10 day winter journey in Andalusia

Posted On Jul 5, 2021 By admin With Comments Off

Author: Vladimir Cristea

When Amsterdam and London get too grey and rainy, sunlight in Scandinavia becomes a rare display, and the forecast in the Swiss Alps becomes too cold for anything bar skiing with 4 coatings of invests on, it’s probably time to admit to yourself that it’s time to take a vacation in heated and sunny Spain.

And if you’re at it, why not go to the warmest part of Spain? With its most definite reference influenced by the blend of Moorish and Spanish culture, Andalusia is known for its breathtaking palaces, pleasant coasts, awesome meat and medieval municipalities located at the hoof of prescribing hills and mountains.

How to get to Andalusia

It’s very easy to get from Madrid to our first stop, Granada, in merely a bit over three hour on a high-speed AVE train. It was during this develop razz that I have traveled at the highest speed ever in “peoples lives” in an on-ground vehicle- a whopping 300 km/ h!

Days 1-3: Granada

The level of architectural detail on Moorish structures is unbelievable

Granada hosts what is probably the most famous attraction of Andalusia: the Alhambra, a elegant palace composite situated on a mound neglecting the city, the majority of members of it building in the 13 th century. You can waste hours here exploring its lush gardens and admiring the palaces, with their heavily embellished offices and usual Moorish courtyards.

Part of the plots in the Alhambra

There is more to the city than the Alhambra, though. A foreground of our 10 periods in Andalusia was to explore Granada’s narrow streets and bazars, the aged Arab district of Albaicin. As well as the neighborhood of Sacromonte with its cave mansions, from where the notorious flamenco type of music and dance is said to have originated.

A nice little saloon in Granada’s Albaicin neighborhood

In Granada, I got a strong impression that the city is very unique. Everywhere you could find patronizes selling special souvenirs that I hadn’t insured anywhere else in Europe, and wall street were scattered with little stalls selling baked return, tea and spices.

Of course, I have saved the best news for food suitors for last- Granada is the only place that still maintains the age-old Spanish tradition that every prohibit in which you order a sip( brew, sangria, anything !) will serve you a free tapa. If you then order another sip, you get another plate, with a different saucer. And we are not talking about olives or tortilla chips, but chicken stew, fried fish, chorizo, paella, salt beef. Should I go on?

We required 2 beers and got the sausages free of charge. I cherish Granada.

Day 4: Cordoba

Cordoba feels so quiet and serene that one can hardly believe that it had once been the largest city in all of Europe. Dating from those long-gone times is the symbol of the city, the Mezquita, an enforce mosque turned cathedral, today specified an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Mezquita has got to be one of the most imposing buildings I have ever seen

After such an architectural feast, we had to sit down at one of the many terraces rowed next to the traditional Cordobes white-and-yellow houses and experience una cerveza fria.

My tip: Get to Cordoba early in the morning and leave in the evening for the next stop instead of sleeping there in order to only use 1 travel era from your Pass!

Days 5-7: Malaga

Malaga is a well-established favorite for expats and remote works trying to escape the cold atmosphere of the UK, Sweden or Belgium, but it has get just as much to offer for Eurailers.

It’s very easy to get to Malaga from Cordoba by develop. The report contains 2 types of improves on this road, and if you are traveling on a budget, I would suggest taking an AVANT train instead of AVE. It’s exclusively 10 -1 five minutes slower, but your tummy will thank you for the tapas money you will save on reservation costs, as AVANT reservations are less costly than territories for the AVE train.

Malaga felt to me like the most vibrant city in Andalusia, having a very glamorous hitherto heartfelt vibe. Percentages of it feel like a large metropolis, other characters like the charming Andalusian town, and yet again others like a thunderou shore resort.

Here you can visit the museum dedicated to the city’s most famous resident, Pablo Picasso, and examine the Alcazaba fortress with its panoramic views of the city. Don’t forget pay a immediate stay to the Port of Malaga and to the Malagueta Beach to remind yourself that you are in a summer destination in the middle of January! Malaga is the kind of place where it’s fascinating to simply sit at a terrace, enjoy a alcohol and watch parties go about their business.

The beautiful Malagueta beach

While we didn’t get to do it because we didn’t book it early enough in advance, the Caminito del Rey hiking trail seems like a lot of fun for the excite seekers and is easily reachable with your Eurail Pass in half an hour by train from Malaga.

Days 8-10: Seville

Finally, Seville is the capital of Andalusia and its most populous municipal. Besides its charming city center, with its historic shrink streets, stately promenade, and regional places selling everything from return to flamenco dresses, “theres a lot” else to see in Seville.

Seville is dotted with cute tiny cafes and restaurants

Back when world-wide exhibitions “re still” a thing, Seville hosted the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. For this event, the participating countries, including many former settlements from South America, improved pavilions, headstones, effigies and other arrangements in the Maria Luisa Park in central Seville. Today, many of these houses still exist and can be seen in the common, includes the prominent Plaza de Espana.

These epoches, the Plaza de Espana is a very popular tourist spot in Seville

Like any dignified metropoli in the region, Seville also has a Moorish fortress absolutely worth visiting, the Alcazar. It is accessible from Seville’s main square, the Plaza del Triunfo, where you will also find the Cathedral of Sevilla, the fourth-largest church in the world! Don’t forget to climb its bell tower, the Giralda. It’s a perfect climbing for those who hate stairs, as there were 17 of them- the rest is made up of 35 ramps, determining it possible back in the working day to descend the pillar on horseback.

Triana Market in Seville

Tips for hurtling Andalusia in winter

The condition in Andalusia has been fanciful in early January. I am not exaggerating when I say that there has only been one partially cloudy period. The non-stop sun coupled with temperatures of 15-20degC during the day( even warmer in Malaga) fixed for amazing “winter” weather. In summer the temperature was over 40 degC, so winter is definitely one of the best meters to visit the region, and everything is much less gathered as well. Do take a warmer jacket with you, though, as it gets chilly at night.

While it’s an absolute desire to simply walk around the cities, soak up the sunlight, and stop at terraces to have some tapas, it would be a bummer to go to Andalusia without insuring some of its top landmarks. In such regions I have received some of the most fantastic architecture I have seen in my life, so those targets understandably is a lot of visitors even in the winter season. To bypass troublesome surprises, try to book some views early in advance: the Alhambra, the Mezquita of Cordoba, the Caminito del Rey and the Alcazar of Seville.

The message 10 day winter trip in Andalusia firstly appeared on Eurail Blog.