![\"cadiz-cathedral-andaluxia\"](\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/cadiz-cathedral-andaluxia-2.jpg\")
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Gear up for a\u00a0700km road trip through Andalusia in southern Spain<\/a>, where you\u2019ll be treated to Moorish architecture, a Roman fortress,\u00a0UNESCO World Heritage-listed palaces and magnificent cathedrals as you explore Seville, C\u00f3rdoba and Granada. An Andalusia holiday is one that will leave an impact as the Spanish atmosphere here is not only grand, it is so different than what you find in Madrid and Barcelona. In the Spanish Andalusia, you are transported back to a\u00a0historical time when the Moors had a strong influence.\u00a0Everything has a different flavour in Southern Spain.<\/p>\n If you’re after more than shopping in Spain, take a roadtrip through Andalucia. Here’s my travel journal for inspiration to plan your own itinerary for an Andalusia holiday with stops in 3 grand Spanish cities.<\/p>\n Looking back at the sparkling blue Mediterranean in my\u00a0rear-view\u00a0mirror as I reluctantly left\u00a0M\u00e1laga, I thought I must be mad to be leaving this coastal resort. Too late to change my mind, I headed for Andalusia’s capital city, Seville, and was soon glad that I did.<\/p>\n After checking into my\u00a0city centre hotel in Seville<\/a>, I discovered that my visit coincided with La Feria<\/a>, a lively post-Easter festival. It seemed everyone except me had come dressed for the occasion. The narrow streets were crowded with curvaceous, dark-haired se\u00f1oritas wearing full-length dresses with tiered frills in bold colours.<\/p>\n That evening, I was treated to flamenco dancing in the streets; sounds of the stamping of black-heeled shoes and the clacking of wooden castanets filled the air.<\/p>\n The next day, I was back on schedule with a visit to Seville Cathedral<\/strong><\/a>, reputedly the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world. It was not just huge \u2013 it was breathtaking, with so much intricate detail in the stone carvings, columns and gilded vaulted ceilings.<\/p>\n Among the must-sees are the Door of the Nativity (although all the exterior doorways are beautiful),\u00a0the\u00a0Giralda\u00a0(bell tower) and the adjoining Archbishop’s Palace. It has 80 separate side chapels and serves as a worthy resting place for Christopher Columbus, which reminded me that it was time to move on \u2013 new discoveries lay ahead.<\/p>\n In sharp contrast to the cathedral, the\u00a0Real Alc\u00e1zar<\/a>\u00a0was a former royal palace built for the Muslim governor. The richly decorated\u00a0Mud<\/em>\u00e9<\/em>jar<\/em>\u00a0architecture, tranquil Courtyard of the Maidens and extensive gardens of fruit trees make this a worthy\u00a0UNESCO\u00a0World Heritage-listed site.<\/p>\n The next morning, I headed for the\u00a0Museo de Bellas Artes<\/a>. Beneath the baroque ceiling of this former convent, the museum houses an outstanding collection of paintings, ceramics and pottery for which Andalusia is still famous. After an alfresco lunch on the Plaza\u00a0del\u00a0Duque, I made my way to the air-conditioned comfort of the massive El\u00a0Corte\u00a0Ingl\u00e9s\u00a0department store for some retail therapy.<\/p>\n The next morning, I had just enough time to squeeze in a visit to the magnificent Plaza de\u00a0Espa\u00f1a<\/a>,\u00a0with its\u00a0Venetian-style canal and tile-bordered buildings, before making the 140km trek north-east to C\u00f3rdoba.<\/p>\n C\u00f3rdoba’s\u00a0ancient history<\/a> has left it with a fascinating heritage. Once the capital of the Moorish kingdom of Al-Andalus, the city returned to Christianity in 1236 AD. However, the Christian conquerors were so enthralled by the city\u2019s 10th-century Great Mosque that they could not bring themselves to destroy it. Instead, they developed their cathedral\u00a0within it.<\/p>\n The result is a unique\u00a0mishmash of Moorish-Westernised architecture. Acres of white marble, stunning\u00a0capillas<\/em>\u00a0(open chapels), row upon row of decorated arches on slender columns, and the golden\u00a0mihrab\u00a0(prayer niche) that faces Mecca left me speechless in this ambivalent place of worship.<\/p>\n Cordoba Mosque<\/span><\/p>\n Other worthwhile attractions that deserved more than the fleeting visit I paid them include the splendid Alc\u00e1zar of the Christian Monarchs near the\u00a0Guadalquivir\u00a0River. Built as a Roman fortress, it was\u00a0repurposed\u00a0as the residence of Christian kings and still retains its bathhouse and beautiful gardens.<\/p>\n A lesser-known attraction I stumbled across in C\u00f3rdoba was the\u00a0Chapel of San Bartolom\u00e9<\/a>, with its imposing 14th-century\u00a0mud\u00e9jar\u00a0facade.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Heading south-east on a 200km journey through the mountains to Granada, I felt I\u2019d saved the best for last. The city sits at the foot of a massive cliff on which stands\u00a0Alhambra<\/a>, an 11th-century fortress\/palace and gardens all in one rambling complex.<\/p>\n Fortunately, I’d done my homework and had booked tickets online to avoid\u00a0queueing\u00a0for the main tours. Alhambra has stunning views over its thick walls to the city below. For me, the best part was the Palace of Charles V<\/strong>, but I’m a sucker for architecture and opulence.<\/p>\n The separate\u00a0Nasrid\u00a0Palaces<\/strong>, comprising\u00a0the Mexuar, the Comares\u00a0Palace and the Palace of the Lions are well worth a look, too. Finally, the water gardens within the\u00a0Generalife\u00a0provide a serene oasis, with gentle fountains splashing into rectangular ponds filled with waterlilies.<\/p>\n I returned to the present with a visit to the market in Granada<\/strong>, where Moorish traders plied me with leather bags, belts, spices and ubiquitous carpets of questionable origin. Be warned, the narrow streets in Granada fail to deter speeding locals and had ambling tourists at times jumping for their lives.<\/p>\n I was almost all cathedralled out but managed to get enthused again at the majestic architecture and ornate designs within the thick walls of\u00a0Granada Cathedral<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the end of the journey, my lasting impression of Andalusia was of a breathtaking, living museum of ancient history, artworks and architecture made all the more pleasant by the abundance of sunshine, happy locals, good food and fine wine. Knowing that there are regular\u00a0flights to M\u00e1laga\u00a0<\/a>and affordable car hire<\/a>, I certainly hope to return to Andalusia, this time to explore the Ronda Wine Route.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [button style=’blue’ url=’https:\/\/www.expedia.com.sg\/Andalucia.d6047843.Destination-Travel-Guides’ icon=’entypo-flight’ fullwidth=’true’] Take me to Andalucia, Spain! [\/button]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"spanish-torro-divider\"](\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/spanish-torro-divider-2.png\")
<\/p>\nAndalusia Holiday Day 1<\/strong>\u2013<\/strong>3 :<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>M<\/strong>\u00e1<\/strong>laga<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>to Seville<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Spanish](\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/spanish-flamenco-andalucia-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Seville-Cathedral-Catedral-De-Sevilla-52614\"](\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Seville-Cathedral-Catedral-De-Sevilla-52614-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"real-alcazar-seville-spain\"](\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/real-alcazar-seville-spain-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Museum](\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Museum-Of-Fine-Arts-Seville-Spain-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Plaza](\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Plaza-De-Espana-Seville-52644-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\nAndalusia Holiday\u00a0<\/strong>Day 4<\/strong>\u2013<\/strong>5: Seville to C<\/strong>\u00f3<\/strong>rdoba<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Cordoba](\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/cordoba-mosque-spain-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"marques-de-viana-palace2\"](\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/marques-de-viana-palace2-2.jpg\")
\u00a0Marques de Viana Palace<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Grand](\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/1-Grand-Mosque-Cordoba-Credit-Alexander-Pieri-2.jpg\")
\u00a0Inside the Mezquita Cathedral \u00a0<\/span>| CC 2.0 \/\u00a0Alexander Pieri<\/span><\/em><\/p>\nAndalusia Holiday <\/strong>Day 6<\/strong>\u2013<\/strong>7: C<\/strong>\u00f3<\/strong>rdoba to Granada<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Mirador](\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/granada-st-nicolas-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Genealife](\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/1-Genealife-Credit-Visit-Spain-2.jpg\")
Visit Spain<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n![\"Interior](\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/granada-cathedral-details-2.jpg\")
![\"Granada](\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/granada-cathedral-2.jpg\")
CC 2.0 \/\u00a0Wenjie, Zhang<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\nOh Andalusia<\/h2>\n