Lee’s World
Andalusia
September 2000 saw me driving around Southern Spain exploring the territory of Andalusia.
Brian
and Derek, who you will know if you have seen the pages on my trips to the
Canaries, have bought a villa in Benalmadena village, so I decided to pay
them a visit. My friend Jon also joined me for part of my initial trip.
For the first few
nights I stayed at the delightful Hotel Miami on the edge of Torremolinos,
in the district of La Carihuela. 
This
used to be the holiday villa of Picasso's cousin and is stacked full of
antiques. Bookings can be made direct with the
hotel. My car hire was also
arranged in advance on-line through
Holiday Autos; on subsequent visits I
found that
Carjet could be slightly cheaper.
The coastal area, not surprisingly, is still experiencing a building boom, so I headed inland, armed with a copy of the Rough Guide to Andalusia. You only have to drive a short distance inland to discover the most delightful Spanish villages. Here you can wander around and enjoy a fabulous meal very cheaply, before driving back to the coast for the nightlife of Torremolinos, Fuengirola and Marbella.
In between days spent lazing around on the gay beach at Cabo Pino, just East of Marbella, and nights in the Parthenon Bar, Torremolinos, I explored Ronda and the mountains, Granada and finally, Seville.
The roads are good, well maintained and largely - except around the towns - empty.
Heading
North out of Malaga brought us to the village of Carratraca, birthplace of
Antonio Banderas. Here we were promised the sulphur baths popular in the
18th Century, but unfortunately the restoration programme was over running
and the baths were a building site. Leaving Carratracca behind, we set off
for lunch at the El Chorro Gorge, through mountain passes past cool,
inviting lakes.
After
lunch, we headed West for the town of Ronda, a popular destination for
tourists. It is not only the birthplace of modern bullfighting, but also is
known for it's old town perched high on a limestone pillar above a deep
ravine.
About 90 minutes drive from Torremolinos is Granada - the fabulous Moorish city and home of the world famous Alhambra Palace.
Granada
does not only have the Alhambra though - it has a beautiful Cathedral and
Chapel Royal, containing the tombs of King Fernando and Queen Isabel, and
beautiful squares. For a reasonably priced lunch head for the area around
the flower market, the Plaza Bib Rambla, near the Cathedral.
But most visitors
come to Granada to see the Alhambra, set on a hill overlooking the town.
Admission tickets cost 1,000 pesetas 
and
only 8,600 are available each day. These can be obtained from any branch of
the BBV Bank in Spain, or from the branch in Granada. It's worth doing this
as it's a long walk up the hill to find all the tickets have been sold.
Admission to part of the palace is by a timed entry, clearly marked on the
ticket. Details of admissions, opening hours, etc can be obtained from the
Alhambra web site.
Parking is a nightmare in Granada - as in most Spanish cities. I parked in one of the underground car parks in the Puerto Real in the centre of the city. It's only a few minutes from the Cathedral and the BBV Bank for tickets for the Alhambra.
A longer drive from Torremolinos (2.5 hours) is the romantic city of Seville. There was so much to see in Seville and explore that I have to return at some point soon.
Parking again was a nightmare, but I found space in the underground car park behind the Bull Ring, under the produce market.
Seville was the setting for Bizet's opera, Carmen. Carmen worked at the Old Tobacco Factory, which now forms part of the University, and is the second largest building in Spain. A statue of Carmen is situated by the river opposite the bullring.
The
focus for the town, and where most tourists head for, is the area around the
Cathedral. The Giralda Tower, bell-tower of the cathedral dominates the
skyline.
The cathedral is the largest church in the World - if measured in cubic capacity (St Peter's, Rome and St Paul's, London beat it on square footage) - and is a Gothic masterpiece. It contains amongst other treasures the tomb of Christopher Columbus. A climb up the bell tower is well worth the effort to look across the city.
Located near the Cathedral is the Alcazar Palace, which is still used by the Spanish Royal family at times. The palace is open to visitors (admission 700 pesetas) and contains similar Moorish decoration to the Alhambra in Granada.
If you're feeling homesick, and missing England, whilst visiting Seville, head for Plaza de Victoria, where the Seville branch of Marks and Spencer can be found, complete with foodhall! I usually spend a small fortune, though, in Zara.
To be honest, though, you probably won't be homesick at all.
I wasn’t and have returned regularly since this initial visit.