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Start at the exit to the Real Alcázar (see Real Alcázar, Seville), which is on Patio de las Banderas. Turn right to find the Arco de la Judería, a covered alleyway that leads to the Callejón del Agua, running along the old Jewish Quarter’s southern wall. As you proceed, you will be able to peep into some of the famously lush patios of these perfectly whitewashed houses. The writer Washington Irving once stayed at No. 2. After the wall ends, you’ll see the Jardines de Murillo on your right, where you can enjoy a tranquil stroll.

Then turn back to find Plaza de Santa Cruz , where the church that gave the neighbour-hood its name once stood, until it was burned down by the French in 1810. A 17th-century wrought-iron cross stands here now. Cross a couple of streets west to find the Hospital de los Venerables (see Hospital de los Venerables), and take in its delightful central courtyard and important art gallery. From here, go east to Calle Santa Teresa 8, the former home of the great artist Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, who died here in 1682 after a fall while painting frescoes in Cádiz.

Finally, work your way back towards the Cathedral (see Seville Cathedral & La Giralda) along Calle Mesín del Moro and then to Calle Mateos Gago. At No. 1 you’ll find the Cervecería Giralda , excellent for a drink and some tapas for either lunch or dinner.

Begin your walk at Plaza Bib-Rambla, enhanced with flower stalls and the Neptune fountain. Fronting the western side of the square is the warren of ancient shopping streets called the Alcaicería (see La Alcaicería, Granada). Don’t miss the 14th-century Moorish Corral del Carbón, which now houses craft shops and a tourist office.

Once the cathedral (see Cathedral & Capilla Real, Granada) opens, it’s time for a visit there; be sure to see the enormous Santiago el Matamoros (the Moor-slayer) on horseback, by Alonso de Mena, adorning the altar of St James. The next stop is the Capilla Real (see Cathedral & Capilla Real, Granada); you should visit the crypt under the ostentatious marble sarcophagi of the kings and queens, where their bodies repose in plain lead boxes. On the carved Renaissance sepulchres, note the split pomegranate, symbol of a defeated Moorish Granada.

Continue on across the busy thoroughfares until you get to the river and the long expanse of the Plaza Nueva, Granada . Choose an outside table (the cafés here are all similar), order a drink and take in the street life.

Now it’s time to enter the labyrinth of the Albaicín (see Moorish Granada: Albaicín). Take Calle Elvira up to Calle Calderería Vieja for the vibrant bazaar of the Moorish Quarter. Following the old steep streets, keep going until you reach the fanciful La Tetería del Bañuelo, Granada , an inviting place to sip some mint tea and sample Moroccan sweets.

Begin your tour at the impressive alcázar, with its many Moorish remains, including restored gardens, a mosque and a hammam (baths), as well as a camera obscura providing views of the city and beyond. Beside it is the stunningly decorated cathedral, extravagantly rich inside and out. Note the fine painting of The Sleeping Girl by Zurbarán in the sacristy.

Next take the tour – with tastings – of the González-Byass bodega, featuring possibly the oldest cellars in Jerez, with one designed by Gustave Eiffel. Don’t miss the many signatures of famous people on the barrels (called “butts”), including Queen Victoria, Cole Porter, Martin Luther King and General Franco, among others.

Continuing on north, the Pedro Domecq bodega also offers tours and is distinctively Moorish in style. A block further north, pop into the Museo Arqueológico to see the prized Greek bronze helmet from the 7th century BC, and then enter the Barrio de Santiago. This gently dilapidated neighbourhood of maze-like alleyways is home to a sizeable gypsy community and numerous flamenco venues.

To cap off your walk, continue straight out of the barrio to the east, past the Church of San Juan, to Restaurante Gaitán (C/Gaitán 3 956 34 58 59 €) for a lunch of excellent Andalucían and Basque food.

Start your tour of this Renaissance town at the lovely Plaza del Pópulo (see Plaza del Pópulo, Baeza), where the tourist office is located in a fine Plateresque palace, the Casa del Pópulo. Next to it are the arches of the Puerta de Jaén (see Puerta de Jaén, Baeza) and the Arco de Villalar, while adorning the centre of the plaza is the Fuente de los Leones. The ruined lions and their eroded mistress, said to be a statue of Hannibal’s wife, still manage to convey an undeniable elegance.

Exiting the square to the left of the tourist office, continue southeast to the Plaza Santa María (see Plaza Santa María & Catedral, Baeza) and the cathedral. Note the graffiti in bull’s blood on the old seminary wall. Inside the cathedral, don’t miss the extravagant choir screen by Bartolomé de Jaén.

Next stop, to the north, is the Palacio de Jabalquinto (see Palacio de Jabalquinto, Baeza), with one of the most eccentric façades in the region, an example of Isabelline Plateresque style. Visit its inner patio and then that of the Antigua Universidad next door. Down the street, you can see the 1,000-year-old Moorish Torre de los Aliatares and around the corner, facing Paseo de la Constitución (see Paseo de la Constitución, Baeza), La Alhóndiga, the old corn exchange, with its triple-tiered façade.

Have lunch at an outdoor table of the Restaurante Sali across from the town hall, which offers a range of choices from local farms (Pasaje Cardenal Benavides 15 953 74 13 65 Closed Wed D €).