Alhama de Granada, Granada Province
The approach to Alhama de Granada, as you leave the coast from Malaga and head inland towards Granada, is a spectacular one. First you squeeze through the high Zafarraya Pass – a narrow crack in the mountains – before plateauing out and snaking through copses of holm oak and fields of waving corn.
As for the town itself: perched on the edge of a gorge, it gazes out across the rolling plains of the Sierra de Tejeda. Its ramshackle network of narrow streets hides some grand old houses, one or two interesting churches and a former Inquisition stronghold, La Casa de la Inquisición; just outside the town there’s an old Moorish bathhouse to explore – and even bathe in.
Recommended place to stay: La Seguiriya, Calle las Peñas, 12; a fantastic little boutique hotel with an excellent bar/restaurant.
Medina Sidonia, Cadiz Province
While not quite as picturesquely situated as Arcos or Vejer de la Frontera, once you’re inside the hilltop village of Medina Sidonia there’s plenty to catch the eye. Pretty doesn’t quite cut it, though; faded grandeur is more the order of the day. Despite its size, it was once one of Spain’s most prestigious ducal seats, and before that, an important Moorish and Roman town.
And in its Moorish gates, some well-preserved Roman sewers and its handsome mansions, there’s still a sense of the weight of its long history. These days, though, it has a pleasingly sleepy, rather forgotten about feel; stray cats sleep in the shade, while old men noisily fill the bars out on stiflingly hot afternoons – leaving the town pretty much yours for the wandering…
Recommended place to stay: Casa Rural Los Balcones, Calle la Loba, 26; a well renovated 19th-century mansion.
Montefrio, Granada Province
