josele's advice. I think it is certainly more achievable. I have cut out Cordoba and may do the Corzola portion, but only if time allows and the weather co-operates.

I am still debating the hotels: The Palacio de la Rambla in Ubeda looks lovely and very cheap. Both options for Granada look inviting.

Once again, thanks for your assistance.

Regards Ger

Thursday: Malaga Airport to Granada
Fly to Malaga from London; Arrive @ 1130
Airport to Alhama de Granada
Explore Alhama de Granada
Alhama de Granada to Granada

Stay @ either:
Alhambra Palace Hotel: http://www.h-alhambrapalace.es/Web/Index.htm
AC Palacio de Santa Paula: http://tinyurl.com/u2kma

Friday
Explore Granada
Stay @ Alhambra Palace or AC Palacio de Santa Paula

Saturday
Granada to Priego de Cordoba
Explore Priego de Cordoba
Priego de Cordoba to Ubeda

Stay @ either:
Ubeda Parador: http://www.paradores-spain.com/spain/pubeda.html
Palacio de la Rambla: http://www.palaciodelarambla.com/in/index.htm

Sunday
Explore Ubeda
Explore Cazorla region, IF weather and time allows

Stay @ Ubeda Parador OR Palacio de la Rambla


Monday
Explore Baeza
Drive to Malaga Airport

josele

This itinerary is OK.
About Hotels: In Granada, the Alhambra Palace is very well located, up the Alhambra hill, with great sights of the city. There are parts of the Alhambra complex you can visit without ticket, very near this hotel and on the same level, almost: The Pilar de Carlos V (an impressive water trough), Puerta de la Justicia, Puerta del Vino, and around the Carlos V palace with great views to Albaicin, plus the Alhambra museum and giftshop.
The AC is in the city center, it is new and I don’t know it, but I see it is very handy for the Cathedral, Capilla Real and University baroque buildings; and a short (flat) walk to Plaza Nueva, Santa Ana and Carrera del Darro, a pleasant walk with tapas places.

The Ubeda Parador cannot be better located, in the very place of the monumental buildings (Plaza Vazquez de Molina, Capilla del Salvador),great if you have a room in the front façade, as there are rooms to a courtyard, that can be disappointing. The Parador, as long as I remember, has no garage, but a parking lot in a nearby yard (the narrow street in the photo) and don’t know if it is an additional expense. You can contact them and ask for special offers, they may have something. The Palacio de la Rambla looks great, the prices are very good, and the location is a very short walk to the Parador. Something to consider, as there is a price difference. IMO, if you cannot get front room at the Parador, go for the Rambla.

Dining in Ubeda, I’d choose the Parador. In nearby Baeza, the choice is Juanito, www.juanitobaeza.com , you cannot miss it , as you arrive in Baeza from Ubeda, on the right, by the gas station. Reservation mandatory.

In the Cazorla Parador I see there are gastronomic days.

ekscrunchy

saving

hopingtotravel

Ditto. And, I hope you have a really enjoyable trip and give us another one of your wonderful reports with photos.

artlover

ger,
Sounds like a great trip and you have been given some great advise. Just want to add a restaurant favorite of mine in Cordoba--El Caballo Rojo across from Mezquita.

Have a great trip and please report back to us.

rosetravels

Saving

Revulgo

I'd suggest a roundtrip from Ubeda to Sabiote, the third town of the Renaissance route as well as Ubeda and Baeza.

PJTravels

bookmarking