Andalusia

​A unique combination of Spanish and Middle Eastern vibes, Andalusia is invigorating and engaging in every way. Cordoba, Granada and Seville are renowned as some of the best cities in the world, and its beyond easy to see why. This post will be broken down into three parts-one for each city I visited with school.

Granada

Known for the Alhambra, Granada actually surprised me as a city. Its bigger than you think, but maintains the small town quality that makes you feel welcome. It also has a lot of young people as there are a couple large schools in or near Granada, so there's some excitement at night for sure.

We started our tour by checking out the Granada Cathedral, which is stunning but if I'm being frank, I was over seeing cathedrals by this point. We then strolled down the small canal which is in front of the old town and made our way up the hills of the Albaicin Quarter where we were met with a beautiful view of the city, Alhambra and mountains in the distance. Find a ledge, bring some wine and cheese, and enjoy the warm Andalusian air as the sun sets.

The next day, we let our inner five year old's run loose at the Parque de las Ciencias which had a lot of interesting exhibits as well as beautiful architecture.

And then, of course, no trip is complete to Granada without visiting the Alhambra. It’s an iconic architectural masterpiece that exemplifies Spanish and Moorish architectural excellence. You can easily spend a full day walking around the Alhambra, located on a hill above the city. Take in the details, gardens, views, arches, waterfalls, artwork, and everything else the Alhambra has to offer. I wouldn't necessarily say a tour is all that important, as I felt satisfied just roaming around the grounds. Feel like my words aren't really providing much value so just go ahead and enjoy these photos.

Cordoba

Granada has the Alhambra and Cordoba has the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba. This is hands down the most interesting building I have ever been in. Is it a mosque? Or is it a cathedral? Who knows for sure, but what I do know is the it is an architectural gem. There is literally a cathedral placed smack in the middle of a mosque-both of which are the most beautiful you've seen.

Other than visiting the Mosque-Cathedral, Cordoba didn't really have much else to offer-at least from what we saw in the two days we had there. It’s a gorgeous town located on the Guadalquivir River and has some of the best food in the world.

Also! I almost forgot! You absolutely have to go to the baths. It is an incredibly relaxing experience in a beautiful space, so don't miss out. Feels fantastic after walking all day.

Seville

I would rank Seville as the second best city in Spain, right after Barcelona. Its truly breathtaking. We arrived at night and were staying in the old town. We wandered off and found ourselves in Plaza San Francisco where we walked down La Giralda, following the smells of chestnuts roasting in the street, stumbling upon protests (Europe things), and avoiding getting hit by the tram. Watch a bull fight (they still do them here) at the beautiful Maestranza Bullring. Take in the beauty of Plaza Espanya, one of the most beautiful squares in all of Europe. You can feel like you're in Venice by taking a Gondola ride around the semi-circular plaza, or take in a flamenco show inside the surrounding arches. Honesty, Plaza Espanya feels fake-that's how beautiful it is.

Then there's the behemoth known as the Cathedral of Seville. It’s the second largest Cathedral in the world and houses the tomb of someone named Christopher Columbus-no biggie. I know I mention earlier that I was over seeing cathedrals but this one is just so damn big that its hard not to be impressed. Walk up the ramp to the top of the tower for great views of the Spain's fourth largest city, then eat at Casa Morales to make up for all those burnt calories. Take in views of the Cathedral of Seville with a glass of wine at Hotel Dona Maria.

Perhaps most beautiful though is the Real Alcazar de Sevilla-so much so that it is considered a paradise in Game of Thrones. Sprawling grounds of perfectly manicured gardens and intricately designed buildings make you feel like you've left the city and entered a true paradise.

On our free day, we wandered around the more low-key but up and coming Triana area which was nice but not necessarily anything to write home about (as I write about it). We had lunch at Mercado Lonja del Barranco which may be the best market I have ever been in. It's clean, aesthetically pleasing, and the food options are fantastic. It’s a perfect modern take on the market. Afterwards, we walked up the river to a recently-finished mall adjacent to the Torre de Seville that was quite impressive actually. Art lovers can go down to the underground CaixaForum Museum, which I skipped but heard was quite interesting. This area has a lot of modern buildings and museums, as it is a part of a modernization revamp the city has been going through for a decade or so. Definitely a cool area to check out. We ended our day off by doing some work with a coffee in the courtyard of the beautiful Hotel Alfonso-easily the best and most iconic hotel in Seville.

On the morning of the day we left, we walked on the absolutely absurd Metropol Parasol. There's really no other way to describe this insane egg-crate super structure that has quickly become an icon of modern architecture. Walking on top is definitely worth it, as it allows you to appreciate it on an intimate level. We also went to the Monastery of Santa Maria de las Cuevas-now the Modern Art Museum-which was interesting (definitely for an acquired taste) in an even more interesting architectural space.

So there you have it. Andalusia in a very small nutshell.