Sketches of Spain: Why Andalucía Should Be on Your List
Intricate details of Moorish architecture on the exterior of Córdoba’s exquisite Mesquita are a feast for the eyes.
Spain has a way of slowing you down while stirring your senses. Its southern region of Andalucia is layered with history, artistry, flavors, and life that is both timeless and vibrantly of-the-moment. My multiple trips there have been full of delights, encompassing food and wine, music, dance, architecture, and immersion in rich history and proud culture. It’s a place where sights and experiences aren’t curated for visitors, but lived daily and generously shared.
Córdoba: Small, Quiet, Deeply Impactful
Córdoba is an easy city to skip over in favor of more popular stops but, if you ask me, is not to be missed. It offers an easygoing, accessible atmosphere that doesn't immediately leave you feeling like a tourist. Our one Michelin-starred meal was laughably over-choreographed and weird, but the more casual tapas bars and Sherry-serving tabancos feel firmly for and of the local residents, as do its streets and plazas.
The iconic Mezquita’s stone and red-brick archways are breathtaking at any hour, but a small-group night tour revealed a level of beauty I didn’t expect. The silence of the cavernous interior punctuated only by gentle footsteps and soft period music, the clever nighttime illumination, the shifting shadows, all set against centuries of history and extraordinary craftsmanship, moved me to a few private tears. It was one of those rare, deeply affecting moments of travel where the world's beauty is just a bit overwhelming.
A streetside table laden with freshly-cut jamon Iberico, simple pan amb tomaquet, and creamy-crisp fried croquetas is the perfect setting for watching Spanish life go by. A libation of sangria or Cava rounds out a relaxing afternoon interlude between sightseeing stops.
On our second night, a performance at the Royal Equestrian Stables offered another immersive dose of Spanish culture. Watching elite horses and riders combine classical dressage with traditional vaquero disciplines — all interwoven with powerful flamenco singing and choreography — was a true delight. Moments like this capture what I love most about travel: bearing witness as a culture showcases its traditions and seeing the people who steward that craft excel at what they love.
An easy walk to city center attractions, accommodations at Hospes Palacio del Bailío showed off with crisp white walls, ancient stonework and Roman mosaics, affordably luxe rooms, and a tranquil courtyard perfect for a glass of cava after a day of wandering.
Sevilla: A City That Speaks in Color and Motion
Bigger and buzzier, Sevilla dazzles from every angle — the lush gardens of the Alcázar, the grand arc of the Plaza de España — but its heartbeat is found in the small, hidden places. One of my favorite evenings was spent crowding into a small local flamenco bar after dinner, shoulder-to-shoulder at long picnic-style tables with locals and visitors alike. We ordered a pitcher of cheap sangria and watched emerging talent sing, clap, stomp, spin, and strum in near-darkness punctuated by color-changing lights. Pride, boldness, passion, and a sense of permanence burst forth in every movement, declaring, “I am here.”
Getting away from the crush of the tourist center one afternoon, we let serendipity take us on foot to the opposite side of the river, to the tile-makers' quarter. After gawking at the ceramics that adorned building façades and interiors and seeing the more neighborhoody part of town, we packed into a miniscule tapas bar, ceiling rafters laden with cured hams. Waiters were unhurried and unbothered as they handed over shockingly good €5 glasses of rich Ribera del Duero and Priorat and a little pintxo skewer: a little chaotic, super casual, hyper local, utterly perfect.
Just steps from the Alcázar but a world away from the bustle, lodgings at Casa del Poeta shone with a leafy interior courtyard, bright orange walls, and a sense of old-world calm that feels tailor-made for slowing down.
Handmade tiles adorn the exterior of Sevilla’s Plaza de España.
If Andalucía is calling your name — or if you want to create your own “surprise trip” — East of Ordinary can help bring it to life.
