Ubeda Travel Guide

57km (35 miles) NE of Jaén

A former stronghold of the Arabs, Ubeda is a Spanish National Landmark filled with golden-brown Renaissance palaces and tile-roofed whitewashed houses.  It is often called the "Florence of Andalusia."

The best way to discover its charm is to wander the narrow cobblestone streets of the Casco Antiguo (Old Town). The government long ago created a parador here in a renovated ducal palace—you might stop in for lunch. Allow time for a stroll through Ubeda's shops, specializing in crafts like esparto grass carpets or pottery.

International visitors discovered the province of Jaén and its three principal cities -- Jaén (the capital), Baeza, and Ubeda -- in the 1960s. For years, visitors whizzed through Jaén on the way south to Granada or bypassed it altogether on the southwest route to Córdoba and Seville. But the government improved the province's hotel outlook with excellent paradors, which now provide some of the finest accommodations in Andalusia.

Since that time, new and charming boutiques have opened up, and old monuments have been dusted off. For those who have at least a day, a detour through these towns is rewarding. If you have time for only one stop, make it ancient Ubeda, which has the most charm.