Hotel Los Usías*** This is a hotel that combines style and good taste, located in the centre of Dos Torres, in the region of Los Pedroches. Each room has been individually decorated in a 21st century rural style. In the “Brasseria Restaurant & Tapas Bar” you can enjoy the intense experience of cuisine derived from local products. This is a 3-star hotel with 4-star services that combines culture, well-being, art, history, cuisine and relaxation. More information.
Hotel Las Rosas** The hotel is located in one of the prettiest of Andalusian towns, Priego de Cordoba, an olive-farming town overlooking the Subbetica mountain range. From here you can discover the town’s streets bursting with history and art, like its medieval Muslim quarter, its baroque churches and the Sierras Subbeticas Natural Park. More information.
Hotel El Mirador de Rute*** Hotel situated in the Sierras Subbeticas Natural Park, where you will enjoy outstanding and serene views. The hotel is equipped with the best comforts, heating/airconditioning, full bathrooms and is tastefully decorated, which together with the beautiful surroundings offers all you need for an enjoyable and relaxing stay. It has its own restaurant “El Balcón”. More information.
MS Santo Domingo**** Hotel located in the heart of the town of Lucena, very well connected with the Andalusian capitals, 60 min. from Cordoba and Malaga and 90 min. from Seville, Granada and Jaén. The hotel was a former house-convent of the Order of the Minims, also known as Saint Dominic’s Convent, whose 30 rooms overlook its 18th century cloister. More information..
Hospedería Luís de Góngora Charming and comfortable hotel located in the heart of Cordoba’s old town, just a short distance from all the attractions Cordoba has to offer. The hotel is ideally situated close to the Cordoba’s most famous attraction La Mezquita, the Roman bridge and other historical and cultural places of interest. Cordoba’s old town is a labyrinth of white washed houses and patios bursting with flowers and colour, where you can enjoy a typical Andalusian ambience. More information.
Hotel Monasterio de San Francisco*** Old Franciscan monastery dating from 1492, with very beautiful courtyards from 16th and 17th centuries, a cloister from 17th century. It has also a 2000 m² splendid garden with orange trees and rose bushes. At the restaurant, placed at the old dinning room of the monastery, you could taste a delicious regional cuisine. More information.
Hotel Zuhayra** Small rural hotel situated in Zuheros, one of the most picturesque of the “White Villages” of Andalusia. The Moors influence is reflected in the narrow streets of this village, which is right in the centre of the Sierras Subbeticas Natural Park. More information.
Hostal El Triunfo** Family guesthouse located in the heart of historical Cordoba, just across from the famous Great Mosque. Very well located, guests can walk to the Roman bridge, cross the Guadalquivir River and visit the Alcázar de los Reyes and the Jewish Quarter. More information.
Apartamentos Terraluna* 12 apartments situated in the historical heart of Cordoba, just metres from major tourist monuments. The accommodation encircles an endearing and traditional courtyard, with a central patio of orange trees and geraniums adorned by a fountain and offering total tranquillity. More information.
Hotel San Miguel** The hotel is located in the heart of the city centre of Córdoba, 5 minutes from the Great Mosque. The access to the hotel is easy from the high-speed train station and the central bus terminal of Cordoba. The hotel is housed in a restored old building classified as part of the artistic-cultural heritage of the city. More information.
Hotel Casa de los Azulejos** This hotel enjoys an advantageous location in the historical centre of Córdoba; a fusion of colour, flavour and Andalusian and Latin American cultures. The colonial style is evident throughout its 8 rooms, which are all comfortable spaces in the original style of the establishment. In the exuberant central patio, there are often art exhibitions. The restaurant serves Mexican cuisine. More information.
Apartamentos Turísticos Luna de Cristal** These attractive, tourist apartments are situated in the centre of Cordoba, just minutes from the Jewish Quarter and the Mezquita. The building comprises 6 apartments. During the renovation of the building much of the original features and materials were reused and the interior design is based on 1930’s Art Deco and Andalusi style. After a day out exploring you can sit out in the patio courtyard, dotted with plants and flowers, an oasis of tranquillity. More information.
Hotel Abetos del Maestre Escuela*** Just 15 minutes from the historical city centre of Cordoba, the hotel is situated in a peaceful residential area, on the foothills of the Sierra de Cordoba. The hotel is a restored colonial home and has 2 outdoor pools for the summer months, tennis court, summer terrace, gardens and restaurant and café. Most of the rooms look out onto the terrace or the mountain range. More information.
Casa de los Naranjos** A typical 19th century Andalusian house, recently restored, that combines the enchantment of the old days with today´s facilities. It is located in the heart of the historical district of Córdoba (declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site), near the monumental area of Santa Marina, ten minutes walk from the Jewish Quarter and next to the commercial and financial centre of the city. More information
Hostal Santa Ana* Guesthouse situated in the heart of the Jewish Quarter. Located next to the Mezquita, the hostel has been recently restored (2004) and has 18 confortable rooms. From here, you can visit the main and most emblematic places in the city on foot: Mezquita, Julio Romero de Torres Museum, Archeological Museum, Tower of the Calahorra, Alcázar, Corredera Square, the Town Hall. More information.
Hospedería Duque San Martín* A nice, small, family run hotel located in the Jewish quarter of Cordoba, close to the Mezquita and the Plaza Tendillas, offering 18 charming rooms and a charming Andalusian interior courtyard. A great location, ideally situated for forgetting about the car and discovering this beautiful city on foot. More information.
NH Amistad Córdoba**** Hotel located at the heart of the city’s historical centre, in Plaza Maimonides, at the heart of the Jewish Quarter (Judería). Very close to the Arab wall, the Great Mosque, the Bullfighting Museum and the 14th century Synagogue, a privileged location that often surprises our clients. More information.
Hotel Plateros* Little charming hotel in a typical Cordobian house with a very old tavern and wine cellar from 1874, situated in the old historical city and close to the Great Mosque of Córdoba. More information.
Hotel Los Patios* The hotel is located in the historical centre of Cordoba, right opposite the Great Mosque, and within walking distance of many major attractions. This 1-star hotel has 3 traditional and attractive Cordoban patios (interior courtyards) which can be enjoyed all year round. In addition the restaurant offers you the chance to sample local and traditional dishes. Cordoba, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is a wonderfully beautiful city of narrow, winding streets with enchanting hidden plazas and a whole host of things to see and do. More information.
Hospedería de El Churrasco*** Cosy inn located in the heart of Cordoba, close to the narrow lanes of the Jewish Quarter, attached to the famous restaurant El Churrasco. The hotel is equipped with a lovely terrace/solarium at the inn with views to the Mezquita de Córdoba and two Andalusian patios. More information.
Spanish Civil War guided tours in Barcelona
Guided tour around Spain
Spanish natureTravelling around Spain on a scooter
Entertaining video from the Guardian here showing a woman travelling around rural Almeria on a Vespa scooter.
Best tapas bars in Palma de Mallora
The Guardian has this article on the best tapas bars and bodegas in Palma de Mallorca, home to an an impressive ranges of good eateries. I particularly liked the sound of Bodega Bellver:
Tucked up a side street around the corner from the theatre, Bellver is about as far away from Palma’s gleaming 21st- century tapas bars as it’s possible to imagine. Dark and shadowy, with shelves lined with dusty bottles and wine barrels, and rickety wooden tables scattered around the small space, it is steeped in history, atmosphere and the smell of spicy pork frying on the tiny grill beside the bar. Order up icy beers and pinchos and settle into a slice of unchanged Mallorquin life.
Trekking in the Sierra Nevada in June
I enjoyed this post on the iberianatureforum by Maria:
Outside the tapas bars of Lanjaron temperatures reached 30 degrees. 2500m above we donned our duvet jackets as an icy wind tore across the white snow filled plateau. Such are the contrasts this year in southern Spain’s Sierra Nevada, a legacy of the worst winter weather in living memory.
Read the original story here:
Travel guide to Osana
Good review of the county of Osana here from Barcelona writing.
On food of Osona
Pork and its by-products may be the most emblematic food of the county, but Osona has much else to offer gastronomes. The truffle (trufa), a black mushroom that grows underground and is highly prized, and a wide range of bolets (Catalan mushrooms) including pinetell, rovelló, rossinyol, cep and fredolic are found locally, as are the white beans (mongetes) of the Collsacabra Mountains, characterised by their small size. For dessert, the pa de pessic de Vic (sponge cake) is worth trying as are the regional cheeses, curds, honey and jam.
Teruel bat
Detail of modernist forge of the Staircase of the Paseo del Óvalo. The monumental staircase was built in 1921 to link the new railway station with the old part of the city. The work has modernist and neomudejar details. By SantiMB on Flickr
History and culture Notes from Spain