It is so easy to just hop off a Spanish motorway and discover new sights and experience villages, towns and cities that you might otherwise have driven right by. After all, not all destinations look thrilling from the autovia. I know of many places which, as viewed from the highway, would not entice you to see more of what they have to offer.
That is usually because some of the worst architecture in Spain is alongside the motorway. But there are some great places to see within a short detour. Take a break from driving and see somewhere new.
Take the city of Antequera for example. The place with the most churches of anywhere in the country. It is awash with places at which to worship. Be you driving on the A92 between locations such as sumptuous Seville, or the great city of Granada; or find yourself bored of the A45 as you travel between, maybe, marvellous Malaga and cracking Córdoba – i urge you to take that turn off and switch on to Antequera.
Antequera
It is big enough to hold your attention and yet small enough to wander around in an hour or two break from behind the wheel of a car.
Antequera is the most centrally located place in Andalusia. If drawing a line from Seville to Granada, and another from Córdoba to Malaga, those lines will cross in Antequera. So making Antequera a great place to base yourself on holiday. The countryside, the beach and the neighbouring cities all being within comfortable driving distance.
Its privileged situation in Andalusia has made it one of the most important towns in the province.
With more than eight hundred square kilometres, this is the biggest municipality in the province of Malaga, bordering the province of Córdoba to the north and with the mountains of Malaga to the south. Its population of forty thousand people pales into insignificance when compared to the size of Malaga, a vibrant city which has so much more going for it than a beach. It is a city worthy of a holiday all of its own.
But, make no mistake, Antequera is indeed a very significant place.
Take a break
On the edge of the town are the Dolmen Caves, the most famous in Europe. Three vast huge rock tombs dating from 2.500BC.
They were discovered in 1905 by a local gardener and when fully excavated revealed the skeletons of hundreds of Iberian people who inhabited the peninsular forty five thousand years ago. The caves are open to the public.
Life on the edge
Lovers' Leap
Another notable landmark is La Peña de los Enamorados, or lovers’ cliff. This is a looming slab of rock that hides a tragic love story revolving around a Christian boy and an Arab girl who were in love. Their respective families did not approve of the union. The story goes that the couple, from nearby Archidona, met secretly and finally left their respective homes.
However, knowing they could never be together in life, they chose to be together in death. They threw themselves from the highest cliff into the deep ravine below.
Then there is the more famous landmark El Torcal. This is an extraordinary collection of rocks that, upon closer inspection, appear to take on the shape of animals, birds and human faces.
Its highest point is over one thousand metres above the sea under which it used to sit. That was until seismic movements in the earth’s crust propelled the rocks upwards. Views from El Torcal are memorable and it would be foolish to go to Antequera and not take the short journey out of town and marvel at what nature can do.
Pretty flamingo
Fuente de Piedra
For those who like to be at one with nature there are numerous places of outstanding beauty not far from the centre of Antequera. The Fuente de Piedra, for example, is easy to reach from the motorway. A haven for birds, it is, for some of the year, home to thousands of flamingos.
If you prefer a more dangerous animal then wolves are on show at the popular Lobo Wolf Park. An entertaining day out for the family. The 40 hectare park is also home to an array of rare plants and a pet zoo for the children.
If you love churches then your cup will run over in the city centre of Antequera. There are so many to see, including the imposing Cathedral. And no visit to Antequera would be complete without seeing its famous bull ring.
Hot stuff
Busy Córdoba
Another hotspot, just down the motorway, is Córdoba. A fabulous place to go on holiday, especially out of high season.
Hotter than other cities in Andalusia, even as early as spring. As local resident Brian Dring told me: “For some reason people are shocked by the heat here. It can be very intense from May onwards. I see tourists step off their air conditioned coaches into 38 degrees celsius and then run back to their cool vehicles.
“No local would walk around Córdoba in the middle of such a hot day. They escape into the restaurants and tapas bars. I think Córdoba offers some of the best food in Andalusia and it is one of the many reasons why I relish living here. Bar Santos, which is almost opposite La Mezquita, serves award winning and home made Tortilla, and nearby, in Calle Romero is my favourite restaurant, Casa Pepe. When the going gets hot in Córdoba, that is where you will find me taking shelter from the fierce sun.
“Of course La Mezquita is the main reason tourists come to Córdoba. And you have to see it. But if people do not take the time to see what else is on offer in the city then, forgive me, but they are crazy!”
Colourful Córdoba
Cooling patios of Viana Palace
In May they come for the fabulous annual patio festival. But there are patios and gardens to see all year long.
The Viana Palace is another must see attraction in Córdoba. It is quite a walk across town but is most definitely worth the effort. If La Mezquita suffers from large crowds then the Viana Palace and its serene grounds offer sanctuary from the masses. It boasts several interconnected patios and one truly delightful garden.
Then there is the attractive Patio de los Naranjos, which is attached to the Alcazar palace that itself dates back to 1328. The fortress palace is undeniably impressive as is the Moorish bathhouse, the Banos-Califales. But it is the gardens of the palace that are the real attraction for me in this part of the city. All fifty five thousand square metres of them. There are some great gardens to see in Andalusia, including in Córdoba.
Then and now
Colourful gardens of Córdoba
Outside of the current city is a previous version.
Córdoba was once home to a population of a million people. Today around three hundred thousand people live there. A few kilometres west is the site of another large, former city. It took ten thousand men, fifteen thousand mules and four thousand camels to construct Madinat al-Zahra or ‘city of the flower’. Abd al-Rahman III ordered the building of the new Palatine city and it took more than twenty five years to complete. His rule is seen as the most dynamic in the history of Córdoba.
Al-Zahra only stood for sixty five years before fire, begun by fighting soldiers, destroyed it in the 11th century. Muslims and Christians alike plundered what was left. It remained abandoned until the early part of the 20th century. Excavations began in 1910 and restoration work some forty years later. Less than one tenth of the city was excavated; a quarter of which is now open to visitors.
Turn off
Lakeside
Also away from the city centre, but again close to motorway turn offs, are some towns and villages worth seeing. Places such as Priego de Córdoba, Villanueva de Algaidas and Rute.
Priego de Córdoba is located among the rolling green hills of the Subbética mountain range. Its history dates back over eight thousand years but it was in the 18th century that the town came to the fore. Priego de Córdoba was then known for its silk and textile industry. Today it is the Baroque churches, 13th century Moorish castle and other historic monuments that attract visitors. The Barrio de la Villa is the Moorish part of town and is the oldest residential area. The barrio is a maze of cobbled alleyways.
Another place to go for a relaxing holiday is Lake Iznajar. Located near the southern border of the province of Córdoba; Iznajar is a short drive off the A45 and A92 motorways. The small town of Iznajar is located in the River Genil valley. It is home to six thousand inhabitants and has an ‘embalse’ or reservoir large enough to take them and a whole lot more people.
Not that I have ever seen big crowds here. Sit there and soak in the tranquillity and be dazzled by the turquoise waters. Just one of many lovely lakes in Spain.
Then, when you feel suitably relaxed, get back on that autovia.
Who knows where you’ll stop off next?
