# Andalusia, looking for suggestions. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 17, 2019, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andalusia-looking-for-suggestions/829716 "2019-02-17T10:28:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andalusia-looking-for-suggestions/829716/21 "2019-02-18T11:52:19Z")
“For Roman ruins I wanted to go to Merida, but seems too much out of the way, so we may settle for Italica. Rio Tinto looks good, I mean, besides being an ecological disaster zone it looks good, do they allow people to walk around?” Settle for Italica ? Ha. You’re in for a surprise. 🙂 Italica is huge and wonderful. I don’t know why their PR is so bad that people like you think it is second rate. They probably don’t want to let too many know it is such an amazing place. It is the most beautiful and large archeo-site I’ve ever seen. It’s an entire city. AND an amfitheater. Rio Tinto is an entire region. With many sites. You’d have to do your research to find out where and how to visit. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andalusia-looking-for-suggestions/829716/22 "2019-02-18T12:20:46Z")
> [@Ale](#): > > stay in Madrid and go to Toledo for a day trip instead, including an extra leg to go to Consuegra to see the castle and windmills there, does that sound feasible? > > How far in advance do we need to book the Alhambra? Respectively: yes, and yesterday. There are dates for which it’s booked within hours of that date being made available; April isn’t the highest season but it’s popular. You want [this site](https://tickets.alhambra-patronato.es/en/tickets-alhambra-general/), it’s the official one. For other attractions, look up local Información y Turismo sites. They have the best information on where to book and may be able to sell you tickets in advance. Maastricht, Italica doesn’t have bad PR; it simply doesn’t have PR. Mérida does, partly thanks to the theatre festival and partly because the town is famous for other reasons (birthplace of a ridiculous amount of conquistadores). And Ramira’s information is as good as mine, or better; I haven’t been to Ronda since it was my Dad at the wheel 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andalusia-looking-for-suggestions/829716/23 "2019-02-18T12:35:21Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Agreed. I drive manual at home, but even I stump up for an automatic when driving somewhere like this - takes a hell of a lot of pressure out of the process. The memory of that drive to Ronda still gives me vertigo. agreed. Ronda was a long drive over narrow winding roads, admittedly with stunning views over an arid mountain landscape. Ronda was a disappointment, only go there if you love driving under those circumstances. IIRC there is also a bigger road to Ronda, because the scenic route was almost empty when we were there. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andalusia-looking-for-suggestions/829716/24 "2019-02-20T04:36:19Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > If you are to drive in the mountains, and are just learning the manual, maybe not the best approach. > > It is a small town perched on an outcrop, much of it built in the 17-19 centuries and before. Parking laughs at you. > But again if you budget for putting your car in one of the modern underground parkings on the edge of the “old town”, and either walk or take the carriages in, it is not a problem. this is the same advice for all of Andalucia. > > Trying to street park is an annoying waste of time anywhere near the old cities. It has been a while since I have driven around, as I decided that autocars and Pidataxi the taxi app of the Spanish radiotaxi assocation ([https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=es.sooft.pidetaxi&hl=en](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=es.sooft.pidetaxi&hl=en)) are less annoying than trying to park. I think perhaps 5 hours in the parkings is EUR 15 or something like that…but Nava knows better, I have not driven in Andalucia is a long time as I find driving annoying. I meant that it was a reminder to learn to drive manual afterwards, we already got an automatic rental for this trip. My GF suggested I learned before going and renting a manual but I said no way. Last night we booked a hotel in Ronda, it says it has parking so that should solve the problem. The view from the back, over the gorge looking straight ahead to the iconic bridge, looks amazing. I’ll check the Pidataxi thing, we only rent a car for 8 out of 12 days so we may use it elsewhere. > [@Maastricht](#): > > “For Roman ruins I wanted to go to Merida, but seems too much out of the way, so we may settle for Italica. > Rio Tinto looks good, I mean, besides being an ecological disaster zone it looks good, do they allow people to walk around?” > > Settle for Italica ? Ha. You’re in for a surprise. 🙂 Italica is huge and wonderful. I don’t know why their PR is so bad that people like you think it is second rate. They probably don’t want to let too many know it is such an amazing place. It is the most beautiful and large archeo-site I’ve ever seen. It’s an entire city. AND an amfitheater. > > Rio Tinto is an entire region. With many sites. You’d have to do your research to find out where and how to visit. In Merida I wanted to see the ruins of the aqueduct and the Roman bridges (still in use!). I’ve already scouted out locations for the Rio Tinto with Google Earth, and we may go there from Seville if we have the time; but most of the other places we want to visit are to the South of the city rather than the West so it may be difficult to fit in. > [@Maastricht](#): > > agreed. Ronda was a long drive over narrow winding roads, admittedly with stunning views over an arid mountain landscape. Ronda was a disappointment, only go there if you love driving under those circumstances. IIRC there is also a bigger road to Ronda, because the scenic route was almost empty when we were there. I also used Google Earth to check the routes between cities and towns, the road from Seville down to Ronda looks easy, I suppose that’s the new one you referred to? From Ronda to the South and Southwest the road goes through the mountains and it’s much more, let’s say adventurous, but that’s the way I like it so it’s a plus for me. I’ve already picked some places to stop along the way and if my GF is in the mood we’ll do some short hiking up the mountains from the roadside. > [@Nava](#): > > Respectively: yes, and yesterday. There are dates for which it’s booked within hours of that date being made available; April isn’t the highest season but it’s popular. You want [this site](https://tickets.alhambra-patronato.es/en/tickets-alhambra-general/), it’s the official one. > > For other attractions, look up local Información y Turismo sites. They have the best information on where to book and may be able to sell you tickets in advance. I didn’t know it was as bad as that to go to the Alhambra, thanks for the heads up, I’ll book the tickets tonight. > [@Spoons](#): > > I was in southern Spain years ago, staying in Benalmadena-Costa. One day, a few of us went to Mijas. We could get public transit only so far, then we took a taxi to Mijas. > > In Mijas, we bought some wine, some cheese, some bread, and some cold cuts. We climbed up on the trails above Mijas, to the quarries, and had a memorable picnic. Beautiful views of the sea far below, and a beautiful blue, sunshiny sky, accompanied by excellent food and wine. I’ll never forget that day. > > Something to think about? As the plan stands now we’ll go to Cordoba by train, pick up the car there and do a round trip from Cordoba to Seville, Ronda, Granada and back to Cordoba. From Ronda to Granada I’d like to go South over the mountains, then East along the coast where we should pass by Mijas so we may stop there, thanks for the tip. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andalusia-looking-for-suggestions/829716/25 "2019-02-20T06:58:25Z")
> [@Ale](#): > > I’ve already picked some places to stop along the way and if my GF is in the mood we’ll do some short hiking up the mountains IIRC… you can’t. Nava should correct me if I’m wrong but I thought the same thing and was surprised and disappointed that’s there are hardly any accessible roads or paths radiating from Spanish main roads in that area. It’s all private properties along the road, and all fenced in from the road. The only roads branching off the main road are private roads ( with gates) serving only that paricular estate, and not leading anywhere else. There is no such thing as hikable roads or paths branching off the main road. If it is not indicated as a hiking route, you can’t hike on it. You ca’t even park well along the road. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andalusia-looking-for-suggestions/829716/26 "2019-02-20T07:02:25Z")
Yeah, it’s one of the most beautiful mountain roads in Spain but that also means you can only stay on the road. There’s the occasional “stop here to take pics” spot and that’s about it. Between the deadly landscape and the deadly weather it simply isn’t an area where people went walking around much, back when that was the usual means of transportation, so there isn’t the kind of rural pathways and open forests you find in other places such as the Pyrinees. The Serranía the Ronda is the kind of place where even if there aren’t bandits around, the landscape itself is out to get you. ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andalusia-looking-for-suggestions/829716/27 "2019-02-20T08:38:12Z")
> [@Ale](#): > > Last night we booked a hotel in Ronda, it says it has parking so that should solve the problem. The view from the back, over the gorge looking straight ahead to the iconic bridge, looks amazing. You can hike down into the gorge, from the prominatory side, so you may enjoy that. the spanish side of the family has a hotel here, but it is too expensive, or I would recommend it. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andalusia-looking-for-suggestions/829716/28 "2019-02-20T18:50:24Z")
I recommend Cadiz. I like OLD cities. I wish there was some easy way to approach the city by water, which was pretty much the only way to get to it until about a hundred years ago. The road in is damn ugly. Sanlucar de Barrameda is one of my favorite small cities, very pretty and especially for the seafood and Manzanilla sherry. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2019, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andalusia-looking-for-suggestions/829716/29 "2019-04-12T08:14:00Z")
Well, finally in Spain. I first visited my home country for ten days (after 12 years abscence) and yesterday we arrived at Madrid, my girlfriend coming from Thailand and I from Uruguay. This morning we take the train to Toledo for a couple days there and then we head down to Cordoba. I hope the weather gets warmer there. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andalusia-looking-for-suggestions/829716/30 "2019-06-18T05:31:47Z")
Yesterday got an email from the car rental company, saying I had a traffic ticket, didn’t tell me how much or how to pay for it; the contact e-mail bounced back saying it was no longer active it instead redirected me to a web page for the rental parent company (I think) which also doesn’t have any way to contact them to ask how to pay the fine. Tried the Spanish Transport department page and also couldn’t find how to go about paying it, I suppose I have to wait until they get in touch with me via e-mail? From the date and time of the ticket it must had been when I took a wrong turn at Ronda and ended up in a maze of tiny alleys trying to find a way out. I have to say I didn’t find driving in Spain particularly pleasant, I found the signage usually confusing or insufficient, specially because there were many roads blocked due to the Semana Santa holidays, for instance it would happen that I would drive for several blocks on a one way street only to find out that it was blocked and no way to go out except reversing all the way back or getting out through one of the closed streets (as one local told me was the only option). However I have to say that driving in the countryside, on secondary highways were we could stop by the side of the road, was well worth it; the landscapes were beautiful, specially from Cordoba to Zuheros and the roads thought the mountains from Arcos de la Frontera to Ronda. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andalusia-looking-for-suggestions/829716/31 "2019-06-18T05:53:33Z")
Did the rental company give you a code number? Without that, it’s not possible to pay online. If you have it, go to dgt.es and then to _¿Ha recibido una multa de tráfico?_ then to _Pago de multas_ then to _Pago de multas sin certificado digital_ (choose Pasport on ID type). _Digo, en tu caso supongo que el español te vale_ and I don’t trust whomever did the translation further than I can throw them 😃 I’ve used their “customer satisfaction” poll to ask them 1) to add a “contact us/email” and 2) give them my own email if anybody would like to see that fine paid. The Spanish government NEVER contacts anybody by email. They ask you for it, but the freaking morons still insist on certified snailmail. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andalusia-looking-for-suggestions/829716/32 "2019-06-18T08:18:58Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Did the rental company give you a code number? Without that, it’s not possible to pay online. If you have it, go to dgt.es and then to _¿Ha recibido una multa de tráfico?_ then to _Pago de multas_ then to _Pago de multas sin certificado digital_ (choose Pasport on ID type). _Digo, en tu caso supongo que el español te vale_ and I don’t trust whomever did the translation further than I can throw them 😃 > > I’ve used their “customer satisfaction” poll to ask them 1) to add a “contact us/email” and 2) give them my own email if anybody would like to see that fine paid. > > The Spanish government NEVER contacts anybody by email. They ask you for it, but the freaking morons still insist on certified snailmail. Thank you, I’ll try that when I’m back home. Yes I have the code number, but when I checked the website I didn’t find where to use it. In any case I wanted to check with the rental agency if they had subtracted the fine from the deposit we paid and we haven’t received back yet, as far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andalusia-looking-for-suggestions/829716/33 "2019-06-18T20:45:30Z")
I’m such a southern redneck. When I read this thread title, my first thought was somebody was going to [Andalusia, Alabama](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andalusia,_Alabama) – a small town in the southeast corner of the state, near the Florida state line. I was going to suggest as entertainment the only two things I know about Andalusia: - It’s the hometown of Robert Horry, a retired professional basketball player; maybe you could visit his home - It’s near Opp, Alabama, which is famous for its annual Rattlesnake Rodeo, so … if you like (or detest) rattlesnakes, that could be a thing. Needless to say, both of these suggestions are without merit, since we’re discussing a region in Spain. So, really, I have no reason to be here. I’ll show myself out. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andalusia-looking-for-suggestions/829716/34 "2019-06-19T09:09:34Z")
Oh I don’t know… I’m sure my Andalusian friends will be thrilled to know there is an Andalusia in Alabama 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andalusia-looking-for-suggestions/829716/35 "2019-06-19T09:17:05Z")
> [@Ale](#): > > Thank you, I’ll try that when I’m back home. Yes I have the code number, but when I checked the website I didn’t find where to use it. > In any case I wanted to check with the rental agency if they had subtracted the fine from the deposit we paid and we haven’t received back yet, as far as I know. They won’t pay for you. That would mean admit guilt on your behalf (which I’m not even sure they can do unless the rental contract specifically allows it) _and_ if you were the kind of entitled jackass who racks up fines and complains that “the cops have it for me! I was only doing 150!” “in an 80 curve, dude, your car is still wrapped around that poor tree”, you might also be the kind of entitled jackass who takes it upon himself to open a claim at the local Business Bureau for “damages incurred by paying the fine for me, as I totally wasn’t guilty and I don’t care if that guy in the picture is clearly me”. I’ve known a couple of guys like that, sadly. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andalusia-looking-for-suggestions/829716/36 "2019-06-20T04:27:56Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > They won’t pay for you. That would mean admit guilt on your behalf (which I’m not even sure they can do unless the rental contract specifically allows it) _and_ if you were the kind of entitled jackass who racks up fines and complains that “the cops have it for me! I was only doing 150!” “in an 80 curve, dude, your car is still wrapped around that poor tree”, you might also be the kind of entitled jackass who takes it upon himself to open a claim at the local Business Bureau for “damages incurred by paying the fine for me, as I totally wasn’t guilty and I don’t care if that guy in the picture is clearly me”. I’ve known a couple of guys like that, sadly. I’ll have to check the contract, but I think I already threw away the paper copy, there should be a digital one somewhere. In any case, I checked the DGT site, found the place to pay the fines but I can get further with it because in addition to the code and date (which I have) they ask to fill out the amount of the fine (which I don’t know) so… ¯\_(ツ)\_/¯ From what I’ve seen online I’m supposed to get a bill mailed to my home address, so I’ll wait for that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andalusia-looking-for-suggestions/829716.md?page=1)