Off to find Andalusian spring (Granada, Ronda, Seville)

It's been 39 years since we last came back to Andalusia...

For this last week of March, we waited until the end of the "votes" in France to go soak up some sun in southern Spain. And spring is the ideal season.

Our itinerary was a very (very) classic loop: Seville / Granada / Ronda and the white villages / Seville (with the start of Holy Week as a bonus gift!).

We flew from Lyon with Transavia (no issues) and landed in Seville on Monday. We rented a car (Goldcar), drove for 3 hours, and there we were in Granada, charmed by its ZTL (limited traffic zone) that Waze made us discover in detail (a nightmare!). Our hotel: Hotel Monjas del Carmen (perfectly located and with parking).

The weather was overcast, but a little stroll through the Albaicín district was a must. In the evening, we had dinner at "Restaurant Arabe Ambar" to get into the Nasrid atmosphere—we recommend it!

Tuesday is Alhambra day.

We’re too lazy to climb, so the C32 buses that leave right by our hotel will take us there in fifteen minutes. It’s 8:45 AM when we arrive at the entrance, and it’s really quiet.

So, morning at the Alhambra (with Nasrid Palaces at 11:30 AM) with tickets bought 2 months in advance (31 € per person)... The palace is still a marvel, even if the weather’s a bit overcast and the pools aren’t filled this season.







The 180° view of the Medina neighborhood.



But the heart of the Alhambra is the Nasrid Palaces!

They often say "the devil is in the details"... but here, it's more like the gods are in the details...

Around 3:00 PM, we head back down to the city to visit the Paseo de los Tristes, the cathedral, and the Royal Chapel, but it's really the Albaicín neighborhood that we love the most. Especially the view from the San Nicolás viewpoint. Tonight, dinner at El Trillo restaurant with a view of the Alhambra... but it's only 11°C on the terrace!

On Wednesday, after yet another stroll through Granada’s old Medina, we head to Ronda. Along the way, we stop in Antequera and its two UNESCO sites.

The Antequera dolmens (Menga is impressive!) with its interpretation center (free).











And the "El Torcal de Antequera" site, which offers nice walks among karst rocks. It’s not warm since we’re at 1,200 meters, but that doesn’t seem to bother the Iberian ibex.





Then the landscapes become hillier (and really beautiful). We stop in Setenil de las Bodegas, which we find pretty disappointing.



We arrive in Ronda around 6:00 PM. The Palacio de Hemingway hotel is a gem with its history and charm.

Thursday is Ronda, and Ronda is the "Puente Nuevo" but not just that...

The Plaza de Toros, the walls, the Arab baths, the incredible views from the top of the cliffs, the beautiful mansions and little white houses, the squares, the white and the colors... a feast for the eyes.

Ronda "earns" its day of discovery.

Friday we're hitting the road for Seville. On the way, we're climbing up to Zahara de la Sierra, a white village perched up high. The tapas at "La Taberna Africa" are delicious.

After that, we're heading to return the car at the airport. From there, we take the EA bus line into town for 6 €.

Our hotel is really nice: "La Parada del Marqués" But not as nice as the one in Ronda.

Zahara:

Hi Manu,

I’m happily reliving the stops from a trip we took back in October 2013 (already! 😮).

We also spent a few days in the Malaga hinterland (darn! We saw the fin whale but missed the dolmens in Antequera!) and caught a performance by the Andalusian school in Jerez.

This region is still just as beautiful, and the Nasrid Palace is a marvel (crowds and all).

Hi Manu,

Thanks for this feedback! 🙂 Didn’t get the chance to explore this area myself yet, even though I’ve been wanting to—it’ll happen soon. We’re lucky us French folks, having such wonders so close by, both at home and with our nearest neighbors.

I didn’t know about Ronda—it looks amazing too! !

but 11°C on the terrace!

It's practically a heatwave compared to the temperatures we had there at the same time last year! 😉

Saturday is our first of three planned days in Seville.

This morning, we had booked a "Free tour" of the city (via Civitatis.com), but it was canceled the day before. So, we signed up for the one at 5:00 PM instead. Seville is a stunning city—so colorful, lush, and elegant!

We’ve scheduled the Cathedral (and the Giralda) for 3:00 PM, which gives us time this morning to explore (in the order of the next 10 photos):

1/ the banks of the Alfonso XIII Canal, 2/ the view of the Triana fishermen’s district, 3/ the "Plaza de Toros", 4/ the Gold Tower, 5/ the Archives of the Indies, 6/ the horse-drawn carriages near the cathedral, 7/ the Giralda, 8/ the Patio de Banderas, 9/ the Cathedral, 10/ the Plaza de España ...

A feast for the eyes!

But the real highlight is the Barrio Santa Cruz with its colorful little houses and synagogues converted into churches. It sits right next to the Jardín de Murillo, which opens onto the famous balcony from *The Barber of Seville*...

















The famous balcony from *The Barber of Seville*:

At 3:00 PM, we enter the Cathedral. It's Spanish Baroque with its rococo gilding and the largest wooden altarpiece in the world.







Worth noting is the tomb of Christopher Columbus. Or rather, one of Christopher’s tombs... It seems only a few hundred grams of the brilliant sailor remain in Seville. But these remains were the subject of a DNA comparison in 2024. The DNA matches that of his brother Diego and his son Fernando, whose burial sites are known.





The climb up the Giralda is done without any steps. It’s a series of sloping ramps that wind and wind until you reach the top. The idea was to allow the mufti to ride up on donkeys for his calls to prayer. You’ll notice the foundation stones, which are reused Roman marble tombs, and the minaret—a perfect copy of the one in Marrakech—with its brick facing that stands out from the stone architecture of the Catholic Monarchs.







On the way down, the Patio de los Naranjos offers beautiful views of the Giralda. On the cathedral walls, 17th-century "tags" from students advertising their services.





At 5:00 PM, we meet up with our "Free Tour" at Puerta de Jerez. 1.5 hours of sightseeing packed with anecdotes and top-notch entertainment. Highly recommend!

But the big surprise is for tomorrow, Sunday! !

Sunday morning, we head over to Triana. We really like this neighborhood—it feels more "authentic" than the city center.

We start with the bridge and the Triana Market.







Plaza del Altozano charms us.







Then we cross into the ceramics district right next door.





But the street is packed with people.



And we realize it’s Palm Sunday, which explains all the dressed-up crowds. We thought Holy Week festivities only started the following Thursday, but we realize the processions are kicking off today. We’ll come back a little later...

At 2:00 PM we're at the Real Alcázar (our meet-up for the royal apartments is scheduled for 3:00 PM, but the ticket lets us enter an hour early). No need to introduce the Alcázar—it's a real pleasure (despite the crowds). No photos of the apartments (500 € fine!), but we found them too institutional (not a lived-in space)...















The gardens are stunning.



The peacocks are happy there.



Even if they're not the only ones showing off...

The city's energy has really ramped up with the processions. But I promise I'll tell you all about it later.











Special mention for the Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza and its little Calle Circo, which makes a half-loop around it.





The Metropol Parasol (Setas de Sevilla) didn’t wow us. Apparently, we should’ve seen it at night...

But let’s get back to Holy Week.

We’d imagined a procession through the city on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. But no way! There are over 70 processions from the previous Friday to Sunday (10 days).

Just for Palm Sunday alone, you had 9 processions, each with 600 to 2,200 penitents, all following their own routes from 1:00 PM to... 2:30 AM the next day. And every day, it starts all over again.

A little context: the first processions date back to the Middle Ages, but they really took off during the Baroque period (16th–17th centuries). The brotherhoods (*cofradías*) tied to each parish in the city compete in splendor so that every neighborhood can be proud of "its" brotherhood, passed down through families from generation to generation.

The idea is that each brotherhood processes on a specific day of Holy Week. The goal is to reach the Cathedral and then return to their church along a precise, often very old route.

Each procession includes two *pasos* carried by *costaleros*, who are underneath the structure and move to the rhythm of drums and marches played by brass bands. You have the *paso* of Christ (with a scene from the Passion corresponding to the day) and the *paso* of the Virgin, often a *Dolorosa*.

The *nazarenos* (the penitents) walk in line, dressed in robes and pointed hoods (nothing to do with other symbols: here, it’s a traditional penitential costume). Often, they’re barefoot or in socks, and sometimes they carry crosses or chains as a sign of penance or thanks for a fulfilled vow.

Sevillians dress elegantly and come with their families, carrying olive or palm branches. You’re struck by the density of the crowd in the city center, the sudden silence when the *paso* passes within reach, and the applause when the *costaleros* pull off a tricky maneuver in a narrow street.

The penitents hand out holy images to the crowd, and children stretch out their arms to fill their baskets with candy.

Holy Week: it’s a concentrate of history, Baroque art, and Andalusian passion.

In the morning, people come to pray before the *pasos* before they set out.



Every balcony is draped in red fabric. They rent for a small fortune!



Parents accompany their children for the procession that’s about to start.



The candy basket isn’t full yet.



And here’s the cross.



Followed by the *Paso* of Christ.



Some penitents.



And the Virgin’s.





Each brotherhood wears its own colors.

The penitents









The military







The costaleros who take turns every 500 meters. 6x6 = 36 per paso.



Dad will be proud of me!



As you’ve probably guessed, these two days of Holy Week were the highlight of this Andalusian week!

On Monday, no buses, so we took a taxi back to the airport (29 € fixed price). Transavia flight to Lyon. Drive back to Clermont and bedtime around 3:00 AM.

Woke up at 6:45 AM to get back to work... that stings a little! !