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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.

Like nearby Úbeda, this smaller town is also a jewel of Renaissance glory, but includes earlier remains dating back to the Moors and, before them, the Romans. The town radiates a sense of tranquillity as you walk from one cluster of lovely buildings to another. Again, much of the beauty owes its existence to Vandelvira (see Baeza and Úbeda).

At the apex of the Atlantic’s untamed Costa de la Luz, this city floats like an ancient dream on what was originally its own island. With good claim to being Europe’s oldest city, it’s thought to have been founded by the ubiquitous Phoenicians in around 1104 BC. Much of what can be seen today, however, dates from the 18th century, the city having been almost completely razed by an Anglo-Dutch raid in 1596. The vast Catedral Nueva (1722) is one of Spain’s largest churches, and many Baroque edifices enhance this unpretentiously beautiful provincial capital and, apart from two weeks in February when it stages Spain’s most celebrated Carnaval bash, it remains very much under-visited (see Cádiz).

The closest major town east of Seville has been continuously inhabited for more than 5,000 years. Its Roman remains are truly exceptional, especially the huge necropolis. The view from the originally Roman Puerta de Córdoba (Córdoba Gate) out over the sweeping plains also shouldn’t be missed. Fine churches, palaces and alcázares adorn the site – one of the ancient castles is now restored as a spectacular parador (see Parador Alcázar del Rey, Carmona).

Claiming to be a compendium of the world’s smallest curiosities, this is certainly an oddball collection. There’s a fine copy of Da Vinci’s The Last Supper , executed on a grain of rice, fleas in full suits of clothing and a bust of Churchill’s head sculpted from a stick of chalk.