The Unexpected Opulence of Baeza and Úbeda

Located on two hills about 6 miles apart and overlooking an ocean of olive groves, Úbeda and Baeza challenge the notion that there is little of architectural interest in Andalucía apart from Moorish buildings. You’ll find these two World Heritage-listed outposts are no less charismatic than Cordoba, Granada, or Seville and have wealth of Renaissance grandeur to show for it.

Úbeda’s Renaissance allure largely exists thanks to the flexing of ultra-wealthy 16th-century aristocrats. Inspired by the aesthetics of the Habsburg court, influential families poured their agriculture-borne fortunes into Renaissance churches, mansions, and civic buildings that will make you wonder if you’ve taken a wrong turn and ended up in Italy. It’s all lovingly preserved and graces a maze of narrow streets of the old town known as casco antiguo.

If that sounds a little dusty, you’ll be surprised how cosmopolitan and outward-looking Úbeda has remained through the centuries. You’ll find a wealth of eateries and a unique focus on andaluz-fusion cuisine (try Cantina La Estación, for example, where dinner is served in a railway carriage). The nightlife in places like Cafe Teatro Central is popular with an indie crowd that you might sooner expect in Madrid.

Baeza, Úbeda’s little sister, is a bastion of Renaissance prettiness all around. Its Paseo de las Murallas, a promenade along the escarpment at the edge of town, overlooks a gorgeously undulating landscape of sun-kissed olive groves. Some of the world’s finest oils are produced here, so make sure to pick up a few bottles of award-winning deliciousness.

Alternatively, head for La Pintada, the restaurant of Hotel Puerto de La Luna, where each course is given a touch of decadence with a different delicious extra-virgin olive oil. Located inside a 17th-century mansion, it is also one of the region’s most elegant places to spend the night.

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Images courtesy of Unsplash & Restaurant La Pintada.