This post is the continuation of a series documenting our travels to Andalusia in Spain in the European Autumn of 2025. We had started off in Cordoba ( Wandering through the streets, walls, churches & bridges of Old Town Cordoba – Alluring Andalusia, Part 3 ) then gone on to the hilltop town of Ronda ( The Moorish Quarter/ Old town of Ronda – Alluring Andalusia, Part 4 ) and spent an amazing 3 days in the city of Granada ( The Beautiful Churches of Granada & another evening up in the Albaicin – Alluring Andalusia, Part 9 ). We had seen the unique but popular sites like the Mezquita in Cordoba ( The Mezquita Catedral de Cordoba – A unique architectural masterpiece – Alluring Andalusia, Part 2 ), the Bullring of Ronda ( The Bullring and the Walls of Ronda – Alluring Andalusia, Part 5 ) & the amazing Alhambra in Granada ( A morning at the Alhambra in Granada – Alluring Andalusia, Part 7 ).
After a week of visiting the more visited cities and towns of Andalusia I was looking forward to our next destination – The UNESCO world heritage town of Úbeda. In every trip I try to visit a town or a village that’s not in the usual 10 day itinerary of a region, for this trip it was Úbeda. The social media filled world that we live in ensures that nothing is a hidden gem anymore but I was sure there would be less crowds in Úbeda especially in the evenings after dark and early in the morning which is usually my favourite times to walk around a town. As an added bonus I found a decent enough deal at a Palace converted into 5 star hotel in Úbeda – Hotel Palacio de Úbeda for a couple of nights making it the perfect penultimate stop of our vacation before we flew out of Madrid.
We started the day in Granada where we had our last breakfast at the Hotel Anacapri before checking out and heading to the bus stop near the Cathedral. We waited at the bus stop with our luggage, soon the 33 number bus to the bus station arrived and we were off to the Granada bus station.
Enjoying our last breakfast at the Hotel Anacapri
The Granada Bus station was well marked and had a huge board which showed from where the bus to each destination would depart. We sat on a bench near where our bus was scheduled to depart and waited for our bus to Úbeda to arrive. It came perfectly on time and soon we were on our reserved seats and on the way to Úbeda.
On our reserved seats on the bus to Úbeda at the Granada Bus Station
It was a perfect sunny day & the bus then went through terrain which was mostly filled with endless Olive plantations till we reached the city of Jaén. There the bus stopped unexpectedly for a good 45 minutes because of the Jaén Marathon that was going on that morning leading to road closures! ( It was amusing to know that such things happen in supposedly developed countries too!)
On the bus to Úbeda on a perfect sunny morning
Endless Olive plantations as far as the eye can see
The road closures were finally lifted and we resumed our journey to Úbeda via the other UNESCO world heritage town in the region – Baeza ( We would be going there as a day trip the next day – more on that in a later post). We reached Úbeda bus station from where the Old town / City centre was a kilometre away. We walked the rest of the way to our hotel, kept our luggage as it was too early for check in and started our walk around the Old town.
Walking with the entirety of our luggage to Úbeda Old town
We first made a beeline to the only site we would be visiting the interiors of – The Holy Chapel of the Savior or the Sacra Capilla del Salvador. This church is the finest example of Spanish Renaissance Architecture and one of the reasons the town got its World Heritage site tag. The photo of this church is what will pop up if you search Úbeda online & we wanted to see the 16th century church interiors which are full of art before they closed for the day ( It was Sunday & I was surprised that it was open in the first place!).
We reached the Plaza Vasquez de Molina a short walk from our hotel and took a few photos of the facade ( I would take a lot more before our time in Úbeda was done!) before buying our tickets and entering the church with the included audioguide.
The facade of the Sacra Capilla del Salvador – the symbol of Úbeda
I was immediately captivated by the beautifully painted dome overhead. The 16th century church designed by Andres de Vandelvira has a beautiful altarpiece by Alonso Berruguete made of wood and gilded over showing the Transfiguration of Christ ( Jesus appearing as a divine form to his disciples up on a mountain – Even I had to look it up!). Sadly the Altarpiece was damaged during the Spanish Civil War and today’s altarpiece is a restored version. All in all it was a photographer’s paradise. Old readers of my blog (I hope there are at least a few!) know that I enjoy my Church photography to the fullest and when I get a church so full of art from painted dome to designed marble floors I just enjoy the photography.
The beautifully restored gilded altarpiece under the equally stunning dome
The Transfiguration of Christ Altarpiece at the Sacra Capilla del Salvador, Úbeda
Elaborate side chapels at the Sacra Capilla del Salvador
Couldn’t resist straining my neck for this photo!
The Ultrawide captures the entirety of the main altar in all it’s glory
The better half poses and brings attention to the perfectly symmetric floor design
We then did our Church routine of sitting in silence in the pews for a few minutes before resuming our church visit and going to the Sacristy through a unique door carved into a corner of the main church.
With the altar of the Sacra Capilla del Salvador
The Sacristy door carved into the corner of the main Church
The Sacristy was another example of Spanish Renaissance architecture with a carved ceiling , semicircular arches and thick rectangular columns carved with statues. We marvelled at the carved ceiling made more than 500 years ago and tried to capture the beauty of the room with our photos before going back to the church.
The Sacristy of the Sacra Capilla del Salvador
Carved ceiling, semicircular arches and thick pillars
A selfie at the Sacristy
The Renaissance architecture at the Sacristy of the Sacra Capilla del Salvador
I couldn’t resist taking more photos of the main church including the decorated Wrought iron gate inside the Church that I had ignored on the way in. Here I would just let the photos do the talking.
The decorated wrought iron gate inside the church
The entirety of the Sacra Capilla del Salvador by the ultra wide
Carved wooden main door to the Church
Wonder how I ignored this gate on the way in!
One last selfie before we leave the church
We walked out of the Church and the square was as busy as we would ever see it in our two days in Úbeda which was a fraction of the crowds we would see on the main square of the bigger cities in the middle of the day.
The busiest we would see the main square of Úbeda
It was now lunch time and we decided to go to the main pedestrian street of Úbeda, Calle Real lined on both sides with cafes and restaurants. We went to a restaurant named Metropolitan la Real which had good reviews and had some vegetarian dishes for the better half. One problem with smaller towns is that finding vegetarian options is more difficult than the bigger cities – but the better half is a good sport and manages with her meagre options in such towns.
Walking to the Calle Real in Úbeda
We got to the restaurant and got a table right away and we ordered our drinks, a local beer for myself and an iced tea for the better half. We got complimentary tapas with drinks here too but they were a plate of fried anchovies! Since I would be eating the entirety of that plate I just ordered a plate of mixed croquettes for myself and a plate of Patatas Bravas for the better half.
The food was excellent and the ambience laid back, exactly as we like it and we enjoyed our first meal in Ubeda at leisure. By the time we were done with our lunch it was past the hotel check in time. So we walked back and checked into our room.
The complimentary tapas – A plate of Boquerones Fritos or Fried Anchovies
My plate of mixed Croquettes
The better half’s plate of Patatas Bravas
The better half is happy to get her vegetarian option in Úbeda
Enjoying our lunch at the Metropolitan la Real
We were shown our room at the Palacio de Úbeda which was hands down the biggest hotel room we have stayed in during our European travels. It certainly lived up to the 5 star reputation and we used the big 4 poster bed for a nice afternoon Siesta.
Our room at the Palacio de Úbeda
The better half uses the huge mirrors in the room
Using the mini tripod to get a photo in our beautiful hotel room
We woke up refreshed and decided to go out for a pre dinner walk around town. Spain has its dinner quite late and the bigger towns have restaurants open earlier for tourists but in the smaller towns restaurants open late for dinner. That gave us enough time for an evening walk through most of the old town stimulating our appetites for a late dinner.
Leaving our Hotel Palacio de Úbeda for our evening walk
As expected Úbeda was all peaceful and quiet once the day trippers from the other bigger cities had left. We went to the viewpoint near the Church called Mirador del Salvador which has views over the endless olive plantations all around Úbeda.
Walking around a peaceful Úbeda in the evening
We walked out through one of the gates of the walled old town and enjoyed the sunset beyond the olive tree filled plains with only cats for company before entering the old town again.
Walking out of one of the gates of the walled old town
The endless olive tree filled plains around Úbeda at dusk
One of the local felines gives us company in Úbeda
Enjoying a pretty sunset in Úbeda
We then went back to the Plaza Vasquez de Molina as it was getting dark and I wanted to see that beautiful square all lit up. I was glad to see that unlike Granada which didn’t light up it’s squares and churches elaborately at night, Úbeda had not left the pretty square underlit.
We walked around clicking photos of all the beautiful buildings around the square. In addition to the Sacra Capilla del Salvador the square is surrounded by beautiful buildings which include the St Mary’s Basilica, the Palace of Juan Vasquez de Molina ( after which the square is named). Everything was dreamily lit up and apart from the locals on their evening walks we seemed to be the only non Spaniards around!
The St Mary’s Basilica in Ubeda
The Palace of Juan Vasquez de Molina
The Sacra Capilla del Salvador lit up at night
Enjoying the Plaza Vasquez de Molina at night
Only locals on their evening walk for company at the beautifully lit square
We then moved on to the other big square of Úbeda, the Plaza Primero de Mayo or the May 1st Square. It was medieval Úbeda’s market square and bullring but is a gentile square now with recreation and play areas for the locals.
Úbeda is filled with such smaller churches with beautiful carved facades
The May 1st Square in Úbeda
The square also has a big church at one end which was the Iglesia de San Pablo or St Paul’s Church which wasn’t open at all during our stay so we just had to satisfy ourselves with photos of it’s beautiful Gothic Portal/ Gate.
The beautiful Gothic Portal of the St Paul’s Church in Úbeda
Resting our legs at the Plaza Primero de Mayo with the Iglesia del San Pablo in the background
The better half takes photos of the bell tower and dome of the Iglesia del san Pablo
We then walked on through the near deserted Calle Real (It was a Sunday!) and reached the Plaza Andalucia of Úbeda at the edge of the Old town which has the town Clock Tower or Torre del Reloj.
The Clock tower of Úbeda
The Plaza Andalucia of Úbeda at night
We then went to one of the few restaurants that was open that Sunday night on Úbeda which was a fine dine restaurant called Restaurante La Cultural de Úbeda. Thankfully it had a single vegetarian option – Tempura de Verduras ( Spanish Pakodas!) which the better half ordered while I got a delicious Lamb Terrine with hummus and pesto. Here we had our first taste of the famous Extra virgin Olive oil that the region is famous for. It is served as a starter with freshly baked bread. I didn’t expect the better half to enjoy it, she surprised me by enjoying it so much that we bought a bottle of Extra Virgin Olive oil to take back home before we left Úbeda! All in all it turned out to be a wonderful gourmet dinner that both of us enjoyed to the fullest.
At the Restaurante La Cultural de Úbeda
The famous Extra virgin Olive oil of the region at some canapés as complimentary Tapas
The better half’s huge plate of tempura de Verduras ( Veggie Fritters / Pakodas!)
My delicious Lamb Terrine with yogurt, Pistachio pesto, hummus and pepper sauce
Enjoying a gourmet dinner for a change!
We enjoyed our dinner at leisure and walked back to our hotel where we would enjoy the luxurious facilities and enjoy a good night’s sleep.
Happy us after our first day in Úbeda
We woke up refreshed and got ready and I asked the better half if she wanted to go on a short pre breakfast walk and she readily agreed. So we set of and visited the viewpoint and the Plaza Vasquez de Molina and enjoyed the beautiful early morning sun.
At the Palacio de Úbeda
The better half poses in the pretty streets of Úbeda
The St Mary’s Basilica
The most photogenic spot in Úbeda – Plaza Vasquez de Molina
Using the mini tripod for photos at the square
The Parador de Ubeda – the more expensive 5 star hotel in Úbeda
The better half poses with the facade of the Sacra Capilla del Salvador
Enjoying a beautiful morning at the Mirador del Salvador
The better half poses with the tourist train that runs in Úbeda
We returned to the hotel for our breakfast which was the most luxurious breakfast we had on this trip – It certainly lived up to the 5 star billing here too. The spread was humongous and I decided to sample only half of the items that appealed to me that morning rather than commit gluttony!
Enjoying a delicious breakfast spread at the Palacio de Úbeda
The plan for the day was a day trip to the other World Heritage town in the region – Baeza. Whether it would be as enjoyable as Úbeda had been for us is topic for another post. Some other time, some other day.
Till then,
Adios!
yogictravel 