I have just finished four days of skiing in Spain! How did I get there? Well, after Portugal I had only three days of sunshine left before a week of heavy rain. So my planning needed to be well timed. I decided to continue my Andalusia trip – From Ubeda to Seville, through the Olive Trees – driving through Cadiz, Jerez and Ronda, all the way to the Sierra Nevada mountains. I couldn’t wait to share how my Andalusia Trip unfolded each day.
Coming from Faro in Portugal, and back into Spain, I briefly stopped in Huelva and Cádiz on my drive through. I didn’t find Huelva worth the stop and I had 40km/h icy winds in Cádiz, so I can’t tell whether I liked it. The sky was amazingly blue however, making the first part of my Trip in Andalusia quite an adventure.
Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez de la Frontera, located around 30 km inland from Cádiz, is one of Andalusia’s historic sherry towns and was one of my favourite stops. The city has a wonderful atmosphere, with plenty of traditional bars and restaurants where you can sample authentic Spanish tapas, paired with locally produced wine and world-famous sherry. If you’re planning an Andalusia trip, don’t miss this charming destination.
One challenge I always seem to face when travelling in Spain is the dining schedule. During the late afternoon, many places close for siesta, and restaurants often don’t start serving dinner until 8.00 pm or even 8.30 pm. As someone who usually likes to eat my last meal of the day around 6.30 pm, that can be a bit of an adjustment!
Perhaps I’ll have better luck on a summer Andalusia trip, when the later sunsets make eating later feel more natural. Then again… maybe not!
Gibraltar
I felt I had to stop in Gibraltar, if only so I could say I’d been there. It’s certainly a unique place, but I don’t have a great deal to say about it. Crossing the border and passing through customs just to visit a famous rock and a small coastal town is quite an experience in itself. It also felt strange, in a good way, to suddenly be somewhere that felt so British. It was nice to hear English being spoken again and enjoy a traditional English lunch.
If you’re planning an Andalusia trip, Gibraltar makes an easy and slightly quirky detour. Even if you only spend a few hours there, it’s an interesting place to tick off your travel list.
Perhaps I would have enjoyed Gibraltar more if the weather had been kinder. It was cold and cloudy during my visit, and I can’t help wondering whether a warm, sunny day would have left a better impression. I’m not entirely convinced. But you never know!
Afterword: I did come back, years later, on a sunny day. Gibraltar had the same impression as the first time. For me anyway!
Having had enough of the weather, after Gibraltar I decided to go inland, away from the strong winds. My Andalusia Trip was about to get even more adventurous.
…
Ronda
Oh beautiful Ronda! What a unique city in the middle of nowhere Ronda is. Sitting atop a deep gorge (El Tajo) and spanned by a stunning stone bridge, the Puente Nuevo (dating back to the Moorish rule), Ronda is definitely worth a trip. Even if you have to drive over the mountains to get there. Especially when coming from the coast and the town of Estepona. If you’re mapping out your own Trip through Andalusia, don’t miss Ronda.
In Ronda, it is easy to park and walk the old town. Furthermore, to get your best photos, you can walk across, along and under the Puente Nuevo bridge. It is a stunning view regardless of the angle. The landscapes over the mountains are breathtaking as well, and the blooming trees add to the contrast. A really gorgeous and certainly unique town!
I really enjoyed visiting Ronda and it has to be part of everyone who is planning an Andalusia trip.
Zahara de la Sierra
I had a few little towns marked to visit nearby Ronda. However it took a while to drive the windy roads so I only stopped in Zahara de la Sierra, a gorgeous little town with a small fort on top of a hill. An idyllic look that I found a lot throughout my Andalusia trip. Anyone on a Trip to Andalusia should add Zahara de la Sierra to their route. What a beautiful countryside it is! I have to come back to this part again.
It was the last sunny day so I am glad I made this trip when I did!
And then….
Storm Gloria
And then storm Gloria hit! Apparently the worst for the past 30 years along the Spanish coast line. So all I could do is wait it out in the hotel room in Estepona. With little walks in between rain falls (mainly to go to the supermarket), there was not much else I could do. For 5 days. Malaga would have to wait for another time. I am sure I will do another Andalusia Trip in a few years time. And Ronda..
But I knew that with the rain comes the snow in the mountains. So once it stopped raining, I continued my Andalusia trip, heading towards Sierra Nevada Granada! Let’s see whether it would be worth the wait! Because, after my previous skiing experiences in Poland and Slovakia, I was ready to give Spain a go. Read here: Skiing in Sierra Nevada.
Overall, my Trip in Andalusia included adventures, unexpected weather, and discoveries at every stop. Stay tuned… !
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