Backpacking the Hamlets of Southern Spain
Love Southern Spain’s mix of exotic architecture, beaches, and palm trees
I’m not sure if it’s because they happen to also be host of the country’s best football teams, but when people think of traveling to Spain, Madrid and Barcelona come up highest on the list. Valencia, like on the league tables, is often hovering somewhere near the top, along with other stragglers such as Seville.
Like many other countries in Europe though, Spain is host to many other smaller football teams, hosted by charming little cities with plenty of character and history, albeit lesser known names.
When trying to avoid the last few dreary days of spring rain at home in Vancouver, I decided to take a trip to Southern Europe. I planned to start my Spanish exploration in Malaga and fly home out of Seville. As always, I wasn’t sure what I would do in between, or even what relevant sights existed. All I knew is that I couldn’t wait to bask in the sun for 3 weeks!
Note to digital nomads – the wifi wasn’t always great. Cell coverage was good though and I often relied on a MiFi to keep me connected.
Malaga – Backpacking on the Beach
Malaga is a happening city, often overlooked by backpackers
After a few very relaxing days in Southern Portugal, chilling at the beaches in Faro, my friends and I took the bus across the bottom of the Iberian peninsula to Malaga. Other than Seville, it was probably the largest of the cities I would eventually visit, and also the most energetic.
The Roman ruins in Malaga give a glimpse of what the city in Southern Spain came from
We spent most of our days out by the ocean. The water wasn’t particularly warm, but the sun was out, and the sand was comfortable. The beaches stretched on in both directions and were never crowded. It didn’t seem like a touristy place even though it probably has enough going for it to turn to the Darkside at any moment. There were also some interesting Roman ruins for the history buff, which were at the top of the hill and gave a very nice view of the city around!
The restaurants in the old city were abundant and varied. The Spanish food and particularly their seafood was definitely most prominent. Those dinners, with their delicious wine, were a highlight every day and a long walk along the seawall did great for digestion!
Ronda – Bridges and Valleys
Punto Nuevo in Ronda shows some amazing ancient architecture and the stunning cliffs the city is built around.
From Malaga, our plan was to head to Gibraltar, until we looked at the map and saw a quaint little town on the way that we decided would make a nice little layover. We arrived into Ronda by bus and departed that same evening by train.
A day was definitely enough to see it all, but I definitely found myself fantasizing at the idea of spending a few days taking in the gorgeous sights. My afternoon before getting back on the bus was spent at a café on the edge of the cliff with my kindle and a large glass of red wine!
The town is best known for its bridges, built by the Romans to cross the steep valley between the cliffs it’s perched on. The bridges create a beautiful loop between the two cliffs which gives you’re the opportunity to gaze at the impressive architecture and structure of the crossings, as well as the valley that extends in the horizon.
Gibraltar – Great Views from the Rock
The Rock of Gibraltar, in all its glory. Not really Spanish, but it’s definitely in the area and worth visiting.
Although not Spanish, and maybe not even really European by some accounts after Brexit goes through, this little British state is certainly highly influenced by both, and its rich history and panoramic views from the gigantic rock it’s known for are worth the trip.
Hotels in Gibraltar proper are more expensive, so we opted to stay just outside and walk across the border. Many people warned us that the border was slow, and maybe it is by car, but I felt like we barely broke stride as we walked across and flashed our passports at the guards whose neck seems like it’s stuck in a perpetual nodding motion
Hiking up said rock really is a historical experience. The tunnels are very interesting and batteries and tanks can still be seen on any piece of flat land on the way up and understandably so. The belvederes that make beautiful panoramas today sadly made very strategic military vantage points.
Crossing the runway in Gibraltar. They had to make do with what land they have!
The most bizarre thing about this state/country/territory is that, in their effort to cram everything they could possibly need on their tiny plot of land, the airport runway intersected the very street we used to walk to the city center from the border. The runway then stretches out over the water on land that was apparently reclaimed using the gravel generated when digging all the tunnels into their rock during WWII.
Cadiz – Back to the Beach
The Cadiz Cathedral, one of the most impressive examples of Southern Spanish architecture
Definitely the largest, most well-known of the Spanish towns summarized here, and hardly a hamlet, I’m still including it because I had never heard of it before I looked at the Spanish map. It stood out at me because of its unique geography, situated on the tip of a long peninsula surrounded by an inlet and defending a bay that digs into the land.
View of the surrounding water from the Cadiz Cathedral
I soon discovered that this strategic land structure didn’t go to waste throughout history. In fact, Cadiz is one of the oldest cities in Europe and has been occupied by the Phoenicians, Romans, various Muslim tribes and finally the Spanish.
This varied occupancy has left it with a very diverse architecture. Its valuable geographical position bestowed it with economic importance and thus attention from all sects including religion (hence the majestic Cadiz Cathedral adorning the main plaza), and its beautiful beaches top it all up. Cadiz gives you the opportunity to explore history, architecture, religion, or just chill or even surf at the beach. Loved it! Also, seafood all day every day, and check out the Santorejo, a delicious tomato and olive oil soup that I opened almost every meal with!
Arcos de la Frontera – Castle Hopping
As our trip was winding down, we knew we had to get to Seville. On the way though, on a last minute whim decision, we opted to do another day long layover in Arcos de la Frontera. It was on the way and Google said it was good. And we trust Google. Blindly.
The castle perched on the hills in Arcos de la Frontera, in Southern Spain
As soon as we arrived at the hamlet’s bus station, it was clear why Google was sending us there. The little town was surrounded by panoramic rolling hills and at the city center, perched on a hill, were two proud castles. Fortunately, our lovely hotel, the Hotel El Contrada, was right next to them.
Delicious food and dazzling landscapes jumped out at us from every turn we made down the narrow cobbled streets. We dropped our bags off and made to explore the city. We barely made it around one corner when we stumbled on a restaurant that offered a starter, a main, cheese and a glass of wine for 10 euros. If two people were eating, they allowed you to cash those glasses in for a full bottle.
We spent the afternoon there basking in the sun and enjoying the rustic atmosphere around us. It was nice to be in a place where the main attraction is the just the city itself, and you could feel like you’re making the most of your trip just by chilling out.
In the morning, we had breakfast on the roof of the hotel and took in the amazing scenery until we realized we should really go see the Cathedrals before boarding our bus in the early afternoon. Both, the Catedral de San Pedro and the Catedral de Santa Maria were impressive and exquisitely decorated.
Another great little hamlet that could be experienced in a few hours, but whose beauty and delicious food can be soaked in for a few days.
Jerez – Taste the Sherry
Another example of poor planning, we ended up going to Jerez because we could not find, for the life of us, accommodation for a Saturday night in Seville. We had nowhere to go, so we decided to backtrack a little to Jerez, where we were able to get a very nice hotel for a reasonable price.
Sherry tasting in Jerez
We knew the hamlet was well known for Sherry, but not until we took a tour of the Tio Pepe distillery, did we realize to what extent it was. Jerez is actually the mecca and the birthplace of sherry. In fact, it’s the only place that can officially make Sherry and call it Sherry. It’s like the Champagne of champagne.
The beautiful vine lined streets in Jerez
The town itself is small, and like all the other ones, can be seen in one day. Unlike the others though, it lacks a panoramic beauty that invites you to stay and gander for a few days. It’s definitely worth seeing, but the only reason I would recommend spending a night is so you can comfortably indulge in all the sherry you like and still make it home!
The next day we finally made it to Seville, enjoyed one more day, and flew home, still satiated with delicious food and beautiful panoramas. I enjoyed these little towns more than I enjoyed Madrid or Valencia the year before. They each had their own charm and were comfortable to explore. We never once needed a taxi, were able to walk everywhere, even to our accommodation from the bus/train station, and were constantly seeing something new every day, with every new hamlet!
