About

About ULTIMATE Andalusia Guide

ULTIMATE Andalusia Guide is an independent guide for visitors to Andalusia, Spain. We publish 13 curated lists: hotels, restaurants, sherry & wine, sights, art & flamenco, nature, walks, shopping, health & spas, property, developments, motoring and getting around. We cover all eight provinces of Andalusia: Seville, Granada, Córdoba, Málaga, Cádiz (with Jerez and Sotogrande), Jaén, Almería and Huelva, plus Ronda and the white villages. The Costa del Sol has its own guide, our Marbella guide; for skiing in the Sierra Nevada, see our Ski Resorts guide.

Our editor

Jai Michael is Editor-in-Chief of the ULTIMATE City Guides. With more than 25 years in the media industry, he founded ABSOLUTE brighton and London TV, and has worked with leading luxury brands around the world.

How we choose

Every place in our lists has been checked against its own website or an official source such as UNESCO, Spain’s national parks service, Aena or Renfe. We don’t use review scores, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm. MICHELIN distinctions are quoted only from the official MICHELIN Guide.

Before you go

Opening hours, ticket rules and festival dates change often. Please check directly with each place before you travel. Prices are in euros.

For venues

Run a venue in Andalusia and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• The Albaicín and Sacromonte hills of Granada, by Jebulon, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The gilded dome of the Hall of Ambassadors in the Real Alcázar of Seville, by Benjamin Smith, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The entrance of the Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alhambra in Granada in the evening light, with the Sierra Nevada behind, by Jebulon, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alhambra at sunset from the Mirador de San Nicolás, by Slaunger, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The walls of the Alcazaba of Almería, by Jebulon, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alcazaba of Antequera with the Peña de los Enamorados behind, by Jebulon, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white town of Aracena in the Sierra de Aracena, by Basotxerri, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The coloured glass cube of the Centre Pompidou Málaga, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alhambra in Granada in the evening light, with the Sierra Nevada behind, by Jebulon, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The rooftops of Baeza from the cathedral tower, by Benjamin Smith, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The old municipal pharmacy inside the Alcázar of Jerez, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The volcanic coast of Cabo de Gata, by Jebulon, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The rooftops and watchtowers of Cádiz above the bay, by Emilio J. Rodríguez Posada, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Zahara de la Sierra above its reservoir, by Gzzz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The vaulted nave of Seville Cathedral, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Cazorla below its castle and the Sierra de Cazorla, by Benjamin Smith, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red-and-white arches of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Roman bridge over the Guadalquivir, leading to the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, by Benjamin Smith, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A patio of the Palacio de Viana, Córdoba, by Benjamin Smith, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The timber canopy of the Setas de Sevilla (Metropol Parasol), by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Giralda bell tower of Seville Cathedral, lit at night, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A flamenco performance on stage in Seville, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Patio de la Acequia in the Generalife gardens, by Benjamin Smith, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Giralda bell tower of Seville Cathedral, lit at night, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alhambra in Granada in the evening light, with the Sierra Nevada behind, by Jebulon, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white Renaissance nave of Granada Cathedral, by Jebulon, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A flower-filled patio of the Palacio de Viana in Córdoba, by Benjamin Smith, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Plaza de España in Seville in late-afternoon light, by Carlos Delgado, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The entrance of the Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white town of Aracena in the Sierra de Aracena, by Basotxerri, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Renaissance vault of the Sacra Capilla del Salvador in Úbeda, by Benjamin Smith, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The old municipal pharmacy inside the Alcázar of Jerez, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A pavilion of the Court of the Lions in the Alhambra, by Jebulon, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The coloured glass cube of the Centre Pompidou Málaga, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The carved choir of Málaga Cathedral, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in Puerto Banús, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A horseshoe arch at Medina Azahara, by José Luiz, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red-and-white arches of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The coast below the Balcón de Europa in Nerja, by Tuxyso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alhambra in Granada in the evening light, by Jebulon, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Acropolis of Athens by day, seen from Philopappos Hill, by A.Savin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Goat Cay and the turquoise shallows of the Exumas, by DrGvago, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open sea, by Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Palace reflected at dawn, by Nawit science, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. James, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sagrada Família lit up at night, by Maksim Sokolov, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Belgrade's old town and the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael above the Sava at sunset, photo: © ULTIMATE International Media.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bixby Creek Bridge on the Big Sur coast, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, by Gzzz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Burj Khalifa and Business Bay at blue hour, by Robert Bock, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The beach at Rosemary Beach on the Gulf of Mexico, by Miamireader, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Blue domes of Oia above the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Helsinki Cathedral above the South Harbour, by Ввласенко, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Golden Horn and the mosques of the old city, Istanbul, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Las Vegas Strip at dusk, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Triple Bridge over the Ljubljanica, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower, by Domob, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Griffith Observatory with downtown Los Angeles beyond, by The Fun Chronicles, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• La Seu, Palma’s Gothic cathedral, and the Almudaina above the old sea wall, seen from the Parc de la Mar, by Enric, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the Maldives, by Luka Peternel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in Puerto Banús, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, by Robbschultz69, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountains, by Spike, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway of India from the harbour, by iMahesh, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset at the Naples Pier, by pmarkham, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The New York City skyline from Top of the Rock, by Dillan Payne, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Bridge over the Morača, by Desemeus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Golden Gate Bridge seen from Battery Spencer, by Christoph Strässler, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sebilj fountain and the square of Baščaršija, by Yukof, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Lujiazui skyline lit up at night across the Huangpu River, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Matterhorn in winter above Zermatt, by JoachimKohler-HB, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Stone Bridge over the Vardar, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The gilded domes of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, by Plamen Agov (user:MrPanyGoff), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A caparisoned elephant in the Esala Perahera procession, Kandy, by Daniel Liabeuf, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed Pitons, by xiquinhosilva, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Skanderbeg Square with the Et’hem Bey Mosque, by Andrew Milligan sumo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rolling green hills and a farmhouse near Pienza in the Val d’Orcia, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tiled roof of St Mark’s Church in Zagreb’s Upper Town, by Bernard Gagnon, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The former convent of San Francisco, now the Parador de Granada, in the Alhambra, by Jebulon, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Trevélez in the Alpujarra, below the snows of the Sierra Nevada, by Tuxyso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Plaza de España in Seville, by Carlos Delgado, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The coloured glass cube of the Centre Pompidou Málaga, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Plaza de España in Seville, by Carlos Delgado, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The carved choir of Málaga Cathedral, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Puente Nuevo spanning the gorge at Ronda, by Wolfgang Moroder, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Boats at Bajo de Guía, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, at the mouth of the Guadalquivir, by Anual, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The timber canopy of the Setas de Sevilla (Metropol Parasol), by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Houses built into the rock at Setenil de las Bodegas, by Makoki20, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Plaza de España in Seville, by Carlos Delgado, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Triana bridge over the Guadalquivir in Seville, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Trevélez in the Alpujarra, below the snows of the Sierra Nevada, by Tuxyso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The beach and old town of Tarifa, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The limestone formations of El Torcal de Antequera, by Jebulon, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Roman bridge over the Guadalquivir, leading to the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, by Benjamin Smith, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Trevélez in the Alpujarra, below the snows of the Sierra Nevada, by Tuxyso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Triana bridge over the Guadalquivir in Seville, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Renaissance vault of the Sacra Capilla del Salvador in Úbeda, by Benjamin Smith, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Arches over a whitewashed lane in Vejer de la Frontera, by Isiwal, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A flower-filled patio of the Palacio de Viana in Córdoba, by Benjamin Smith, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Albaicín and Sacromonte hills of Granada, by Jebulon, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Zahara de la Sierra above its reservoir, by Gzzz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.