A Road Trip Through Andalusia

The South of Spain is synonymous with orange trees, azure seas and hot summers, and it is in search of these Eva Zhu gathers her closest girlfriends for a road trip through the Catalan lands.

SEVILLE

First stop, Seville. Islamic, Baroque, Renaissance, and Iberian architecture converge at the Real Alcázar. Built in the Dark Ages for Moorish kings, the upper apartments of this grand palace still serve as the official Seville royal residence.

Lawrence of Arabia on the inside, Kingdom of Dorne on the outside (that’s a Game of Thrones reference), a stroll through the Alcazar’s legendary gardens transports us to another world.

CÓRDOBA

Warm summer evening rain provides a cooling reprieve in Old Town Córdoba as we pass by the Roman Bridge. More importantly, I had to fit in another GoT reference: the Long Bridge of Volantis.

Endless rows upon rows of Arabic arches greet us at the jaw-dropping Mezquita (the Mosque-Cathedral), which stands as one of the most astounding examples of Moorish architecture today and as a unique mosque-turned-cathedral, a storyboard for centuries of history.

GRANADA

In search of castles we go, taking us to the fabled Alhambra in Granada, the large palace complex made famous by Washington Irving’s Tales of the Alhambra. A visit to the mystical Alhambra is so highly sought after, it’s recommended that you get your ticket 90 days in advance.

RONDA

A strategic turn takes us to the dizzying cliffs of Ronda, the picturesque town most famous for the dramatic “Puente Nuevo” or new stone bridge that spans the 390 feet deep gorge between the old and new towns.

ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA

No road trip is complete without a stop in the countryside. With no lack of quaint medieval towns to choose from, we end up in Arcos de la Frontera, one of the region’s many striking pueblos blancos (white-washed villages), arriving just in time for a rooftop sunset.

CÁDIZ

Following the literal green line (painted on for tourists) through the bustling cruise ship port of Cádiz takes us through the narrow streets of the medieval district.

Those little girls in their Sunday best are exactly how we feel ending our trip on the sandy shores of Cádiz.