Oh magnificent buildings!

Parador is on Left - Ubeda, Andalucia

Ubeda – a less well known but an essential-to-visit gem of a town in Andalucia.

In the square by the church Sacra Capilla del Salavador is a key part of the ancient center of this most tempting of Andalucian towns. The town is richly thickened-with-buildings of ancient beauty including, next to the church the Casa del Dean Ortega – this palace is now the Parador of Ubeda. It is just the place to stay if you wish to feel the full sense of history while you are in Ubeda. You step out each day and with every touch of your shoes on the stones that make up the narrow roadways, the polished Plazas, beauty and fascination – you absorb atmosphere and a sense of the times, eras through which these stones have been here.

The palace, now the Parador, has had one major modification, a roof over the central courtyard, providing a place to sit or enjoy a drink before or after bouts of exploration.

Sitting before sightseeing inside the Parador, Ubeda, Andalucia

The high-ceilinged bedrooms have furniture, floors and windows which give all the right messages to create the feeling that you are a palace guest of another century enjoying the luxury of modern, completely and pleasingly-equipped bathrooms (yes, one other change the building has undergone!).

The furniture in each room suits the building. Solid, reasonably comfortable – though reading a book may suffer a bit as lighting in the rooms is not the brightest, something Kindle and iPad readers need not worry about!

There is a restaurant in the hotel – good to have, but so many streets and squares deserve your attention as do numerous cafes and other restaurants which provide new experiences around the town.

Tapas are often offered wherever you order a drink, as they would have been in the past and should be forver!  You can make a memorable meal of ordering a selection of these taste delights.

This is one town where to get an initial feel, flavor and orientation is aided by taking the tourist “train” which very jarringly and noisily moves you between the buildings and along often narrow streets and is a funny sort of child-like, palyful experience. A five Euro one (in 2011).

The church of Santa Maria de Los Alcazares is a right turn out of the Parador entrance and just 50 yards/meters on your left. This 13th century edifice was built over the remains of a mosque. It is a dazzling, impressive place to enter. Like many buildings of its long-standing there are now mixed features of many several epochs between its several chapels and its relatively more recent facade.

You are quite likely as I did, to find you will see more buildings of note, of history, of great architectural message and atmosphere than in many larger towns or cities. This is because you can walk to all of the many palaces, squares and churches with ease and little distance covered.

I stayed but one night here and will plan a three night stay as soon as I can to be able to absorb more, see places I missed and did not enter. Also t0 view again much I did see – it’s that impressive.

Parking is not difficult, but you can only stop opposite the Parador briefly to unload luggage and they will tell you where to park (free, in a nearby, 50-60 meters/yards away public parking area). Just do note that on a fiesta or holiday and in the middle of August it may take some effort to get to the center and parking could be hit or miss! But the palaces and the local people will wait for you. Magic moments in travel often come after a little determined effort!

WiFi is theoretically available throughout the hotel, in practice it does not (as is all too often the case in ancient buildings) work well in every room.

Rooms: 100-220 Euros for a double room per night.

Parador de Ubeda – book to stay