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This museum is a vast archive given over to the discovery and conquest of the New World; four centuries of Spanish empire are painstakingly catalogued. The museum is housed in an 18thcentury edifice that was built as the merchants’ exchange (see La Lonja). It has been closed for five years but is expected to open in the summer of 2005.

Another town built atop a sheer cliff, this is probably the most dazzling of the pueblos blancos and the one situated furthest west. As ancient as any town in the region, little remains of the period before the reconquista , when it received its “de la Frontera” appellation, meaning it was a bastion “on the frontier” between Christian and Moorish Spain. The Galería de Arte Arx-Arcis crafts museum and shop displays locally fashioned carpets, blankets, baskets and pottery (see Traditional Textiles).

The historic part of this town is from the Cuesta de Belén to the Puerta de Matrera – a zone that has been a recognized national monument since 1962. Consequently, it is beautifully preserved. Central to the area is the Plaza del Cabildo, with ancient walls in evidence and set about with orange trees. Unfortunately the castle below the square is not open to the public, but the terrace of the parador opposite is a fine place for a drink with a view.

Close to the Portuguese border, this town remains one of the best-preserved villages around. A wonderful oddity is the Museo del Santo Rosario, packed with rosaries that have belonged to Mother Teresa, John F Kennedy and General Franco, among others.

Thursday is the day the market stalls arrive in this Huelvan town. The market in Plaza de Abastos is a traditional produce spread, featuring the strong-flavoured goat’s cheese favoured by the locals.

This is the Andalucían version of paella , an appellation that also appears on some menus. Saffron-flavoured rice is served with an assortment of fish and shellfish, which can include prawns, clams and squid. Unlike the Valencia variety, it does not generally include sausage or chicken. The dish is also known as arroz con mariscos .

Moorish art and architecture is full of signs and symbols and often incorporates calligraphy into its designs, quoting the Koran or poetry. The point was to inspire the viewer to reflect upon the unity of all things under Allah, whose power and perfection could never be equalled by the achievements of man.