DK Travel : Andalucía and Costa del Sol

The diverse and politically semi-autonomous region of Andalucía has a population of some 7 million and embodies what is thought of as typically Spanish – an accurate portrait of the place and its people must include the bullfight, flamenco, gypsies, remote white villages, high sierras and mass tourism on endless stretches of beach. The memories you take with you after a visit here will be colourful, joyous, intense and deeply stirring.

Miraflores

Designed by Folco Nardi, Miraflores has many challenging holes.
Monasterio de la Cartuja, Granada

Don’t let the austere exterior fool you – inside the church and sacristy of this Carthusian monastery lurk some of the most flamboyant Spanish Baroque architecture and detailing you’ll ever encounter. So busy are the arabesques, flourishes and excrescences of gilded and polychromed stucco that the architectural lines are all but swallowed up in ravishing visual commotion.
Monasterio de San Jerónimo, Granada

This Renaissance magnum opus is largely the creation of Diego de Siloé, one of the great masters of the age. The façade’s upper window is flanked by sinuous mythological animals and medallions. Inside, the altar is complex and monumental, consisting of row upon row of high reliefs framed by columns.
Monasterio San Miguel, El Puerto de Santa María

This former monastery with Baroque architecture and art is nevertheless up-to-date with the luxuries it offers. Facilities include an excellent restaurant, pool, gardens and a solarium.
Monastery of San Jeronimo

Most visitors to Granada miss this hidden gem. The monastery was founded by the Catholic Monarchs and given to the Hieronymite order. Inside, is a peaceful cloister, filled with citrus trees and the scent of jasmine. If you walk round anti-clockwise, you visit the refectory, chapel and sacristy, which are all quite simply decorated with whitewashed walls and wooden ceilings. But behind the final door is a real surprise. The Duchess of Sesa acquired the rights to use the church as her family vault and her architects transformed the place into a riot of painting and mouldings, with a gilded altarpiece. When I visited, a recording of baroque music was playing, adding to the atmosphere.

Admission is €3.50. The monastery is open from 10.00 a.m to 2.30 p.m and 4.00 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. (afternoon times are one hour earlier in winter).
Monte Castillo, Jerez

This hotel towers like a castle of pink stucco beside one of Europe’s top golf courses. Expect top service and lots of activity options. There are several restaurants and snack bars to choose from.
Montilla

This town is the centre of Córdoba’s wine-making region, where the word amontillado originates, meaning “in the style of Montilla”. The wine produced here is like sherry, but nuttier and more toasted – and since the region is hotter than around Jerez, the grapes ripen more intensely and the wines need no fortifying. You can taste the difference for yourself at Bodegas Alvear, Montilla.
Montoro

Attractively laid out on an undulating series of five hills at a bend in the river, this ancient town sports a Baroque tower and a handsome 15th-century bridge. Other sights include a good Museo Arqueológico Municipal and the eccentrically kitsch Casa de las Conchas, a shell-encrusted folly that the owner will be happy to show you around.
Moorish Granada

Andalucía’s 1,300-year-old Moorish heritage evokes pure Romanticism that is hard to equal. The delicate art and architecture is among the most splendid to be found on European soil (see Moorish Granada: The Alhambra).
Moorish Granada

The fairytale “Arabian Nights” palace of the Alhambra, together with its equally evocative gardens, constitute one of Spain’s principal attractions, drawing millions of visitors each year. In the city down below, the ancient Albaicín district embodies a microcosm of a North African village, a “Little Morocco”, with colourful market streets and tearooms. Above and behind the area stands Sacromonte, the traditional home of cave-dwelling gypsies (see Moorish Granada: The Alhambra).

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Hotel price categories

For a standard, double room per night (with breakfast if included), taxes and extra charges.
- under €50
- €50–€100
- €100–€150
- €150–€200
- over €200