Cádiz is ancient—settled by Phoenicians more than 3,000 years ago, it’s often called Europe’s oldest living city. The most spectacular evidence of its distant past is the waterfront Roman Theatre of Cádiz (Teatro Romano de Cádiz), which dates to 70 BC. Its semicircular seating accommodated some 10,000 spectators, and it’s among the earliest and best-preserved Roman theaters anywhere in Spain.
Founded by flamenco guitar legend Jose Luis Postigo, Seville’s Casa de la Guitarra showcases authentic flamenco and is a museum dedicated to Postigo’s beloved instrument. The exhibit is the first of its kind in Spain and displays some 60 antique guitars from the last three centuries, while the shows feature three performers—a guitarist, a singer, and a dancer—in an intimate setting.
Built on the remains of an old Moorish palace in Ronda’s old town, Casa del Rey Moro (House of the Moorish King is best known for its hanging gardens and water mine. Despite its name, the space was never inhabited by a Moorish king. Visitors are often most excited to see the 14th-century water mine, which was constructed to provide the city with a secret supply of water during times of siege.
Situated in the converted stables of a 16th century palace, Casa de la Memoria offers visitors to Seville an intimate setting for acoustic flamenco performances. Watch as four or more different performers take to the stage each night—singers, dancers, and guitar players—to perform traditional Spanish music and dances.
Once a home for aged priests, Seville’s Hospital de los Venerables is perhaps best known today for its museum. Browse works by notable Spanish artists such as Diego Velázquez and Bartolomé Murillo, admire the elaborately adorned chapel, then take a stroll through the calm central courtyard.
Housed in a former tobacco factory, Malaga’s Automobile and Fashion Museum showcases a unique combination of vintage vehicles displayed against a contemporary art background and haute-couture design across themed rooms. The brainchild of Portuguese car fanatic and art collector Joao Magalhaes, the museum celebrates the close historic links of brands such as Ferrari and Aston Martin with high-end fashion houses.
Set inside a 16th-century Moorish palace, these thermal baths are an atmospheric spot to relax and rejuvenate. The hushed, candle-lit main bathing area features thermal baths of varying temperatures, a steam room, a jet bath, and a salt pool, while a rooftop pool offers views of the historic Barrio Santa Cruz.
As a historic landmark alone, Seville’s Monastery of Santa Maria de las Cuevas (Monasterio de la Cartuja de Santa María) would be notable: The 14th-century walled monastery was a burial place for Christopher Columbus and was occupied by Napoleon—and later even hosted a tile factory. But today, the site’s main resident—the Andalusian Centre for Contemporary Art (CAAC)—is its top draw.
Cordoba’s Plaza de Tendillas (or Tendillas Square) sits in the heart of the city and at the crossroads between the older part of town and the modern one. Its construction dates back to the 1920s when it was built to be used as a central meeting place. Nowadays, the pedestrian-only square is home to various events, including a popular Christmas market.
San Jeronimo Monastery (Monasterio de San Jerónimo), the first monastery built after the Christian conquest of Granada, was also the first church in the world consecrated to the Immaculate Conception of Mary. The monastery is known for housing one of the most exquisite Spanish Baroque sacristies on earth, as well as its courtyard, which is filled with orange trees.
Perched on the edge of the city, Malaga’s Botanical Gardens (Jardín Botánico Histórico La Concepción let you find tranquility amid Costa del Sol sightseeing. The gardens boast Europe’s largest collection of subtropical plants, in addition to palms, architectural follies, fountains, and more.
Situated inside a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Reservatauro Ronda, a bull- and horse-breeding farm, offers curious visitors an alternative way to explore the history and culture of Spanish bullfighting. Learn about each stage of the fighting bull’s life, the breeding process, bullfighter training, and more during a guided tour.
Cordoba has become synonymous with courtyards, and Viana Palace offers a stunning look at these famous southern patios. Also called the Museum of Patios, the Renaissance palace is home to 12 courtyards as well as centuries of history. It was originally built in the 14th century and was lived in, enlarged, and modified until the 1900s.
Sierra Nevada, known as the Mountain of the Sun by Andalucia’s Moorish residents, is home to 15 peaks that are more than 9,800 feet (3,000 meters) high, including the highest point on the Iberian Peninsula and Europe’s most southerly ski resort. This national park and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve attracts hikers from around the world.
Malaga’s Museo del Vidrio y Cristal (Museum of Glass and Crystal) showcases more than 3,000 pieces from the 6th century BC to the 20th century. Located in an 18th-century Casa Palacio (“palace house”) in the center of town, the decorative arts museum is one of the few dwellings from this era to be preserved in Malaga.
The late 19th-century Cervantes Theatre (Teatro Cervantes) experienced decades of neglect before it was renovated and reopened in 1987. Its interior remains true to the original design, with an ornate painted ceiling and gilded detailing on the horseshoe-shaped boxes and stalls. It’s Málaga’s cultural center for opera, ballet, rock and orchestral concerts, and jazz and flamenco performances.
Cartuja Monastery (Monasterio de la Cartuja) is where late-baroque Spanish architecture reaches its most lavish heights. Although work began in the 16th century, construction continued for another three centuries and the complex was never actually completed. The imposing sandstone exterior gives way to a lavish interior of marble, ivory, ornate stucco, and gilt.
Tucked down a narrow lane in Malaga, the MIMMA Interactive Museum of Music (Museo Interactivo de la Música) presents one of Europe’s largest collections of musical instruments in an immersive and interactive way. You can view the instruments, discover their origins, and can even play select items to experience their tactile beauty and sounds first-hand.
The Malaga Museum of Wine (Museo del Vino) celebrates one of Spain’s most important wine regions, famous for its muscatel. Housed in the 18th-century Palacio de Biedmas, the museum traces the province’s winemaking history through a collection of wine labels, posters, and artifacts, and visitors can sample local wines in the shop.
Málaga’s Contemporary Art Museum—or CAC Málaga (Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga)—is housed in a 65,000-square-foot (6,000-square-meter) multi-use space, with about a third of its size dedicated to art exhibits and the remaining two-thirds to conferences and cultural events. The museum has a permanent collection of about 400 works, many of which are on loan to the museum from private collectors.
History and culture come together in Almuñécar, one of the Costa Tropical’s most appealing destinations. Admire the ruins of a Roman aqueduct, stroll through a Phoenician necropolis, and visit the 16th-century San Miguel Castle, before lounging on one of the town’s two dozen beaches or hiking into the surrounding hills.
The Basílica de Santa María de la Victoria is located at the edge of Malaga Old Town. It is one of the city’s oldest churches and, some say, the most beautiful in all of Andalucia. Don’t be fooled by its plain exterior: Inside, a baroque whirl of chapels, sculptures, religious artifacts, and an ornate crypt await.
A well-preserved archaeological site offering a glimpse into the ancient history of Andalusia, the Roman Necropolis Museum (Museo de la Necropolis Romana) offers many excavated sites to explore. Visitors can see the Puerta de Sevilla gate, an amphitheater, and a range of tombs or family mausoleums first discovered in the late 19th century. This museum and historic site provide a rare, in-depth look into the ancient Roman history of southern Spain.
Stretched along Malaga’s portside, the Palmeral de las Sorpresas (Palm Grove of Surprises) is a contemporary palm-lined promenade serving as a scenic corniche and leisure space between the city’s ferry and cruise terminals. Visitors stroll and relax under a striking white pergola, enjoying the sea views, palm gardens, and cafés.
Known for its stomping, clapping, and colorful costumes, the Andalusian art of flamenco is showcased front and center at Baraka Sala Flamenca, a traditional venue in the heart of Seville. Enjoy clear views of the performers on a raised stage while learning about the different styles of flamenco.
With a prime location just off the Plaza Santa Cruz, the family-owned Los Gallos Tablao Flamenco is one of the world’s most prestigious flamenco venues and the oldest in Seville. Attend one of Los Gallos’ two nightly flamenco shows, each featuring ten different dancers, for an intimate insight into Spanish culture.
Situated in a former archbishop’s palace, Tablao El Cardenal is one of Cordoba’s most coveted spots to watch Spain’s beloved art form: flamenco. Southern Spain is steeped in flamenco history, as it is believed this is where the tradition originated, andtablaos (flamenco venues) are the ideal place to experience the soulful tradition.
Buried and overlooked for centuries until their excavation in 1903, the Caliphal Baths (Baños del Alcázar Califal) offer a revealing look at daily life in 10th-century Córdoba. Constructed as a hammam for the Moorish Alcázar complex—now the Alcázar of the Christian Monarchs (Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos)—the baths have since been reborn as a popular museum.
The Andalusian city of Jerez de la Frontera is a hotbed of southern Spanish culture. Internationally known for flamenco, horsemanship, and sherry, Jerez is not as popular or touristy as its better known neighbors, Seville and Cordoba, but the city is steeped in rich traditions and offers a variety of sights.
The award-winning El Palacio Andaluz is Seville’s largest dedicated flamenco venue and an essential destination for dance and music lovers. This theater, built in a renovated warehouse, offers two nightly shows featuring a varied repertoire performed by a group of over a dozen singers, dancers, and musicians.
