Andalusia, Southern Spain

On the first day, we decided to take our time, get to Cordoba, not stopping anywhere else, and walk around the city to get to know it properly.

Cordoba

Cordoba is a former capital of the Cordoba Caliphate, which occupied almost the entire Iberian Peninsula. We were very interested in the Roman Bridge and the Mesquite. Like nothing else, the Mesquite is a fascinating structure, reflecting the checkered history of the southern part of Spain. The city itself is lovely. There are unexpected monuments scattered around the city, for example, Roman columns of an ancient temple standing idly in the middle of the town.

If you want to see the very old streets of Cordoba, it is worth visiting the Jewish area and seeing the synagogue. Also don’t forget to check out Plaza de la Corredera.

So, since we were unable to purchase tickets to the Alhambra because we were traveling during the holidays, we had to change plans and fill the day with other activities.

The El Gollizno Route turned out to be easy and full of beautiful locations. Along the route you will descend from the hot sun to cold, almost frosty temperatures (if you travel in winter like we did). Additionally there will be an unusual stream, a site of ancient people with rock paintings, lively and cheerful mountain goats, stunning views, a canyon and a suspension bridge. And at the top of the city, there is a lovely castle. We walked it clockwise, but I recommend going counterclockwise as the last part was quite monotonously steep.

In the evening, we walked around Granada, and it turned out very lively the city that is very full of shops, and cafes are open until late.

You should devote at least one full day to Granada; there are a lot of places to have a good time and take a walk. Be sure to check out Calle Calderería Nueva, the street is very authentic. Catedral de Granada looked fascinating both at night and in daylight.

The city offers stunning views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which generally influences the weather. Perhaps this was the coldest city of our entire trip. Dress warmly! And an incredible number of coffee shops with speciality coffee will help you warm up; their number in the town is truly off the charts.

After Granada we decided to warm up and head straight to the coast. Beachside Spain is very different from the hill country of Granada.

The Road!! The day’s highlight was the path through the national park and the stunning cliffs. The road might be winding for quite a long time, but you don’t not regret it.

The first big stop was the Balcony of Europe in Nerja, a beautiful little cosy city with an equally beautiful observation deck and nice beach. German and English pensioners settled comfortably in hotels on the first line while wasting time reading newspapers and playing chess.

In the morning we headed to Malaga. In fact, the pearl of the holiday was an apartment in the very center with six-meter ceilings. This was the first time we had such an experience, waking up and not seeing the ceiling. We lived just next to the Catedral de la Encarnación de Málaga, the highest building in the city.

Malaga boasts of its endless beach, where you can not only swim, but also park your expensive yachts.

The city itself is very pleasant, noisy and party-oriented, like most southern coastal cities. There you will definitely find something to your liking. Even with the rather cold weather, there were still many tourists there. It’s hard to imagine how many people prefer to vacation here in summer.

So, the next day, we visited one of the most significant natural sites, El Torcal. The nature there is genuinely fantastic, but we advise you not to go on holiday because you won’t be able to enjoy nature due to the huge flow of people.

We decided to continue our journey and spend the New Year in the excellent city of Ronda. On the way, we stopped at the Columbus Monument, a pretty nice place, an excellent location to take lace photos.

Marbella is a very pretty seaside town, but it could have lived up to our expectations as a city of millionaires. There is a pleasant embankment Playa de Venus and a park, but the city generally does not strike you with its wealth at first glance. It has its own microclimate because of the mountains located outside the city, and it’s not so hot in summer. As we realized later, the leading houses of rich people are located a little outside the city. There are also golf courses, boutiques, etc.

Ronda will forever remain in our hearts not only as a stunningly beautiful city with an incredible bridge. Most importantly, we were met at Airbnb by a fantastic host who surrounded us with attention and gave us incredible gifts and food. We are avid travellers, and it was unusual to receive SUCH hospitality from our hosts. The apartment had a decorated Christmas tree and an artificial fireplace, it was furnished in a way we felt as at home as possible.

On New Year’s Day, almost all the shops in the city were closed, but this did not stop us from enjoying the city. The New bridge was breathtaking, as if it had been created from the surrounding cliffs. We advise to look at it from the observation deck Mirador La Hoya Del Tajo and from Jardines De Cuenca. The numerous buildings show that the town is very ancient and that many events occurred there.

That day, we not only walked around Ronda but also went to a small city Setenil de Las Boegas, known for its peculiar location.

The name “Setenil de las Bodegas” is believed to come from the Latin phrase ‘septem nihil,’ meaning ‘seven times no,’ which symbolizes the seven attempts made by Catholic rulers to reclaim the village from the Moors. And ‘bodegas’ may have the meaning of wine cellars where wine from surrounding areas were kept.

Approaching it, I can’t believe that a city in the ROCK will soon be formed on these fields. The streets and houses there were excitingly built into the streets; don’t forget to look into the store and see what they look like from the inside.

We left the most challenging and intense hike for the last day, Sendero La Garganta Verde. It requires registration in advance; no one checked it, but we completed it quickly in the morning to ensure everything was fine. Despite the winter, we walked the first half of the hike under the hot sun, and therefore, we do not recommend hiking in the summer.

We did not expect that there were nests of giant griffon vultures. They usually don’t fly out in the morning, and since we were there in the afternoon, we caught their flight in all its glory. Their wings vibrate as they land above you, and this encounter with wildlife was one of the most amazing experiences of the trip.

The hike itself is not for beginners, as you first go down 400 meters and then climb back up a very steep path. It is wonderful, and at the end, you will find a huge cave and an endless canyon formed in the river bed. We even saw the skeleton of a mountain goat there, which died of an unknown fate, proving that life is in full swing there.

Having descended into the gorge, we wanted to go further along the mouth of the river, but we didn’t know how long it was, so we turned back.

We highly recommend this hike because it is incredibly scenic, and you will encounter natural wildlife and giant-like caves.

Since we had to return the car before 11 am, we decided to stop for the night in a small town near Seville. Thus, we saved on housing and parking. And in the morning, we set off for Seville with renewed vigour. Since we spent a week there before the trip, the next destination of our journey was Madrid.