Spanish countryside: Andalusia

After our stay in the Gran Canaria island, we spent a couple of days driving around in Andalusia, the southern (and warmer) part of Spain. We flew to Malaga from the Canary Islands and straightaway drove to Sevilla. We spent a day in Sevilla and then came back to Malaga. Once in Malaga, we spent a day exploring the town and then did a day trip to the hill station of Granada. Driving around was quite comfortable as all these towns are about 1-2 hours away from each other.

What I remember most about this leg of the trip was the warm(er) weather and the non-European culture of Andalusia. It was a lot warmer here in December than London, with temperatures ranging in the early 20s. This made the walking around and exploring the towns quite comfortable. And this region of Spain has a Moorish (Arabic) influence which was in juxtaposition with the European feel in the rest of Spain. This mixing of cultures made for interesting towns to explore; in terms of their architecture, handicrafts, look and feel of the towns, history and music.

All the three towns were quite similar in some aspects. They all had cathedrals in the city center, a fort or a major palace from Moorish times and an enchanting old part of the town with narrow lanes and memories of a very distant and different past.

Sevilla

Sevilla old town

In Sevilla, we spent the whole day walking around the old narrow cobbled lanes of the city center, eating tapas in the various cafes when tired of the walk and enjoying the sun which had made the day very warm. We took a map of the old town which guided us to the main sites to see and the rest of the time, we just walked around on whichever street seemed interesting to us.

Church of del Salvador

The first church we went into was the Iglesia del Salvador (which I mistook for the main cathedral). Inside the church, there were intricate sculptures made of solid silver and and huge Christian paintings all around. They were one of the best I have seen in Europe and very impressive. The square just outside the church was also fun, it was full of people enjoying the winter sun while being out for Christmas shopping. There were vendors selling street food and performers entertaining the kids.

Sevilla cathedral

After del Salvador, we reached the cathedral of Sevilla which is a huge Gothic structure built of light brown stone. We had had enough church visits for the day and so decided not to venture inside but have heard that its a beautiful cathedral.

Giralda Tower

Just next to the cathedral is the Giralda tower; a huge architectural marvel which provides good views of the city from the top. It might be worth visiting though we did not go up. (In a lot of European towns, every place is hyped up so much that you end up spending money on things not really worth it. I would say its a good idea to decide before-hand what place you would like to pay and visit, rather than going everywhere the guide books tell you to!)

Alcazar Palace

Alcazar Palace

We did visit the Alcazar palace though (or castle as its called), which is located just next to the cathedral. The palace was a remnant from the Moorish reign of Sevilla, and was built in the Arabic style. It had grand rooms with exquisite designs made in marble on the walls, all clean and well preserved. The designs in the palace reminded me of the marble carved windows and structures from the Mughal architecture from India, in Agra, Delhi and some places in Rajasthan. I would say that the work in these Indian palaces and forts is grander than Alcazar, except that here, the structures were a lot better in terms of maintenance and preservation as compared to India (there were no names written on the walls by visiting tourists as it happens in India!). And this cleanliness makes it look a lot better than what we have in India, which is a pity given that we have much better palaces in India. But that's how it is!

We also took a horse carriage ride around all the touristic areas around; the Torre del Oro tower, a bull fighting ring, a couple of museums and the Parque Maria Luisa park. The carriage ride was a good way to just ride through all the worthwhile areas and then decide which of those places you want to spend more time at.

Playa de Espana

Playa de Espana

After the carriage ride, we spent some time at the Playa de Espana, which is a huge brown sandstone Parliament building located in the center of the Maria Luisa park. It is built in a semi-circular shape, with fountains in the center and a flowing canal in front where people can choose to boat (in Venice-like gondolas). In the setting sun, the building looked mesmerising; the brown of the building and the yellow of the sun playing games with each other. We also liked walking next to the base of the building; around the semi-circle, there were mosaics contributed by each of the cities of Spain which were interesting to look at.

Santa Cruz

After Playa de Espana, we spent some time in the Santa Cruz area of the town, which is another of the old and handsome part of town with cafes and eating places spread everywhere. It was relaxing after the hectic day to just walk around lazily and stop for a cup of coffee whenever tired or just flick through the souvenirs being sold in all the shops. Sevilla is also famous for the tomb of Columbus which we did not get a chance to see. Might be worth visiting next time.

We had dinner at a restaurant called Giralda, just next to the Giralda tower which actually had tasty vegetarian food. If you ever get to eat there, would recommend the paella, it was just so yum and tasty, a must try!

In Sevilla, we stayed at the Barcelo Renacimiento, an executive hotel located outside the town on an island. It was a good and relatively cheap hotel. I did realise though, that it makes sense to stay close to the city center, as it makes it much easier to go in and out your hotel especially if it gets cold and you need to either find a sweater or else buy one!!

Malaga

We spent the next day exploring the town of Malaga. It was not as extensive culturally like Sevilla, as Malaga is more of a beach town. Nevertheless, we found it to be very lively with lot of things to do.

View of Malaga

We first went to the Malaga Gibralforo fort perched on top of a hill, which was again a remnant from the time the Moors ruled over Spain. It was quite average honestly, with a museum with some displays of those times. The view from the top of the fort though were fascinating, a birds eye view of the town below, the sea on one side and mountains far away on the other side.

The rest of the day, we spent exploring the narrow lanes of the town. The cathedral was a beauty; huge, light brown and with crowds all around. And surprise, there was a tower next to it for views of the city!

Malaga cathedral

Malaga cathedral

Malaga was the home of Picasso, and we visited his house since we could not see the museum as it was already closed by the time we reached. Picasso's house is definitely a miss as it has nothing commendable to see or appreciate. But just next to Picasso's house is a restaurant called Picasso, another place I would recommend as the food served there is a lot tastier than a lot of places around. Plus the waiters are quite fluent in English which feels like a boon!

Malaga main street

The main street of Malaga was especially lively at that time of year as it was Christmas time. So there were lighted decorations over every street, christmas trees on every square, shops on sale and families all out having a nice time in the streets.

Street performers

And then there were the street performers to keep the people entertained, and there is one I should definitely mention. The photo here shows two street performers and I am still not sure how they managed that! It was espeically interesting to see how the kids were all trying to figure out the secret of how the man was floating in air so effotlesslessly. Any ideas?

There were hajaar places everywhere to just sit around and enjoy the scenes in the small streets of the city center. Each of them providing a good view around, plus tasty titbits to eat. There were also flamenco dancers and musicians carrying guitars coming in regularly to the restaurants to entertain the guests and ask for money thereafter. It felt a little like begging though, and very unlike a first world country. Visiting these towns also make me wonder how Spain fits in with the developed world; it did not feel so given the poverty among the the people in the smaller towns.

Castillo de Santa Catalina

The hotel we stayed in Malaga was earlier a castle: Castillo de Santa Catalina. It is a definte recommend. Castillo is located slightly outside the town but its a lovely place to stay. Its not a huge castle but a smaller one, with a couple of tastefully done up rooms and well-maintained gardens all around to spend time in.

View from Castillo

From the towers of the castle, you can get a panoramic view of the city lights and the sea (and Africa also maybe?), and enough place on the terrace to relax while taking in the view. Also, given that the castle is located outside the town, its a very quiet place to relax on the trip.

View from Castillo

We did not get much time to spend there though, but it was definitely a high point of the trip. I also noted that space management in the castle was not the best. They could have a lot more rooms than what they have currently, if they just would just optimise the space a little more. Then possibly more people can enjoy this beautiful experience.

Granada

The next day. we did a day trip from Malaga to Granada, with the drive taking us through mountains and fields and small villages on the way. It was not the most picturesque drive I have been through though (and not at all like the breathtaking views of the Spanish countryside we had seen in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara) but it was short enough to not be boring:).

Highway 'services'

On the way, we stopped at the local service eating places which were a nightmare to get vegetarian food at. The only options available would be potatoes and bread and cheese, and the fact that we knew how to say 'no meat' in Spanish was a big life saver.

Granada

Granada was a beautiful town, maybe the most charming of the Andalusian towns we visited. It was located just next to the Sierra Nevada mountains which form a picturesque background to the town. They were snow covered at the time of the year, and consequently Granada was a lot cooler than the other towns. It is situated on hilly ground and hence has roads going up and down giving it a charm of its own.

Entrance to Alhambra

We spent some time in the square next to the huge town hall, eating and then watching the local performer catching hold of tourists walking by and embarassing them. Then we went up the Alhambra, the royal palace, located on top of the hill. The entrance to the fort was pretty, green paths winding up the mountain; the image looked just out of a painting.

Shop in Alhambra for clicking pictures

Inside the Alhambra, you again see the same Arabic architecture as seen in Alcazar in Sevilla. There are many old buildings within this complex too, for times of war and times of peace and for prayer. There is also an old Turkish bath in line with the fascination of the Arabic for communal baths.

Inside the Alhambra

We had lunch at an Indian place just near the town square, called Mulgai. The food was strictly ok, but after a week of having tapas with limited vegetarian options, an Indian lunch felt almost like heaven. In case you are in the mood for desi khana, at least you know that Granada has options.

Alhambra and Sierra Nevada

Thereafter, we walked up the hill in the old town, to the top of the hill which provides a mesmerising view of the Alhambra fort from afar with the snow covered Sierra Nevada mountains in the background. On top of the hill, there is also a mosque from the Moorish times.

Sierra Nevada

There were huge crowds of people at the top taking in a view of Alhambra from afar, a truly magical look. But there were many locals also spending time on the hilltop square just catching up with each other and chatting away before Christmas. Like a town square, there were performers entertaining the kids; and one I particularly liked were creating big bubbles using soap water which fascinated not just the kids but adults alike.

Granada

While coming back from the view point, we walked along the squares of the old town, in front of old churches, taking in the view of the town (and the cathedral!) with the sun setting and washing the whole town in bright orange. We stopped at a couple of local restaurants just to have a bite and felt like we had come to a different world, almost expecting a belly dancer to appear out of nowhere and waiter wearing topis and carrying shishas serving us. We also ran into a local market by mistake which looked just out of Turkey or Morocco. The people were Arabic, the music was Arabic and the things being sold were all Arabic too, like shishas, topis etc. It did not feel like Europe at all!

Square in Granada

After spending a few moments taking in the feeling of that place, we left to go back to Malaga and back to London the next day.

On the whole, the whole Andalusian experience had been a fascinating one for us. An exquisite mix of two disparate cultures coming together in such a beautiful form.

Food was the only tough part of the trip. For one, it was very tough to converse with the waiters at the restaurant since their English was not too fluent. And second, it was even tougher to get vegetarian food, so we ended up eating a lot of patatas (potatoes) and bread over the next few days. Getting vegetarian food and communicating in English were the only minor problems we had. That notwithstanding, it was a nice feel good trip. A definite recommend if you want to experience a different side of Europe or just want to go back in time to a different era.

Gran Canaria of the Spanish Canary Islands

This winter, we had a couple of days off and were looking at places close to London to go for a couple of days of relaxation. As you would know, most of Europe is out of bounds for travel during winter unless you are in for skiing. So we searched around a bit and finally decided to go to the Canary Islands where the winter is a lot more sunnier and warmer than continental Europe.

And so there we were, on the island of Gran Canaria for 4 days around Christmas. The flight to Gran Canaria was pretty long given that it was still European territory and that is what led us to check the map and realise that we were closer to Africa than Europe!! Also made us wonder how the Spaniards managed to hold on to these islands when all the imperial powers were relinquishing their colonies. I guess the fact that these islands are in the middle of nowhere with no major local population, plus their being a warm holiday option in the winters must have been a major factor in this decision.



Anyways, Gran Canaria is a small round volcanic island in the middle of nowhere and looks like a jewel while landing onto this island. You can get a view of the other nearby Canary Islands (Tenerife and Colarejo) while landing. The first view of Gran Canaria was not what we had expected though! We had expected it to be a green lush island whereas it turned out to be a dry and bare island with limited vegetation. Hence, it looks more like a desert with very limited patches of green and honestly not as inviting as most holiday places would look. Apparently, there is a huge fresh water shortage on the island too and all water is imported from the mainland.

We landed at the capital city of Las Palmas and hired a car from the airport itself to drive to our hotel. I would suggest booking a car (in advance) while on the island as its not that easy to get around, with taxis being pretty expensive and places to visit being spread out around the island. For me, the driving was a bit hard initially, as it took me some time to figure out what to do on roundabouts, who has the right of way etc., but once I figured that out, the whole driving experience became a lot more enjoyable.

St Agustin

We stayed at the Melia Tamarindos on St Agustin beach, but we were so busy that we did not get a chance to explore that area at all. The hotel was nice, the rooms were a little garish though. The pool outside is huge, and the hotel has multiple activities within, like tennis, mini-golf etc. to keep you busy (none of which we had a chance to enjoy though!). Melia also has its own casino which opens in the evening, plus a lounge on the ground floor which has live music everyday. We really liked the lounge a lot, it was a good place to unwind at the end of a busy day. Sit by the sofas and enjoy the performers singing and dancing every evening. The breakfast buffet at Melia was amazing, the spread was so huge that it was tough to decide what to eat and what not to! Can't say the same about their dinner though, being a preferential vegetarian, we had a tough time finding any stuff to eat!

Watersports

Scuttlefish

When in Gran Canaria, people spend their time doing one of three things: water sports/other beach activites, chilling/partying or sightseeing/touristy stuff. For the first two days, we did scuba diving with Puerto Rico diving, located near the Amadores beach. The shop is run by Nina who is a Norwegian (as are half the tourists on this island!). The first day we dived at the Amadores beach itself and saw a couple of interesting fishes, like barracuda, octopus, scuttlefish, lobsters etc..

Stargazer

The next day we dived in the Arinaga area and it turned out to be an amazing experience. For one, the sea wall there requires quite a lot of skill to navigate. But once inside, the whole wide sea world opens up right in front of your eyes.

Moray Eel

We spotted many interesting sea life while in the water here; multiple moray eels of all kinds of slimy colours and shapes (yellow, brown, orange); a huge sting ray swimming to and fro flapping its huge wings inside a cave; a stargazer which ran out of the sand when the dive-master disturbed it and then swam a little distance and furiously burrowed itself inside the sand to catch hold of unsuspecting victims; the flounder which moves in the sand and is tough to spot but makes you feel immensely satisfied with yourself when you manage to spot one yourself. As I was saying, this whole diving experience was so different from the other places I have dived at and a really memorable experience.

Christmas underwater

Since it was Christmas time, the local people had setup a Christmas tree, with a baby Jesus, Mary and three wise men in the deep waters. We all took photos next to them as a remembrance that we dived there on Christmas Eve. I found it slightly funny, when my diving group were almost apologetic that they were doing this, and mentioned multiple times that I (being a Hindu), did not need to do the same. I felt almost proud of being an Indian, where all religions co-exist and we all have been exposed to all religions while growing up. For me, it was no question at all, I would happily take a photograph with an underwater Christmas tree; where else will I get the option to do something like this again?

The other groups who were diving at the same location also did a couple of celebratory acts given it was Christmas. One of their instructors wore a full Santa costume and dived in to surprise the others with a bell and Christmas gifts! I have over the last couple of years noticed the camaraderie that divers exhibit for each others. A motley group, all from different parts of the world but when they dive together, they follow the same rules, are in the same underwater world and are all there to help each other. Quite an interesting community divers are.

Other than the diving, we spent some time on a couple of other beaches too. Amadores, where we did our diving is apparently very popular with the tourists but to us, it did not seem as inviting. This was one of the couple of yellow sand beaches of the island where the sand has been imported from elsewhere. There were sunbeds everywhere on the beach, and so did not feel like a good place to spend time on.

Taurito beach

Another beach we went to was the Taurito beach which had a resort right there nestled in between cliffs on both sides. It was a brown sand beach, and so not as inviting but we did some jetskiing there which was fun. At the Taurito, they also run jetski tours where a guide takes you around the island showing all the hidden and inaccessible beaches of the island; am sure it would be a fun activity to try. The road to Taurito offered us an interesting drive too, it runs along the mountains just next to the sea and has very nice views on the way. It does seem scary to drive there though, given the sheer fall down to the sea if you give all your attention to admiring the views:).

We also went to the Maspalomas beach one day but as it turned out, the eastern side of the island was facing high winds that day and so we did not get to spend much time on the beach or the water. There are sand dunes just next to the beach which do make for an interesting picture; sand dunes, lake, mountains and the sea. But again, this beach was a brown sand beach and not the yellow sand that one dreams about when thinking about a beachy holiday.

Chilling

Meloneras

The island is full of restaurants everywhere. There are multiple areas which are the hotbed of water activities during the day and eating and dancing during the nights. One of the areas where we had dinner was the Meloneras beach. They have a couple of restaurants next to the beach with live music. Another beach we had dinner on was the Playa de Ingles. All these restaurants serve very average food frankly, a lot of meat and a lot of Italian. The only way these were still fun was because of their location, as all of them were in the open right next to the sounds of the roaring waves plus the Spanish singing and live dancing going on at each of these places. The Spanish are one fun-loving people, they just love to sing and dance whenever they can; which is fun to watch and be a part of.

There are a couple of malls too for shopping. I did wonder initially why would someone come on a vacation and shop? But then once we checked out the malls, we realised that shopping is so much cheaper in the islands, that it actually makes sense to buy stuff from there. Would definitely suggest checking out the local malls, especially Zara stores which being a Spanish brand are much cheaper than elsewhere.

Sightseeing

Guayadeque cave houses

There were a couple of places listed in the tourist guides which sounded worth visiting. But honestly, I was not impressed. None of them were out of the world but they provided us good timepass for the day we were not diving, so we went there nevertheless. One was the Guayadeque caves which are located in the interior hills of the island. They have natural cave formations in this valley where the early natives lived and some people still reside. We went and checked out some of the houses, but not much as it did not seem fair to go into people's houses to see how they live. We did however have a coffee at the cave restaurant which was not bad. The drive to the caves was through narrow winding roads passing through the local colourful spanish villages which provided a nice kodak moment. The capital town of Las Palmas is also supposed to be culturally rich, we however did not get a chance to explore it.

On the whole, the island is good for a winter break as the temperature was in the 20s for most of the day (though it did vary by 3-4 degrees within the island too!). We also met an unproportionally high number of tourists from Norway, because apparently Gran Canaria is the favorite island for Norwegians in the winter months. People don't understand English much but you can get along using hand gestures, so its not as much of a problem. Food is very average, and you do not get tap water anywhere! On the whole, a good winter holiday spot but not much otherwise.