Today’s article covers a lot of ground, from Cordoba through Malaga and then to Grenada. We actually spent a little over a week on these activities but there wasn’t much to say about visiting pagan sites, geological phenomenon, and visiting friends. So our focus for this week is on Grenada.
Antequera: A Disappointing Hole in the Ground
Driving two hours due south from Cordoba toward Málaga, we decided to break up the trip. We targeted an ancient burial site in Antequera and a natural park known for weird rock formations.
Our first stop was the 3,500-year-old burial mounds at Antequera. We started with a quiet picnic lunch in front of the site museum, which is entirely free to enter. The museum itself was informative, detailing the celestial alignments and antiquity of these pagan structures. The actual walk up to the mounds in the heat yielded very little payoff. The first mound offered only a tight, cramped access tunnel leading to a tiny burial chamber.
We hiked over to the second, much larger mound, only to find it completely blocked off for renovations. There was literally nothing to see. When a docent mentioned a third mound further out of town, we passed. We had already seen enough underwhelming holes in the ground for one afternoon.
El Torcal: A Landscape of Knobbly Disks
Moving on from the mounds, we drove up into the mountains to El Torcal de Antequera Natural Park. This detour proved far more worthwhile. The road climbs up to a much higher elevation. At elevation, millions of years of erosion have carved out surreal limestone formations. While the gray, knobbly stone looks like granite at first glance. Diana, the erstwhile geologist in our family, confirmed its limestone origins from the park plaques.
The rock here has weathered into distinct disk-like layers, stacked horizontally, vertically, and every angle in between. We walked the trails checking out the flora, fauna, and the famous 10-foot-tall El Torcal rock stack. Friendly local mountain goats reportedly roam the area, though we didn’t spot any during our walk.
Reconnecting in Málaga
Readers with a good memory will recall that we visited Málaga five years ago during a drive around the Spanish coast. Malaga is one of our favorite places. So when our friends Jack and Jane invited us to stay at their place, we jumped at the chance.
They live in Torremolinos, a flat, modern beach town just south of Málaga along the coast. Their apartment is within walking distance of the beach, a quick train line into central Málaga, and a short drive to the airport. It is a very practical setup for frequent travelers.
Having already hit the major local tourist sites years ago, we focused this visit on hanging out with our hosts. We strolled through central Málaga, admired the exterior walls of the massive Alcazaba complex, and did some food shopping at the local central market.
We also ducked into a 120-year-old local tavern, Casa Guardiol, to try traditional house-made Spanish vermouth. Spanish vermouth is a fortified, herb-infused alcohol that tastes like a hybrid of bitter tea and fortified wine. Each region crafts its own distinct recipe, and it makes for an easy pre-dinner ritual.
Jack and Jane took us to a few fantastic dining spots around town. Highlights included:
- Oxtail and Foie Gras: A rich, savory combination served alongside sweet local tomatoes.
- Goat Cheese and Mango Sorbet Salad: A dish Diana loved so much she hunted for a repeat version later in Granada.
A Peublo Blanco and Skipping the Caves in Nerja
Jack and Jane took us on a day trip to nearby Mijas, a nearby Pueblo Blanco with nice views and a penchant for burros. We had a pleasant stroll around town and grabbed a bite. Worth a stop if you are driving, probably not if you are taking public transport.
Leaving Málaga bound for Granada, we routed ourselves through the coastal town of Nerja. I originally wanted to stop and check out the town’s famous prehistoric cave paintings. However, I learned that because the 30,000-year-old art is fragile and buried deep in the cavern system, public access is completely banned. Visitors are directed to a museum to view digital reproductions instead. We decided to skip the caves because I can look at digital images on my phone via YouTube. Instead, we drove straight into to Nerja, grabbed a simple lunch, and enjoyed the coastal beach-town scenery before continuing inland.
Enchanted Evenings in Granada
An hour’s drive north brought us into Granada. We stayed at the Hotel Vincci Albayzín, located just outside the congested tourist center. The hotel sits right on a wide, tree-shaded promenade lined with fountains. On the weekend artisan markets selling local pottery and linens are set up in the middle. I found the city’s overall pace much more convivial and relaxed than I remembered from our first trip here 30-plus years ago.
The star attraction in Granada is the Alhambra. The sprawling Moorish fortress complex that fell to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in 1492. At that time it was the final Islamic stronghold in Spain. The grounds offer sweeping views over the valley, manicured gardens growing produce, and intricate Islamic tilework. Interestingly, the ceiling paintings feature rare human figures and depictions of Moors drinking wine. These paintings show a notable degree of historical laxity regarding traditional religious rules.
Nearby, we walked through the gardens of the Generalife, a former summer palace. The property features trickling fountains, hilltop vistas looking back at the Alhambra walls, and quiet paths. Touring the full site requires buying tickets well in advance, but it remains a mandatory stop. Our tour of the Alhambra complex had to be ticketed months in advance and we actually spent an entire day enjoying the palaces and grounds.
Narrow Alleys and Historical Debts
Directly below the fortress sits the Albaicín, the historic Moorish quarter. Unlike the wide, planned boulevards of modern Spain, plots of land in the Albaicín were sold ad-hoc centuries ago with zero urban planning. The only rule was that a new structure couldn’t block access to an existing plot. As a result, the neighborhood is a maze of claustrophobic, winding alleys barely wide enough for a person, let alone a horse. It made for great military defense historically, but today it just means thick tourist crowds jostling past souvenir shops. Down in the main town square, a large statue commemorates Christopher Columbus pleading with Queen Isabella to fund his voyage to the Indies. Isabella initially turned him down because all her money was tied up in the war against Granada.
Once Granada fell, Columbus asked again. Isabella tried to stall him a second time, claiming she needed funds to rebuild the newly conquered lands. Columbus packed his bags to pitch his plan to the King of Portugal, forcing Isabella to quickly summon him back to Granada to seal the deal.
That funding was aided by Samuel, a prominent Jewish administrator who managed Granada’s finances for the Crown. When Isabella expelled the Jewish population in 1492, the state seized their (and his) assets to clear royal debts, proving once again that official loyalty goes only so far.
Cows on the Ski Slopes
Looking for a change of pace one afternoon, we drove an hour out of the city up into the Sierra Nevada mountains to check out the local ski resort. Being June, the snow was long gone. What we found was a central base village with lift infrastructure radiating upward, looking much more like an American ski hill than a traditional European resort.
The open bowl above the treeline was filled with cyclists, hikers, and one random cow casually hanging out in a display plaza. When I asked a server at a mountain cafe where to find a restroom, he simply gestured toward the treeline and said, “Well, there’s the forest.” Clear enough. On the drive back down, we also stopped to inspect a newly constructed water dam tucked into the valley, enjoying the cool mountain air before dropping back down into the heat of the city.
Wholesome Streets and Whimsical Desserts
The best part of Granada was the daily rhythm. During the afternoon heat, the city shuts down entirely for siesta, leaving the streets deserted between 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM. We walked to dinner early one evening around 6:00 PM, passing an empty plaza surrounded by closed storefronts. Returning along the same route at 9:30 PM, the exact same plaza was suddenly packed with multi-generational families, elderly couples promenading, and kids playing near the fountains.
Granada was also celebrating its annual Feria festivities alongside the Corpus Christi holiday. While we skipped the out-of-town fairgrounds this time, the city itself was alive with puppet shows, brass bands, and locals dressed in their Sunday finest.
Food-wise, Granada delivered plenty of rabo de toro (braised oxtail stew), which seems to be on every menu in Andalusia. We also tried a hyper-local dessert called a pionono—a tiny, rolled sponge cake soaked in syrup and topped with toasted cream. It was a bit too gooey and overly sweet for our taste, but worth a try.
Overall, Granada was a highlight of the trip. The neighborhood around our hotel sat right near an El Corte Inglés department store with a phenomenal basement gourmet grocery store, perfect for stocking up on local ingredients. While we might skip the crowded historical sights on a return trip, spending a month just living in Granada is an idea we could easily get behind.
Which festivals would you say are worth traveling to?
