163 Best Sights in Andalusia, Spain

At this visitor center, less than 2 km (1 mile) from the center of El Rocío, you can peer at the park's many bird species from a 3½-km (2-mile) footpath.

The western entrance to the Alpujarras is some 46 km (29 miles) from Granada at Lanjarón. This spa town is famous for its mineral water, collected from the melting snows of the Sierra Nevada and drunk throughout Spain. Orgiva, the next and largest town in the Alpujarras, has a 17th-century castle. Here you can leave the A348 and follow signs for the villages of the Alpujarras Altas (High Alpujarras), including Pampaneira, Capileira, and especially Trevélez, which lies on the slopes of the Mulhacén at 4,840 feet above sea level. Reward yourself with a plate of the local jamón serrano. Trevélez has three levels—the Barrio Alto, Barrio Medio, and Barrio Bajo—and the butchers are concentrated in the lowest section (Bajo). The higher levels have narrow cobblestone streets, whitewashed houses, and shops.

This huge square, at the west end of Calle Cuna, is home to the world's largest wooden structure, 492 feet long by 230 feet wide. Known in the city as "Las Setas" (The Mushrooms), the piece is actually meant to represent giant trees, and walkways run through the "treetops" affording great views of the city, especially at sunset. Although it's reminiscent of Gaudí, it was built in 2011. At ground level, the Antiquarium (€2; closed Mon.) has interesting archaeological remains (mostly Roman), and there's also a large indoor food market.

The small Triana market, which began as an improvised fish market on the banks of the Guadalquivir in the 1830s, is housed in a shiny building next to the bridge and has been given the stamp "Traditional Shopping Center." The vendors sell a colorful mix of food, flowers, cheap fashion, and costume jewelry until 3 pm every day but Sunday. The dozen or so restaurants and bars open daily till late.

The exterior of this Carthusian monastery in northern Granada is sober and monolithic, but inside are twisted multicolor marble columns; a profusion of gold, silver, tortoiseshell, and ivory; intricate stucco; and the extravagant sacristy—it's easy to see why it has been called the Christian answer to the Alhambra. Among its wonders are the trompe l'oeil spikes, shadows and all, in the Sanchez Cotan cross over the Last Supper painting at the west end of the refectory. It was begun in 1506 and moved to its present site in 1516, though construction continued for the next 300 years. If you're lucky, you may see small birds attempting to land on these faux perches. You can reach it by Bus No. N7. 

The 14th-century monastery was regularly visited by Christopher Columbus, who was also buried here for a few years. Part of the building houses the Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo, which has an absorbing collection of contemporary art.

This 14th-century monastery was regularly visited by Christopher Columbus, who was also buried here for a few years. Part of the building houses the Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo, which has an absorbing collection of contemporary art.

Set two kilometers (1 mile) from La Rábida's monastery, on the seashore, is a reproduction of a 15th-century port. The star exhibits here are the full-size models of Columbus's flotilla, the Niña, Pinta, and Santa María, built using the same techniques as in Columbus's day. You can go aboard each and learn more about the discovery of the New World in the adjoining museum.

To the east of Granada, the mighty Mulhacén, the highest peak in mainland Spain, soars to 11,427 feet. Legend has it that it came by its name when Boabdil, the last Moorish king of Granada, deposed his father, Abu'l-Hasan Ali, and had the body buried at the summit of the mountain so that it couldn't be desecrated. For more information on trails to the two summits, check the National Park Service's site ( miteco.gob.es/en).

Housed in the Casa de Castril with one of the finest Renaissance exteriors in the city, this small archaeological museum contains some real gems and has a stunning patio and views of the Alhambra from the second floor. The three rooms take you from prehistoric times with highlights such as raffia sandals dating from 5500 BC, through to the Iberian world whose treasures include a Greek breastplate armor (400 BC) and a white marble bull (600 BC), before reaching the Romans and Al-Andalus where you shouldn't miss the statues, ceramics, and a 15th-century astrolabe.

In the heart of the old quarter, this museum is built around a 16th-century mansion and has finds from Córdoba's varied cultural past. You enter via the second floor, which is devoted to prehistoric, Roman, and Moorish exhibits. Highlights include a 1st-century head of Drusus (the son of Emperor Tiberius) and a marble statue of Aphrodite. The first floor shows finds from Roman and Moorish life in Córdoba including a stunning 2nd-century sculpture of Mithras killing a bull. Down in the basement you can see the ruins of a Roman theater built in the 1st century AD. The alleys and steps along Altos de Santa Ana make for great wandering.

Diving into the maze of streets that form the scruffy San Mateo neighborhood east of the town center, you come to one of Andalusia's best archaeological museums. The collection is strongest on the pre-Roman period, and the star item, found near Jerez, is a Greek helmet dating from the 7th century BC.

Born in the village of Fuentevaqueros on June 5, 1898, the poet lived here until age six. His childhood home opened as a museum in 1986, when Spain commemorated the 50th anniversary of his assassination (he was shot without trial by Nationalists at the start of the civil war in August 1936) and celebrated his reinstatement as a national figure after 40 years of nonrecognition during the Francisco Franco regime. The house has been restored with original furnishings, and the former granary, barn, and stables have been converted into exhibition spaces, with temporary art shows and a permanent display of photographs, clippings, and other memorabilia. A two-minute video shows the only existing footage of Lorca. Visits are by guided tour only.

This ethnographical museum shows how people lived in this area, and the rest of this interesting complex looks at Granada's flora and fauna. During the summer months, there are live flamenco concerts. Tours available in English.

It's a steep walk to reach the center, even if you take Bus No. C2 (from Plaza Nueva) to shorten the distance.

Among the fascinating items of mainly 19th and 20th-century Spanish folklore in this museum, located in the Mudejar pavilion opposite the Museo Arqueológico, is an impressive Díaz Velázquez collection of lace and embroidery—one of the finest in Europe. There's a reconstruction of a typical late-19th-century Sevillian house on the first floor, while upstairs, exhibits include 18th- and 19th-century court dress, stunning regional folk costumes, religious objects, and musical instruments. In the basement, you can see ceramics, pottery, furniture, and household items from bygone ages.

On the east side of the Plaza de Mina is Cádiz's provincial museum. Notable pieces include works by Murillo and Alonso Cano, as well as the Four Evangelists and a set of saints by Zurbarán. The archaeological section contains two extraordinary marble Phoenician sarcophagi from the time of this ancient city's birth.

This museum is divided into two sections within the rooms of a 1547 mansion: archaeological finds and fine art. The Bronze Age and Roman era are particularly well represented; highlights here include the Dama de los Robles statue and the first-century marble room. The patio showcases the facade of the erstwhile Church of San Miguel. The fine-arts section has a room full of Goya lithographs.

This interesting museum behind Santa María has exhibits on Carmona's history with particular emphasis on Roman finds. There's plenty for children, and the interactive exhibits are labeled in English and Spanish.

Next door to the Oratorio de San Felipe Neri, this small but pleasant museum has a 19th-century mural depicting the establishment of the Constitution of 1812. Its real showpiece, however, is a 1779 ivory-and-mahogany model of Cádiz, with all of the city's streets and buildings in minute detail, looking much as they do now.

This private museum in the heart of Santa Cruz was opened in 2007 by the legendary flamenco dancer Cristina Hoyos and includes audiovisual and multimedia displays briefly explaining the history, culture, and soul of Spanish flamenco. There are also regular classes and shows.

This museum is housed in the old olive mill owned and operated by Don José Alcalá Santaella until 1959. The machinery on display dates to the middle of the 19th century, when the mill was capable of processing up to three tons of olives a day. The museum aims to demonstrate the way of life of workers in this important industry. You can taste and buy olive oil at the shop.

This museum displays archaeological remains found in local caves including the Cueva de los Murciélagos and elsewhere; some date back to the Middle Paleolithic period some 35,000 years ago. You can also visit the remains of the Renaissance rooms in the castle, across the road, included in the admission. Visits to the museum and castle are by guided tour only.

Across the courtyard from the Museo de Bellas Artes, this museum, housed in a 19th-century palace, is devoted to the early-20th-century Córdoban artist Julio Romero de Torres (1874–1930), who specialized in mildly erotic portraits of demure, partially dressed Andalusian temptresses. Romero de Torres, who was also a flamenco cantaor (singer), died at the age of 56 and is one of Córdoba's greatest folk heroes.

Two adjoining mansions on the Plaza de Maimónides (or Plaza de las Bulas) house this museum and it's worth a visit, as much for the chance to see a restored mansion as for the posters, Art Nouveau paintings, bulls' heads, suits of lights (bullfighting outfits), and memorabilia of famous Córdoban bullfighters, including the most famous of all, Manolete. To the surprise of the nation, Manolete, who was considered immortal, was killed by a bull in the ring at Linares in 1947.

Here, 13 km (8 miles) north of Setenil, two imposing silhouettes dominate the crest of the hill: the 11th-century castle Vallehermoso, a legacy of the Moors; and the neoclassical Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación (Church of Our Lady of the Incarnation), reconstructed in the 19th century on the foundations of the old mosque.

A few blocks east of the Plaza de Mina, next door to the Iglesia del Rosario, this oval 18th-century chapel has three frescoes by Goya. On Good Friday, the Sermon of the Seven Words is read and Haydn's Seven Last Words played.

A walk up Calle San José from the Plaza de Mina will bring you to this church, where Spain's first liberal constitution (known affectionately as La Pepa) was declared in 1812. It was here, too, that the Cortes (Parliament) of Cádiz met when the rest of Spain was subjected to the rule of Napoleon's brother, Joseph Bonaparte (more popularly known as Pepe Botella, for his love of the bottle). On the main altar is an Immaculate Conception by Murillo, the great Sevillano artist who fell to his death from a scaffold in 1682 while working on his Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine in Cádiz's Chapel of Santa Catalina. You can hear Mass in Latin on Sunday at noon.

Five kilometers (3 miles) away from La Rocina Visitor Center, an exhibit at the Palacio de Acebrón explains the park's ecosystems.

Built between the 15th and 16th centuries as a palatial home by Juan Alfonso de Benavides, a cousin of Ferdinand the Catholic, this palace has a flamboyant Gothic facade and a charming marble colonnaded Renaissance patio. It is now part of the International University of Andalucía, and you can wander in and view the patio (only) for free.

Vandelvira's 16th-century Palacio Juan Vázquez de Molina is better known as the Palacio de las Cadenas because decorative iron chains (cadenas) were once affixed to the columns of its main doorway. It's now the town hall and has entrances on both Plaza Vázquez de Molina and Plaza Ayuntamiento. Molina was a nephew of Francisco de los Cobos, and both served as secretaries to Emperor Carlos V and King Felipe II.