Apart from all the coastal resorts, ranging
from
Tarifa
(30 minutes) to
Puerto
Banus (40 minutes) where you can just
sit at the many bars and restaurants and
people watch (or spend a fortune at the
designer shops). If you are looking for
a quieter time there are many historical
and cultural places to visit:
::
San
Roque (10 minutes) - although it cannot
compare with some of the older towns in
Andalucia, having been founded only in
1704, it deserves a visit as it will introduce
you to the main themes of the more remote
historic towns further up in the hills
- the steep narrow streets of white houses
with their iron-grilled bay windows, the
tiny squares and the profusion of flowers,
date, palms, orange and lemon trees that
are characteristic of the region.
::
Cadiz
– the oldest city in Europe which
again is quite Moorish in appearance with
its narrow cobbled streets opening onto
small squares.
::
Jerez–
famous for its sweet wines (‘sherry’
was named after the town by the British
as they couldn’t pronounce ‘Jerez’)
and its fine horses and wonderful singers
and flamenco dancers. Their famous ‘Dancing
Horses’ are a sight not to be missed
if you have the opportunity.
::
Castellar
de la Frontera – a hilltop Moorish
fortress which was once a strategic stronghold
in the fight between the Christians and
the Muslims but is now a simple hill town
with a dramatic appearance from the outside
and a wonderful unspoilt interior of tiny
crowded houses within the old walls of
the 13th century fortress. A mysterious
and evocative place well worth a visit
if only for the drive up there with its
spectacular scenery (look out for the
huge storks’ nests adorning telegraph
poles and electricity pylons).
::
Ronda
– it is a lovely town, about an
hour’s drive away, standing on a
towering plateau in the mountains and
is famous for its plunging river gorge
and for having the oldest and largest
bullring in Spain. It is very popular
and has a wide range of cafes and restaurants.
::
Gibraltar
– it is well worth a visit if only
for the tax-free shopping.
