Andalucia -
by Bryan
Our recent bus trip to Gibraltar introduced us to the Andalucia region in the south of Spain and showed us just enough that we wanted to see more. We decided to go back on our own this time, with a rental car, to spend a week in the region to sample its diverse towns, cities and history. It also provided a very convenient way to take the ferry across the Straight of Gibraltar to Morocco and spend a day in Tangier. Morocco post here.
Granada:
Our first stop in Andalucia was Granada, a wonderfully large and diverse city with a very different feel than anywhere we've been so far in Spain. Granada is overlooked by the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains and the Alhambra--an ancient and grand Moorish palace. After finding our hotel and getting settled in the Albacin district , we started to explore the city's many plazas, shopping districts and tapas bars. It is entirely possible to never be hungry in Granada and never spend a cent on food. Every restaurant provides free tapas when you order a drink. We've seen this throughout Spain, but it's really just a nibble of peanuts, olives or potato chips. Not really all that different from the US, except here you never have to ask. In Granada however, you get a full size appetizer. Usually hot, delicious and whatever they want it to be... meat stew, deep fried fish, deviled eggs, jamon sandwiches, veggie or potato salads, tuna and so forth. Point being, you could pay for food in Granada, but why? We went into restaurants, sat at the bar and ordered a glass of the cheap house wine each (which is very very good and at most costs about $4) and got enough uniquely different and fantastic tapas to fill us up along our “tapa tour”.
The city is a modern thriving metropolis with ancient buildings, churches and history as its backdrop. From the narrow pedestrian malls to the city squares, it is definitely a must-see in Spain.
Vejer De La Frontera:
This “white hill town” just a bit south of Spain's most western point is, well... just really cool.

Jerez De La Frontera:
After a short drive, we were at our next stop on the journey – Jerez De La Frontera.
We took a tour of the Tio Pepe Sherry bodega (the largest in Spain) and learned about the history and process of Sherry and Brandy making. It is interesting to note that you will not find a year of production on a bottle of Sherry. Each bottle is made with several year's vintages so that the quality will be consistent even if there is a bad harvest in any given year.
We tasted some Sherry and after Siesta, we enjoyed a great dinner at a local spot recommended by our hotel, La Cruz Blanca.
Sevilla:
The last stop on our Andalucian tour was Seville, or Sevilla here.
From Sevilla, it was short 8 hour drive (which I did in 7) and we were back home to Dénia. What an awesome week.
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