Under Spanish Skies

From the grandeur of Seville to opulent Marbella and the dreamy Alhambra, Southern Spain offers the most enthralling of destinations for fall

Andalucía. Even the word has a kind of magic. Of all of Spain’s regions, Andalucía encapsulates what it is that travelers love most: glamorous resorts, romantic cities, and picturesque and charming coastal villages. Stretching from the Portuguese border to the Mediterranean coast and edging just a few miles from Africa at its closest point, these southern reaches of Spain have entranced travelers and locals alike for centuries. Here, you will discover serene coastal landscapes, world-class heritage sites, and a gastronomic scene that’s more than worth booking ahead for. 

There’s no better starting point for a tour of Spain’s far south than the regional capital: sun-kissed and spectacular Seville. The soft light of fall brings out the aesthetic glories of the city’s great Gothic cathedral, the palace and gardens of the Moorish Royal Alcázar of Seville, and the historic bullring of La Maestranza. Take the opportunity to lose yourself among the whitewashed streets and you’ll find tiny squares with tinkling fountains in the picturesque neighborhoods of Santa Cruz and La Macarena. As guitars strum from open windows decked with geraniums, Seville has the unreal beauty of a stage set. 

Beneath the city’s gorgeous, apparently unchanging surface, however, lies a vibrant new world of creative ferment. These days, contemporary art, design, fashion, and food are adding a stylish new twist to Seville’s traditional culture. A new generation of avant-garde Sevillano designers has its collective shop window in the boutiques of the Alameda de Hércules and Alfalfa district. Striking new buildings have also arrived on the skyline – with none more imposing than César Pelli’s Cajasol Tower.  

Since its inauguration in 2011, Jürgen Mayer’s extraordinary wooden Metropol Parasol on Plaza de la Encarnación has brought a bubbling new creativity to the surrounding neighborhood. The old-town streets radiating out from the square now bristle with locales in new-minted retail genres like the bookshop/café and brunch spot, the vintage boutique, and the gastro-bar serving new-wave Andalusian food in funky modern settings.  

A great advantage of traveling in Andalucía is the freedom of movement afforded by the region’s excellent rail network. Córdoba, reached in 50 minutes from Seville, is ideal for a day trip to view the remarkable 8th-century Great Mosque, now a cathedral – a sight which demands to be seen at least once in a lifetime. Two more of Andalucía’s most enjoyable cities are also within easy reach. One is Jerez de la Frontera, this year’s Spanish Capital of Gastronomy, where sherry is aged in historic bodegas like that of González Byass, owner of the world-renowned Tio Pepe brand. The other is Cádiz, an ancient settlement that hangs like a jewel from the southern edge of Spain, fanned by Atlantic breezes and with the ocean ever present.  

Marbella wears the crown as Southern Spain’s capital of high living. Once a sleepy seaside village which made a decent living from farming and fishing, in the 1930s it was discovered by a group of European aristocrats who began to favor the Costa del Sol as an alternative to the French Riviera. It retains much of its original character to this day, while offering a celebrated restaurant and nightlife scene. The old town clusters around the central Plaza de los Naranjos, a square as delightful as any you could dream of. Take a midday aperitif at a traditional tavern such as Bar El Estrecho, where locals linger over glasses of iced fino sherry and plates of green olives.  

Marbella’s winning combination of authenticity and opulence makes it somewhere its admirers return to year after year, generation after generation. Head inland from here and you’ll find a more traditional perspective on Spanish life. Set among rolling hills speckled silvery green with olive groves, the town of Ronda is best known for its fabulous setting astride a mighty gorge – surely one of Andalucía’s unmissable sights. Take time to explore the 18th-century bullring (the oldest in Spain), and survivals of medieval Moorish architecture such as the Arab Baths down by the river, an eerily atmospheric place where shafts of light through star-shaped windows pierce the gloom of the interior.  

Back on the Mediterranean coast, an hour’s scenic drive takes you to one of the prettiest villages in Spain. With rolling hills on one side and the sparkling sea on the other, eventually you’ll reach beautiful Casares. One of a group of pueblos blancos (white towns) in Málaga and Cádiz provinces, this is a hilltop village of cuboid houses drenched in dazzling whitewash, looking almost like a snowcapped mountain peak from a distance. The plan here is simply to dawdle, taking in modest sights like the childhood home of local poet Blas Infante, revered as Andalucía’s regional bard, before sitting down to a hearty lunch of gazpacho and fritá de cabrito (the local specialty, a rustic fry-up of kid goat meat with vegetables and garlic) along with a glass of dry Oloroso sherry. 

The Mediterranean sparkles a steely blue as you drive out of Marbella toward Málaga, the de facto capital of the Costa del Sol and a city that’s become a vital stopover for travelers to Spain thanks to its rejuvenated old town and array of cosmopolitan attractions. Traditionally a bustling Mediterranean harbor town with a characterful local cuisine (try the cold almond soup ajoblanco, served with fresh grapes), it has emerged as a cultural hub in recent years, as a series of world-class art museums opened their doors here. 

The place where Pablo Picasso was born and raised, since 2003, Málaga has been home to a museum dedicated to the legendary artist, first established with artwork donated directly by his family. Málaga has also welcomed a Centre Pompidou (the first outside France), the Collection of the Russian Museum, the Contemporary Art Centre Málaga, and Baroness Carmen Thyssen’s collection of blue-chip Spanish art, magnificently displayed in an old-town mansion.  

Tucked away on a downtown backstreet is a cultural asset of a different kind – and a great place to head for tapas in the early evening: El Pimpi, an old-school taverna part-owned by the city’s famous son, Antonio Banderas, who also owns the city’s Teatro del Soho CaixaBank. Take in a show here before heading on to one of the many sherry bars or flamenco clubs of Málaga’s atmospheric old town.  

Each of Andalucía’s provincial capitals has its headline attractions, but Granada has one that rises above them all: the Alhambra, the fairy-tale palace on the hill. A wonder of the world and a place of dreamlike beauty, the “Red Fort” was the last outpost of Moorish presence on the Iberian Peninsula and continues to captivate visitors with its enchanting setting and sublime medieval Arabic architecture. Take your time absorbing its intricately carved stucco ceilings mimicking honeycombs and stalactites, its geometric tiling in hypnotic designs, and its wonderfully fragrant garden perfumed with jasmine and rosemary. 

Granada itself is a hive of art and music which has given the world talents as enormous as Federico García Lorca and flamenco revolutionary Enrique Morente. Wander its idiosyncratic neighborhoods – such as the downtown Realejo district and the Albaicín with its echoes of a North African casbah – and discover meandering alleys and palm-shaded squares along with lesser-known monuments such as the Monastery of San Jerónimo and the Capilla Real, the final resting place of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. 

The sheer diversity and wealth of opportunities in Southern Spain means there’s always something fresh to discover here, from coastal villages and sun-soaked beaches to rugged and mountainous national parks. Keep in mind, too, under-the-radar gems such as Jaén, an hour north of Granada in the region’s northeast. This Renaissance city surrounded by olive groves is quieter than flamboyant Seville, but equally as deserving of your time, with its meandering whitewashed alleys and majestic cathedral. In truth, the riches of Andalucía are inexhaustible. You’ll be planning a return visit soon.