The azulejo on the bench of the Plaza del Cabildo in the Ronda (the Andalusian, the blue-and-white, the tile that is the cool to the touch on the morning of the 35°C day, the scene of the bullfight that is the painted on the 4 tiles, and the view that the unfolds the beyond the bench: the Tajo Gorge, the 120-metre-deep, the 100-metre-wide, the Puente Nuevo that the spans the gorge at the 98 metres above the floor, the Guadalevín River below, and the most beautiful town in the Andalucía), is the essential Andalusian town experience. The Andalucía is the south of the Spain: the 8 provinces, the 33 million tourists a year, the most popular tourist region in the Spain, and the towns that are the best for the 1–2 day the visits are the Ronda, the Arcos de la Frontera, the Baeza, the Úbeda, and the Frigiliana. Here are the 5.

Five Fantastic Towns to Visit in Andalucía

• 1–3. The Ronda, the Arcos, and the Frigiliana: The Ronda (the Málaga province, the most beautiful town in the Andalucía): the Puente Nuevo, the “New Bridge” (the 1751–1793, the 98 metres, and the most beautiful bridge in the Spain. The essential: the walk the down the cliff-path to the bottom of the gorge, the €2.50, the steps, the 20 minutes the down, the 30 minutes the up, and the best photograph of the bridge from the below. The essential time: the 8am, the bridge is the empty, the light is the golden on the stone, and the best photograph in the town), the Plaza de Toros (the 1785, the oldest bullring in the Spain, the 5,000 seats, the museum, the Francisco Romero, the “father of the modern bullfighting,” the Goya costumes, and the best bullfighting museum in the Spain. ~€9), the Arab Baths (the 13th-century, the best-preserved in the Spain, the €4, and the essential Ronda hidden gem). The Arcos de la Frontera (the Cádiz province, the essential white town): the Pueblo Blanco, the whitewashed, the hilltop, the view of the lake the Embalse de Arcos, the Basílica de Santa María (the Gothic-Mudéjar, the 15th-century, and the most beautiful church in the white towns), the Calle Bóvedas (the most beautiful street in the Arcos, the arches, the white, the view from the end of the street, the essential Arcos photograph), and the essential Arcos experience: the drive up the Cuesta de Belén (the steepest street in the Spain, the 30% gradient, the hairpin, and the essential: the do NOT bring the large car). The Parador de Arcos de la Frontera, the €120/night, the view of the lake, and the best Parador in the Andalucía. The Frigiliana (the Málaga province, the most beautiful village in the Andalucía): the white, the flower-pots, the cobbled, the 3,000 people, the view of the Nerja and the sea, the essential Frigiliana afternoon: the walk the Barrio de los Moriscos (the Mudejar quarter, the maze, the flowers, and the most photographed village in the Andalucía), the lunch at the Restaurante El Adarve (the terrace, the view of the sea, the €20 for the 3-course the menú del día, and the best-value lunch in the Frigiliana). The essential Frigiliana day: the morning in the Nerja (the Balcón de Europa, the €0) and the afternoon in the Frigiliana, the 10-minute drive, and the best day in the eastern Costa del Sol. More Spain →
• 4–5. The Baeza and the Úbeda: The Baeza and the Úbeda (the Jaén province, the Renaissance twins, the UNESCO, and the most underrated towns in the Spain): the Úbeda is the larger (the Plaza Vázquez de Molina, the Sacra Capilla del Salvador, the 1536, the Capilla de San Juan de Ávila, the Renaissance, the most beautiful square in the southern Spain. The essential Úbeda experience: the Parador de Úbeda, the 16th-century palace, the €130/night, the courtyard, and the best Parador in the Spain), the Baeza is the smaller (the Cathedral, the 16th-century, the Plaza de Santa María, the University of the Baeza, the 16th century, the Antonio Machado, the poet who taught the French at the school for the 7 years, the classroom is the preserved, and the most beautiful university building in the Spain. The essential Baeza lunch: the Restaurante Juanito, the €25 for the 3-course menú, and the best restaurant in the Baeza). The essential Baeza and Úbeda itinerary: the 1 day for the both towns (they are the 9 km apart, the 15-minute drive), the Úbeda in the morning, the Baeza in the afternoon, and the best Renaissance day in the Spain.