Ronda
Ronda is a picturesque old town that straddles a breath taking gorge. Perched high on a rock precipice 150 metres (just under 500 ft) above the gorge below the town sits on both sides of the gorge with the old Moorish town of La Ciudad (literally 'The City') to the South and the newer El Mercadillo (Little Market) district to the North. Three bridges span the ravine, the most impressive being the Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) which was built in the 18th Century. This is where most tourist activity can be found and where the most dramatic photos can be taken. There are several little cafés and restaurants around the area enabling visitors to relax and enjoy the scenery. Some of the narrow side streets afford the opportunity to take photos looking back up at the bridge and capture the staggering gorge and the bridge. The 13th Century Baños Arabes (Moorish baths) are worth a visit, lying close to the river they are fairly well preserved, including a large vaulted roof.
Granada

Granada The Alhambra palace-fortress of the rulers of the last Spanish Moorish kingdom is the most exciting, sensual and romantic of all European monuments. There are three distinct groups of buildings to visit on the Alhambra hill: the Palacios Nazaríes (Royal Palace, or Nasrid Palaces), the palace gardens of the Generalife, and the Alcazaba. It is advisable to book your tickets in advance, essential in fact if you want to view the Nasrid Palace. Click here for more information

The Albaicín in Granada is the largest and most characteristic Moorish quarter that survives in Spain. It contains minor Moorish sites as well as the city’s later Christian monuments.At Carrera del Darro no. 31 are the tiny Moorish public baths (Tues–Sat 10am–2pm) which most visitors tend to miss. Well worth a visit. At no. 43 is the Casa de Castril (Tues 3–8pm, Wed–Sat 9am–8pm, Sun 9am–2.30pm), a Renaissance mansion which houses the town’s Archeological Museum. Beside the museum a road ascends to the church of San Juan (with an intact thirteenth-century minaret) and to the Mirador de San Nicolás, whose square offers the best view of the Alhambra in the city.


Cordoba

Cordoba - Visit the Mosque and Jewish District The Festival of the Patios is held each year during May. Once the usual crowds begin to disperse as the sun sets, take a stroll around the Mosque and the Tendillas neighborhood. The Plaza del Potro and the taverns around Tendillas are justly famous. The citizens of Cordoba are proud of their patios and some of the best examples to be found of these unique, colorful, flower-scented open-air courtyards are at the Palace of Viana, Julio Romero de Torres Museum and the Archeological Museum. The Palace of Medina Zahara and the Alcazar of the Christian Kings are well worth a visit as are the Jewish district and its Synagogue and the innumerable baroque churches.

Cordoba can be visited all year round, although the mid-day sun in July and August can be brutal. Best month is May and not just for the weather but also because there is a lot of local color with a multitude of Festivals and Fairs.


Seville

Seville, one of the main attractions of the province of Seville, is the capital itself for it's monuments and architecture (the Alcázar, the Giralda tower and the Catedral), The architecture reflects centuries of culture and the great number of different people (romans, arabs, jews, gypsies) that left their mark.
This is especially notorious in the historic and best known districts of Seville: Santa Cruz, Triana and la Macarena, other districts too; like El Arenal or La Alameda, carry the air of their cultural heritage.


Culture is not only expressed in buildings. It is also found in the centuries old folkloric traditions. In Semana Santa (Easter week), the streets of the old center of Seville convert into the giant open air stage of the spectacular easter processions for a week.
Only two weeks later is the April Fair. Seville is also the birthplace Flamenco, that also has several centuries of history
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a fascinating spot, crammed with history dating back to prehistoric times.
For this day out we took the car into Gibraltar rather than use the official taxis to tour the Rock. Our main reason was that the guided tours tend to be rushed which is no good if you want to spend a little time at various sites. Having got onto the Rock follow the signs for the ‘Upper Rock’. Just past the Rock Hotel and Casino do not miss the left turn that takes you to the pay booth.

The car costs £1 and each person in it costs £7. Those prices include entrance to St. Michaels Cave, the Apes Den, the Great Seige Tunnels, the Moorish Castle and the 100 Ton Gun. If you do read every plaque it is a very full day.

From the pay booth, immediately ahead is the Pillar of Hercules monument and from there you can see, on a clear day, the Pillar in North Africa on Jebel Musa just west of Ceuta. The pillars feature in Greek mythology with all sorts of dire warnings designed to dissuade adventurous traders from going further west, thus protecting their trade routes. Beyond the pillars a mariner had to face turbulent seas, sea monsters, rapacious sirens, and, if he were really unlucky, he would sail off the edge of the world.

The next stop on the tour is St. Michaels Cave. Car parking can be some way away up a steep hill so drop your passengers off and then park up. The cave is a natural series of passages and caverns worn out of the soluble limestone rock by the action of water. There are some nice examples of stalagmites, stalactites and calcite curtains. The largest cavern has been converted into an auditorium and must make a stunning setting for the Son et Lumiere shows. Unlike other caves on the Rock, there is no evidence that St. Michaels was ever occupied by prehistoric man despite the prominent cabinet containing a replica of the Neanderthal skull found at Forbes Quarry.

Having retrieved the car take the road to the Apes Den. This is an area where the Barbary Macaques (Macaca Silvanus) are fed. One tale, told by the guides, says they were imported into Gibraltar by one of the Moorish rulers to remind him of home. A more likely story is that they were imported by the Brits in the early 18th C since the first written record of them dates back to 1740. The legend goes that if the apes leave Gibraltar then so will the British. There seems little danger of either occurrence. Keep your car windows shut. These rascals are so used to humans that they swarm over your vehicle and, without benefit of screw drivers, will relieve you of aerials and windscreen wipers. The local guides carry a stick for obvious reasons. Although you are not encouraged to feed the apes a blind eye is turned. They seem to appreciate dry pasta. Remove wrist watches, necklaces, rings and chains or the apes may remove them for you. It’s good fun really.

Making sure you have no unwante d passenger within or on your car, carry on to the Great Siege Tunnels. The tunnels you visit are only a very small part of the 60 kilometres of tunnels that honeycomb the Rock. They were excavated during the Great Siege of Gibraltar, the Peninsular War and the Second World War. The Rock shelters a whole town complete with communications rooms, store rooms, magazines and so on. The part open to visitors concentrates on the siege period and contains some good exhibits including the famous downward depressing gun. A certain Sergeant Major Ince was the man responsible for the idea of siege tunnels and as a reward was given a plot of land on the Rock which is still known as Ince’s Farm. The gun ports give fabulous views over the airport and La Linea. During the Great Siege, 1779 - 1783 over 200,000 cannon balls were fired from these embrasures. Mind you the Spanish retrieved quite a few and lobbed them back.

The Moorish Castle is next. This small fortress commands the only land connection with Spain and dates back to the 11th Century. From the flag pole on the roof flies the Union Flag, just as a reminder you understand. At the moment (2005) the castle is undergoing a long overdue renovation, the last one was in 1333. Inside there are some lovely examples of Moorish wall and ceiling decorations. A couple of years ago some Spanish students infiltrated the castle and hoisted the Spanish National Flag. They found the Gibraltarians have no sense of humour.
Leaving the Rock follow the signs for the 100 ton gun which is situated just south of the docks. The gun was manufactured by Sir W. C. Armstrong at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in 1870 and was one of twelve. Eight were built for the Italian Navy, two were sent to Malta, and two to Gibraltar.

The 17.72 inch Rifled Muzzle loader has a barrel length of 32.65ft, of which 30.25ft are rifled and was capable of firing a 2000lb shell up to 8 miles. Hydraulic power generated by a steam engine was used to elevate and traverse the Gun. It took a minimum of 3 hours to develop the necessary head of steam to operate the mounting though this was quite acceptable since it took a Man O’war at least 3 hours to enter the bay of Gibraltar after being sited off the point of Tarifa in Spain.
It is said that during a visit of the Inspector-General of Artillery in 1902 the Gun was prepared to fire 5 rounds at full charge. On the first order to fire, the tube fired but that was all. After further attempts still nothing happened so the misfire drill was carried out but to no avail. At the end of the stipulated 30 minutes wait, the General asked for a volunteer to go down the bore and fasten the shell extractor to the projectile so that the Gun could be unloaded. After a long pause for consideration a small thin soldier stepped forward and volunteered for the task. Stripped to the waist, a rope round him and the extractor ready, he was himself ‘loaded’ into the Gun. A few moments later, to everyone’s relief, he was hauled back safely, having completed his task. The gunner’s reward, though not princely, was immediate, as it is said that he was promoted to the rank of Bombardier that same day.

On that note we end this visit to Gibraltar.
(Don’t forget to take your passport & £ stirling, driving time from Alhaurin Grande is approximately 2 hours.)