Seville – Cordoba – Granada
Having watched Alan and Amanda’s Spanish Job, this was a jog to the memory that I had a fancy to see the Moorish buildings in Andalucia.
Planning
The first consideration was the best way to travel and in what order. A friend had mentioned that the trains in Spain are very good, and after downloading the Omio app we could see that the train service was good and its only 40 minutes from Seville to Cordoba, and 1 hour 40 from Cordoba to Granada. It was also a reasonable price, with it being around 70 Euros for 2 single tickets per train. Planes are a bit more interesting. Vueling and BA fly from Gatwick to Seville (though it turns out BA code shares with Vueling so it’s basically the same thing). There are no direct flights to either Cordoba or Granada, however you can transfer at Barcelona. You could use the train from Granada to Malaga to give you more flight options.
We decided that the best route from our point of view was to go to Seville first then on to Cordoba and then Granada. I think we got this right as the Alhambra is definitely the highlight of the trip and the best way to finish. As we are people of leisure we spent 4 nights in Seville and 3 each in Cordoba and Granada, but you could drop a night in each if you are prepared to pick up the pace.
From Seville airport you can get a bus that goes to the centre of town for 5 euros and takes 35 minutes, or you can pick up a taxi which will cost around 35 Euros. On the return from Granada, we picked up a taxi from a rank just before the Carrera del Dorro which cost 30 Euros. There are airport buses from the town but the suggestion is they only go once an hour but that depends on when the planes arrive? so perhaps not the most reliable. They cost 3 euros and take around 45 minutes.
Where to stay
We chose to take apartments rather than hotels, mostly because there seemed to be a lot of them available and for the money you were getting more space. There were pros and cons to this. We didn’t have a data roaming package so it was difficult to get the details of how to get into the apartments – we had used booking.com, and all the updates from the host go into their site. It’s also harder to be able to drop your suitcases if you are early or want to leave later than the checkout time. It’s quite normal for you to gain entry using a pin number, and it may be the same for your room, so you might never see your host. However, we did appreciate the benefit of having a night off from dining out, and actually having some vegetables! We were able to find some small supermarkets close to all the apartments so it was easy enough to get supplies.
Seville
As we wandered from our apartment into the historic part of town, I was surprised by just how narrow the streets were. Even more surprising was that cars thought they should drive down them. The old town is very walkable and although most of the streets are shared with cars, the drivers are very considerate and patient. The buildings are quite tall so the streets are often in shade which is really beneficial given how hot Seville is. We went at the beginning of October but it was still getting over 30C.
The sights
The most dominating site in the city is Seville Cathedral. Because the buildings are so close together you don’t see it until you are right upon it. It looms large over you making a dramatic appearance with the Giralda Tower reaching skyward. It’s a very popular tourist attraction so it may be best to book in advance. Entry costs 14 Euros for the cathedral and Tower. The ticket is on a timed entry, refreshing every 5 minutes and they are fairly strict about keeping to the time. When you book online you will be asked for your passport details and told to bring it with you for identification on entry. In the end we were only asked for ID at the Alhambra, but it’s best to have it with you just in case. Bear in mind this is a religious site and you should dress appropriately. Whilst they state a dress code on the information with the ticket, the thing they seem to be most concerned about is covering your shoulders. If you don’t meet the criteria, you can buy a simple shawl just inside the entrance way.
The interior is lavished in gold and fine carvings in wood and stone and has the tomb of Christopher Columbus. (As ever, when we were there, it was surrounded by scaffolding). The climb up the tower is worth it for the 360 views around the city. Its sloped rather than steps which I found easier to handle, and peeks out of the windows on the way allowed a view of the ornate carvings on the roof. Do bear in mind that the bells ring every quarter, it’s a bit loud if you are standing underneath one. You can also do a roof top tour, but they do sell out pretty quickly so be sure to book.
The Real Alcazar is just across from the Cathedral. It’s also best to prebook and is on a timed entry system. Tickets are 15.50 Euros and are timed for every half hour. From the outside it looks like a traditional castle with arched entrance and crenelated walls, but opens up into courtyards with water features and a palace laden with beautiful tiled walls and stucco ceilings. Someone went a little mad in the garden, but it seemed to make the bright young things in their best dresses happy, giving them loads of opportunities for their partners to take photos for their Instagram accounts.
Just behind the Cathedral to the North is the Jewish Quarter and Calle Sierpes. This is a great area to just wander around and admire the buildings and look in the shops. With a mixture of touristy places and proper shops there’s something for everyone.
Behind this area you will come across the Metropol Parasol better known as the Setas de Sevilla. This is a strange wooden construction where you can walk around a pathway on the top and have views across the city for the price of 16 Euros. It’s also lit up at night in changing colours, and there are many restaurants situated around the base. It seems to be a popular area to just hang out around. If you are going to do this I recommend going at sunset, or possibly after dark to see the city lit up. The view from the Giralda tower is superior for daytime. You do need to book a week in advance if you want the sunset slot. Beware its very popular with the Insta crowd, so its not quite the romantic notion it sounds. If you are on a tight budget, you could miss this and just admire the lights from beneath.
To the north of the Setas is Calle Regina. This is an area of trendy crafts shops and old school restaurants that’s worth a wander around.
To the Eastern side of the shopping area is the Casa de Pilatos. As a grand house it’s a toned-down version of the Real Alcazar, but at the same time equally beautiful. Built round a traditional courtyard the rooms are decorated with elaborate tiles, some almost look like rugs attached to the walls. Entry is 12 Euros. Note you can only go up to the first floor if you are with a group tour.
Further to the north is an area called Alameda de Hercules. This is a long Avenue with many bars and restaurants on it and is quite lively at night.
South of the cathedral is the Plaza de Espana; a semi-circular building built for the Iberio – American Exhibition in 1929. It’s something of a curiosity, built to show off architectural design, with seating areas set into the circular wall with depictions of each province of Spain. Running within the crescent is a little canal with cute bridges, where you can hire rowing boats. The Military Historical Museum of Seville is located within in a section of the building. We had noticed horse and carriages around the cathedral, but it seemed even more popular around here as you could also go into the Parque de Maria Luisa. Parks here tend not to be grassy areas and flower beds but more tree shaded avenues with hedged areas.
Head over to the riverside on the West and walk north and you will pass the Torre del Oro or Golden Tower. This was built to guard the river mouth. You can visit the small maritime museum inside for 3 Euros.
Further along the river you can pick up a boat trip. We went on the Luna De la Macarena on an hour’s trip at a cost of 20 Euros. Whilst the river may not be as scenic as some it was a pleasant trip and we passed the Expo 92 site on the West bank. Next to the departure point for the boat trip is the replica of the Nao Victoria, a traditional wooden ship said to be the first to circumnavigate the world. You can visit the museum on the riverside as well as the ship.
Further up the river you will pass the Plaza de Toros or bullring. There is a museum here if you are interested and it does hold bull fights. Whilst respecting each nations rights to their traditions, for me this was not on the agenda, as the tormenting of animals for sport for me is not acceptable, especially as even when the bull wins, he still loses.
Keep going along the river and you will come to the Puente de Isabel II or Puente de Triana. Cross the bridge and you will find the Mercado de Triana. This has lots of beautiful produce on display with each of the shops having tiled names over the counters. We only bought some fruit from here but if you have an apartment you could pick up some lovely produce here. There were also some cafes but we had already found a restaurant on the riverbank which we ate at.
Other places
We didn’t do these but you might like to.
Palacio de las Duenas – another Casa if you are up for more.
Hospital de los Venerables – contains 12 art masterpieces.
Archivo General de Indias – I found lots of people talking about this but then stating that there’s not much to see.
Museo de Bellas Artes – art museum in a former convent.
Flamenco – there are loads of places offering this experience, probably the best place to go is the Museo del Baile Flamenco where you can get some history as well.
Food and drink
These are places we visited that I’m giving my personal opinion on. There are loads of restaurants to chose from so you are bound to fall on somewhere interesting.
Antiguedadas bar de tapas, Calle Argote de Molina – considering this is just up from the cathedral it could have been of dubious quality or overpriced, but it would appear the Spanish don’t do that. As the bar got busy, fold out tables appeared (a common practise) of which we were given one. As it was our first night, we had lots of everything, whilst ‘Ellen DeGeneres’ looked over from her painting.
Amorino Gelato, Sevilla Patio de Los Naranjos – Beautiful rose shaped ice cream with optional macaron on top, pick and mix your flavours. It’s all done by using a touch screen and selecting all the options. It can get a bit expensive so consider just how many toppings you need.
Patanchon bar de tapas, Calle Mateos Gago – This street is just full of restaurants, it was more a case of where can we get a table. Fortunately, there was one free round the side of this restaurant. Russian salad, Chickpeas with spinach, deep fried brie, fried scallops, meatballs with black rice, what’s not to like? The problem with this street is lots of ‘entertainers’ appear, sing one song and then approach for money. Some were good, some less so.
Baco Victoria Eugenia Plaza Villasis, Calle Cuna – This is a beautiful Art deco building and it was worth going in for a drink just for that. This is a Cruz Campo bar and we tried the Radler which has lemon in it, great for a hot day. We returned for a meal where I had fish in a delicate batter on a bed of chunky tomato sauce, whilst the other half had the Solomillo iberico – pork loin with sauteed potatoes. As ever these dishes don’t really come with sides, and all that was on offer was salad or chips. As it was Friday night we indulged in some desserts, a baked cheesecake and an apple and pecan tart – delicious!
L’Oca Guiliva, Calle Mateos Gago – This is an Italian Pizzeria, because sometimes you need a rest from Tapas. There were only a few tables outside but we were happy for a rest from the sun and the musicians. It’s fair to say that was one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had. The crust was light and fluffy.
Duo Tapas, Calle Calatrava – I found a recommendation for this in a blog, so we went as part of a visit to the Alameda de Hercules. Looking in the window, it looked more like an ordinary café, but we went in and gave it a go. We order a few favourite tapas and they were all lovely. Wine list was a bit ‘vin ordinare’ but we survived.
La Casa de la Maria, Calle Betis – We sat outside this nice-looking restaurant and ordered a meat Paella. The restaurant was popular as it soon filled up but we were a bit disappointed as our dish was a bit overdone and burnt round the edges. Shame, as it was really tasty.
Sometimes you mess up, we wandered westward thinking we would fall upon some restaurants. We did but they were things like sushi, burger king or just bars. Having walked around for some time we were getting hungry. We spotted a light down a side street and a bar called Bar Velilla XIV. It wasn’t the most celebrious of locations but they were offering basic tapas so we went with that. The service was just as good as anywhere. A similar bar at home the most you would get would be a bag of crisps so we can’t complain.
Cordoba
Having walked over to the train station in Seville, it took a little bit of working out where our train was going from. There was a large board with trains listed on it but not ours. I then spotted a smaller monitor where our train appeared. First there was a zone mentioned before the platform number. It turned out that the zone was where we had to put the suitcases through an Xray machine before we could get down to the platform. It took a bit of time to get through so I recommend adding some time on to deal with this. The train was very spacious and comfortable, with announcements in English and Spanish. Cordoba station is at the top end of the old town so quite walkable. We had an apartment right next to the Roman Temple.
The old town here is similar to Seville in that it is full of winding narrow roads, but in general the pace felt slower and more laid back.
The sights
The big attraction is the Mezquita Cathedral de Cordoba. This is one of the most unusual buildings I’ve ever seen. The building started as a Mosque which grew over the years and was eventually taken over by the Christians. Instead of knocking the building down they went right into the middle of the room and built the cathedral. It’s an amazing building to wander round with the red and white arches on top of black marble pillars, then you turn a corner and suddenly you are standing in a white and gold cathedral.
The other unique thing to Cordoba is the Patio gardens in the San Basillio area. The main event takes place in May when around 200 gardens enter into a competition for different awards. Some of the gardens remain open through the main part of the year. You can get guided tours to show you some of the best gardens, or buy tickets yourself. You can also have a walk along the Calleja de las Flores which also has the traditional blue pots hanging on the walls, though for me this was a poor relation to the displays in the gardens.
In front of the cathedral is the Roman Bridge. Walking across to the other side gives a lovely view back to the cathedral and it is lit up a night. It’s also a popular place to go and watch the sunset.
The Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos may not be the most interesting, but the gardens are good and, in the evening, there is a water and light show that lasts around an hour. I had ideas of doing this, but it was a Monday and we discovered the hard way that most museums etc are closed.
Round the back of the cathedral is the Jewish quarter. You can either wander in from this side or come in through the Almodovar Gate on the western side. This is part of a section of the original city walls which is lovely to walk along.
Not far from the gate is the Casa Andalusi (which is open on Mondays). This is a traditional house much like some of the patio houses we visited, that allows you to wander round the rooms as well as the courtyard.
Nearby is the Casa de Sefarad. This is a museum on Jewish history in the area.
The Roman Temple is up the hill to the north. It’s basically some pillars on top of some ruins that looks pretty lit up at night, but not necessarily worth going out of your way for.
Further north is the Palacia de Viana. This is a grand house with patio gardens. You can get a ticket just for the gardens if you don’t want to do the house. I wanted to do this but .. it was closed on Monday. On a smaller scale than Seville is the Mercado Victoria. It’s more an eating venue than a real market but was a nice place for a coffee. We did find a real market place, Mercado de la Corredera at the Plaza de las Cañas if you are looking to do a bit of catering.
Food and Drink
Having arrived a bit early we stopped at the Bar Playa in the Jardines de la Agricultura. A humble venue but very popular, especially with the gathering hen parties (Spanish not British). Brunch seemed to be popular here though a lot of people were having the relatively simple Andalusian speciality of Toast with a tomato sauce instead of jam – not ketchup but more like a passata.
Taberna La Cuarta, Calle Capitulares – This is located opposite the Roman Temple, if you sit outside, you can sit and admire it from the comfort of your seat. We enjoyed this restaurant so much we visited twice – well it was convenient for the apartment. We risked the paella again, so much better this time. We also indulged in dessert. This was a chocolate and mascarpone cheese cake. Generous and rich, we probably should have shared one. Our second visit we went a bit lighter with Iberian pork cheek in brioche and Tuna tataki.
Taberna La Vuida, Calle San Basilio – This was pointed out to us by the patios guide. It has been here for over 100 years and serves traditional food with a bit of a twist. It’s a charming restaurant playing up to the floral theme. We went for the famous flamenquin Cordobes and the Cordovian Oxtail, both were delicious.
Bar Santos – This is literally opposite the walls of the cathedral. It has a big reputation for its tortilla, as mentioned by Michael Portillo. It is a tiny bar, with quite a queue to get a slice of fat tortilla to eat on a paper plate leaning on the wall. I’m sure it was lovely but I couldn’t persuade the other half it was worth the effort.
There are many restaurants around the old town, and also quite a few in the more modern part around Plaza de las Tendillas. We made the mistake of stopping at the Bar Tendido just off the Plaza which looked really authentic with a good range of tapas but it was really disappointing. The chorizo was overcooked and in general it was distinctly average. I went in to the one toilet inside, past the food waste bin with a hoof sticking out from the Iberian ham – lovely.
Granada
Another walk back to the station and through the same process. As the train wasn’t starting here the ticket inspector point out which colour zone painted on the platform our carriage would stop at which was really helpful. Again, Granada station is to the north end of the old town. Our apartment was not too far from the Alhambra and on the map it looked walkable. It was pretty straightforward, but somehow from arriving at the station to getting to the door of the apartment took an hour. It wasn’t a problem as we were ahead of check in time so there was no rush, fortunately on this occasion we were able to leave our cases at the apartment and go and explore.
The sights
The main event is of course the Alhambra. Standing proud on the top of the hill it can be seen from many points around the city. It was a short walk from our apartment but uphill pretty much most of the way. There are local buses that stop here as well as the diddy land train. It is of course very popular so it is essential that you book your ticket around 1 month in advance to be sure of getting in. You will be given a timed entry for the Nasrid Palace (strictly adhered to) but the rest you are free to enter at any point during the day. Do note that you can only enter the fortress, generalife and partal gardens once so make sure you work it in well around your timed entry for the palace.
Having an 11.30 entry for the palace we chose to arrive around 9.30 and headed to the Generalife. This was fairly quiet at this time and we could wander through the beautiful gardens relatively undisturbed. The garden was in full bloom despite it being October. There were lots of nooks and crannies to explore and lovely vistas through the windows. The fortress section gives some interesting views down to the town especially from the top of the tower. There are other areas that you can wander about freely including the hamman (baths) and the palace of Carlos V.
The highlight of the visit is the Nasrid Palace. As ever there was a section covered in scaffolding, but it wasn’t a problem as there is no end of rooms covered in amazing stucco, beautiful tiled walls, stunning wooden ceilings and lots of courtyards with water features. On leaving the building you will come out to the Partal gardens, also still in bloom and planted in coloured sections which were very striking. The views back to the Generalife were also fantastic.
Beneath the Alhambra is the Carrera del Darro, a narrow road that runs along the side of the river offering views up to the Alhambra as well as passing interesting buildings and quite a few restaurants and shops.
Following along the Carrera del Darro and heading up and east you will find the Museo Cuevas del Sacromonte. These caves illustrate how people used to live in the caves and the tools they used. It’s also a lovely viewpoint of the Alhambra and surrounding area. There are some other caves dotted about that you can visit, as well as flamenco shows being held in caves (as per Anton and Giovanni).
Behind the Carrera del Darro is the Albaicin district. More narrow streets to explore and many opportunities for views to the Alhambra. One of the most popular is the Plaza San Nicholas.
Others
As before we skipped these but you might like to visit.
Royal Chapel of Granada – Another beautiful church containing the burial place of Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand.
Basilica de San Juan de Dios – This is a Baroque style building with loads of gold and frescoes.
Carmen de los Mártires – 19th century grand house with landscaped gardens.
Parque de las Ciencias – science centre and museum, good if you have a wet day.
Food and Drink
La Authentica Carmela, Calle Colcha – we fell upon this after leaving the suitcases as it was just at the end of the road. We hadn’t appreciated it considers itself a gourmet restaurant. They price the croquettes individually so I had one of each of the 3 types, traditional ham, black pudding and caramelised onions, and cauliflower and white chocolate. They tasted amazing, and even the ham one was a step up from the norm. Beware they were rather large. I also ordered tempura aubergines in honey and sesame seeds. This was meant to be a sharing platter but the waitress offered to do a half portion – just as well. The other half went for the Patatas rancheras, also a sharing platter but he insisted on the full portion AND the chicken and prawn noodles wok. Needless to say, we were completely stuffed afterwards.
Restaurante los Nazaries, Plaza Larga – In the middle of the Albaicin we came across this restaurant with lots of outdoor seating, most of the others we passed were not very big places. The food was lovely, we had sauteed vegetables served on something a bit like a poppadom, a meat stew served with potatoes and garlic chicken also with potatoes.
La Tabernilla del Darro, Calle del Darro – We actually booked a table for a change. That paid off as we got a window seat. The walls are decorated with old corks which was a bit of fun. We had the bean hummus served with nachos and vegetable crisps, the tuna tataki and the pork cheeks, all of which was delicious.
Fior di Granada – There are a few ice cream shops around but this one took my fancy as it had lots of flavours and fancy cones. I went with a chocolate covered cone cup with salted caramel, while the other half had a waffle basket with a chocolate lining and pistachio and Granada (pomegranate) flavours.
Hints and tips
Make sure you have a data roaming package, its such a pain without. A lot of places were offering an Audio guide by using a QR code on your phone and your own ear phones.
As well the main historic buildings, there are lots of beautiful buildings all around, especially Art Deco – my favourite. Just wander up and down all the streets and you never know what you might come across.
When eating out don’t rush to order patatas bravas, a lot of dishes come with some potato on the side.
There are lots of shops offering amazing looking patisseries. There were chocolate covered palmiers everywhere along with torta de queso. Might be worth leaving some room for some of them.
Zebra crossings are very much respected here but beware, sometimes the zebra has a green man on it, and should you attempt to cross on red you will get tooted at as the car has the right of way. Vehicles are allowed to turn in to the road and go over the crossing even if the green man is on if no one is crossing so just check before stepping out.
When transitioning through Barcelona airport, don’t rush through to passport control as there’s only a couple of shops and restaurants beyond that point. It’s a big airport with loads available in the main hall.