# Úbeda and Baeza Two Renaissance World Heritage cities, nine kilometres apart, in the middle of Jaén's sea of olive trees. About 45 minutes from the provincial capital. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/ubeda-and-baeza · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Úbeda and Baeza are two small cities in the province of Jaén that in the 16th century filled with Renaissance palaces, churches and squares, and which UNESCO declared a joint World Heritage Site in 2003. They are nine kilometres apart, on top of a ridge ringed by olive groves to the horizon. Úbeda is bigger and more monumental, with the Sacra Capilla del Salvador and the Plaza Vázquez de Molina; Baeza is more intimate, with the cathedral at the top and the Plaza del Pópulo below. You can see them in a day, and with a night you enjoy them without rushing, by day and with the stone lit up. ## How do I get there from Jaén, Granada or Córdoba? By car, from Jaén it is about 45 minutes to Úbeda; Baeza is on the way. From Granada, around an hour and a half along the A-44 and the A-316; from Córdoba, a little over an hour and a half along the A-4 and the A-32. These are estimated times. Úbeda has a bus station with regular services from several Andalusian capitals, according to the tourist office, but it has no train: the nearest stations mean continuing by bus or taxi. ## Where do I park? The historic centres have narrow streets and pedestrian squares: leave the car in the parking areas in the centre or on the outskirts and walk. In Baeza, park below and walk up to the cathedral. The hotels in the old town, such as the Puerta de la Luna in Baeza or the Palacio de Úbeda, have parking or valet parking. ## How much time do I need? One day covers the essentials: Úbeda in the morning, with the Salvador and the Plaza Vázquez de Molina; lunch in Baeza and in the afternoon its cathedral and the walk from the Plaza del Pópulo to Santa María. With a night you add the Sinagoga del Agua, the full guided visit of Úbeda and an olive oil mill with an oil tasting. ## When to go? In spring and autumn, when walking is a pleasure. From November to January is the olive harvest: the countryside is full of people beating the trees and the mills are grinding. In July and August the midday heat is strong; set out early and leave the indoor visits for the middle hours. Watch the Sunday hours: the Salvador opens at 12:00, Baeza cathedral closes at 17:30 in winter and Úbeda tourist office at 15:00. ## What can you see with a ticket? The Sacra Capilla del Salvador costs €7 and is the essential visit in Úbeda. The Sinagoga del Agua, €6, only with a guide, a medieval synagogue with a ritual bath that opened in 2010. Baeza cathedral, €7 with an audioguide or €10 with a guide, with the climb up the tower included. The guided visit by Artificis, at €24.90, includes the Salvador and the synagogue, and runs every day. ## Where to sleep and eat? In Úbeda, the Hotel Palacio de Úbeda occupies the palace of the Counts of Guadiana, with five-star grand luxury, a spa and a pool in summer; for cooking and getting around on foot, the apartments of Cantina La Estación, in the old town. In Baeza, the Hotel Puerta de la Luna, a 16th-century mansion beside the cathedral, with a pool and parking. For eating, Baeza has two high-end tables: Vandelvira, with a Michelin star, in a 16th-century convent, open on Sunday lunchtime, and Acebuche, in the Puerta de la Luna. For something simple, the tapas at Bar Pacos or the bar at Cantina La Estación, in Úbeda, with andrajos and confit cod. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Sierra de Cazorla (a 33.8 km), Guadix (a 81.3 km), Priego de Córdoba and the Subbética (a 96.3 km), Riópar and the Source of the Río Mundo (a 99.5 km) ## Qué hacer - **Sacra Capilla del Salvador, in Úbeda** (1 h · Everyone · Desde 7 € per adult): The Sacra Capilla del Salvador is the building that best explains why Úbeda is a World Heritage Site. It is the pantheon of Francisco de los Cobos, universal secretary to Emperor Charles V, and it closes off Plaza Vázquez de Molina on the east. It belongs to the Fundación Casa Ducal de Medinaceli, which opens it as a cultural visit and keeps up worship, with a chaplain, a choir of seises, a choirmaster and an organist. To see it without rushing, allow an hour. Designed by Siloé, built by Vandelvira The chapel was designed by Diego de Siloé and executed by Andrés de Vandelvira, the architect who left his mark on the whole Renaissance of Úbeda and Baeza; Vandelvira also built the neighbouring Hospital de los Honrados Viejos del Salvador, and Luis de Vega rebuilt the adjoining palace. The foundation explains that the whole building is conceived around the idea of triumph over death: Christian resurrection and, at the same time, the humanist ideal of fame. Opening times and tickets From Monday to Thursday it opens from 9:30 to 14:30 and from 16:30 to 19:00; on Fridays and Saturdays, from 9:30 to 19:00 without a midday break; on Sundays, from 12:00 to 14:30 and from 16:00 to 19:00. Last entry is 45 minutes before closing, and the foundation announces days with special hours, such as Saturday 14 November 2026, when it closes at 18:00. General admission costs €7; ages 8 to 15, €4; residents, €2. It is bought online or at the ticket office on Calle Baja del Salvador. Telephone: 609 27 99 05. How to fit it in It is in Plaza Vázquez de Molina, in the historic centre, on foot from any car park in the centre. The Plaza Vázquez de Molina is best explored on the way out, with its palaces. If you would like it explained to you, Artificis's guided tour of Úbeda includes entry to the Salvador and to the Water Synagogue. The Salvador opens the Sunday in Úbeda and Baeza, which goes on to Baeza cathedral and a meal at Vandelvira, in Baeza. - **Plaza Vázquez de Molina and the Palaces of Úbeda** (1 h 30 · Everyone · Free): Plaza Vázquez de Molina, also called Plaza de Santa María, is the great Renaissance drawing room of Úbeda and the heart of the ensemble that UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site in 2003. You arrive along streets with a medieval layout and suddenly a long rectangle of golden stone opens up, with gardens, a Renaissance fountain and a monument to Andrés de Vandelvira, the architect who left his signature on a good part of the city. What surrounds it At one end, the Sacra Capilla del Salvador, from the 16th century. On the sides, the Deán Ortega Palace, now a Parador hotel; the Vázquez de Molina Palace, known as the Palace of the Chains, which is the Town Hall; the basilica of Santa María de los Reales Alcázares; the Marqués de Mancera Palace, from the 16th and 17th centuries; the old Pósito (grain store) and the Bishop's Prison, both from the 16th century. The tourist office lists the Salvador, Santa María, the Marqués de Mancera Palace, the Pósito and the Bishop's Prison as Assets of Cultural Interest. The Úbeda tourist office explains the idea behind the square: a space that joins the religious and the civil, conceived at the height of the Renaissance, which gradually took over the role of the old citadel as the centre of the city's power. Santa María de los Reales Alcázares It is the oldest building on the square. It stands on the site of the great mosque of the Muslim city and was built in phases between the 13th and 20th centuries. It has a Gothic cloister from the late 15th and early 16th centuries and many chapels closed off with iron grilles, which the tourist office counts among the best religious ironwork in Andalusia. The interior can be visited at its own opening times; check them at the tourist office. How to walk it Start at the Salvador and stroll the square slowly; then continue towards Plaza Primero de Mayo, with the former town hall buildings and the church of San Pablo, and come back along Calle Real, with the Palace of the Counts of Guadiana and its tower, now the Hotel Palacio de Úbeda. From the outside everything can be seen for free at any time. In an hour and a half you have it done. If you would like someone to tell you the story, the guided tour of Úbeda passes through here and goes inside the Salvador and the Synagogue. The interior of the Sacra Capilla del Salvador is worth the entrance fee, and a few minutes away is the Water Synagogue. Practical information The Úbeda Tourist Office is at Plaza de Andalucía, 5; it opens Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 19:30, and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 9:30 to 15:00 (953 75 01 38). There they give you the map and the opening times of the monuments. With children and with a dog It is flat and largely pedestrianised: fine with a pushchair. With a dog, keep it on a lead. - **Baeza Cathedral and the Tower Climb** (1 h · Everyone · Desde 7 € per person): The cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady presides over the Plaza de Santa María, at the top of Baeza, the Renaissance city which, with Úbeda, is a World Heritage Site. It is visited as a monument, with an audioguide or with a guide, and admission includes the climb up the tower, the cloister and the exhibition rooms, as well as a virtual reality experience. Allow about 45 minutes or an hour. Tower, cloister and high altar The visit passes through the nave and the high altar, the cloister and the exhibition rooms, and climbs the tower. With general admission an audioguide is used; with the guided visit, a professional guide explains the building and the 360º virtual reality experience accompanies the tour. Prices and options The general visit costs €7 with audioguide. The guided visit, of about an hour, costs €10, and there is a special 45-minute guided visit with the tower and virtual reality, also at €10, on Fridays at 17:00, Saturdays at 12:00 and 17:00 and Sundays at 12:00. Over-65s (€6), young people aged 13 to 25 with ID (€5) and groups pay less; children under 13 enter free. There is a combined ticket with Jaén cathedral. The website itself gives a different price for the same ticket in places, so confirm at the ticket office. On Mondays and Tuesdays, in the last hour of the afternoon, entry is free because it is a Property of Cultural Interest: from 18:00 to 19:00 from October to March and from 18:30 to 19:30 from April to September, except public holidays and their eves. That access does not include the audioguide, tower or cloister. Seasonal hours From October to March it opens Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 14:30 and from 16:00 to 19:00, Saturday from 10:00 to 19:00 and Sunday from 10:00 to 17:30. From April to September, on Sunday it closes at midday and reopens from 16:00 to 17:30, and in July and August the hours change again. In November 2026 there are days with special hours, such as the 14th, with a break from 12:30 to 14:30. Last entry is 45 minutes before closing, and it is not open to visitors during services. Information on 610 18 73 34. Rules and a walk Photos and video are not permitted, nor are animals except guide dogs; appropriate clothing and silence are requested. On leaving, the Plaza de Santa María is the start of the walk around Baeza. The cathedral is one of the stops of the Sunday in Úbeda and Baeza, which continues with the Sacra Capilla del Salvador in Úbeda. - **Water Synagogue, in Úbeda** (30 min · Adults and older children · Desde 6 € per adult): The Water Synagogue (Sinagoga del Agua) is a medieval synagogue hidden beneath a house at Calle Roque Rojas, 2, on the corner with Las Parras, in Úbeda. It was found by chance by the businessman Fernando Crespo while he was converting a former hairdresser's into tourist apartments. The first studies date it to before the 14th century; it was restored between 2007 and 2010 and has been open to visitors since. It is a private space, shown only with a guide and in small groups. Six spaces beneath the house The visit covers six spaces. The most special is the mikveh, the ritual bath, reached down the original medieval staircase, steep and uneven. There are also the women's gallery and the Inquisitor's room, with its courtyard, cellar and ovens, which may have been part of a medieval rabbi's house. Half an hour with a guide The visit lasts about thirty minutes and leaves roughly every three quarters of an hour, with more tours in high season, every day in the morning and the afternoon. It is given in Spanish; there are leaflets in English, French, German, Italian and in braille, and guides in other languages can be requested. It costs €6; €4.50 for ages 7 to 12 and for groups of more than fifteen people. It is included in Artificis's guided tour of Úbeda and in the Úbeda and Baeza tourist pass. You book through Artificis, linked from its website. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours beforehand; after that, or if you arrive late or do not turn up, there is no refund. For other languages or tours outside the usual hours, call 953 75 81 50 or 655 55 33 40. Medieval stairs Almost all the rooms are reached by stairs, and the way down to the mikveh is narrow and steep: the visit is difficult for people with reduced mobility. Pets are not allowed. Large groups must book in advance, because some of the spaces are small. In the centre of Úbeda The synagogue is in the historic centre, like the Plaza Vázquez de Molina and the Sacra Capilla del Salvador. For a meal afterwards, look at Cantina La Estación. - **Guided Tour of Úbeda with the Salvador and the Water Synagogue** (2 h 30 · Everyone · Desde 24.9 € per adult): Artificis's guided tour of Úbeda is the most complete way to understand the Renaissance city in a morning or an afternoon: two and a half hours on foot through the historic centre with a guide, with tickets to the Sacra Capilla del Salvador and the Water Synagogue included. It leaves every day, in an open group with other visitors who book the same date, and is guaranteed from two people. From Vázquez de Molina to Calle Real The meeting point is the Artificis office at Calle Baja del Salvador, 2, next to the chapel itself. The route starts in Plaza Vázquez de Molina, where you go into the Sacra Capilla del Salvador and see the Deán Ortega Palace, the Marqués de Mancera Palace, the church of Santa María de los Reales Alcázares, the Vázquez de Molina Palace, the old Pósito and the Bishop's Prison. It continues through Plaza 1º de Mayo, the old Mercado promenade, with the former town hall buildings and the church of San Pablo, passes the Museo Oratorio de San Juan de la Cruz and goes into the Water Synagogue, the medieval synagogue with a ritual bath that can only be visited with a guide. It finishes through Plaza del Ayuntamiento, the Vela de los Cobos Palace and Calle Real, with the Palace of the Counts of Guadiana. Price and what is included It costs €24.90 per adult, €11.90 for ages 7 to 12 and is free for children under 7. The price already includes the two tickets, which separately cost €7 for the Salvador and €6 for the synagogue. With groups of more than ten people, audio guides are used: you can bring your own headphones with a standard jack or buy a pair for €1. A booking made on the website has priority, so it is best to book beforehand. With your ticket, Artificis gives a one-euro discount at the San Juan de la Cruz Museum, the basilica of Santa María, the tourist train and the Plazuela de la Judería, which are not part of the route. The company reserves the right to change the schedule or the itinerary if a building closes for reasons beyond its control. When and how Departure times are confirmed when you book or on 953 75 81 50. It is two and a half hours on foot, with stairs in the synagogue, so wear comfortable shoes. The tour fits well with the Sunday in Úbeda and Baeza and, for a meal afterwards, Cantina La Estación is in Úbeda. - **Walk Around Baeza: Plaza del Pópulo, Jabalquinto and the Old University** (1 h 30 · Everyone · Free from the outside): You can walk Baeza from bottom to top in an hour and a half. Úbeda and Baeza have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003 for their Renaissance ensemble, and in Baeza that legacy is packed into a few streets: you start in Plaza del Pópulo, climb the Cuesta de San Felipe Neri past the Jabalquinto Palace, go by the Old University and reach Plaza de Santa María and the cathedral. From the outside everything is free and pedestrianised. Plaza del Pópulo It is also called Plaza de los Leones after its fountain, which for centuries was the town's main one; according to some historians, its pieces come from the Roman city of Cástulo. The municipal guide describes it as one of the most symbolic spaces of newly conquered Baeza. On one side is the old Audiencia Civil y Escribanías (civil court and notaries' office), from around 1535, which now houses the tourist office; on the other, the former Carnicerías (town slaughterhouse and meat market), from the first half of the 16th century. The square is closed off by the Puerta de Jaén, a remnant of the city wall, and the Arco de Villalar, built to commemorate the victory of the troops of Charles I. Jabalquinto and the Old University Going up the Cuesta de San Felipe Neri you come to the Jabalquinto Palace, from the late 15th century, which the municipal guide lists as one of the finest examples of Isabelline Gothic. Together with the former Seminary of San Felipe Neri, founded in 1660, it is now the Antonio Machado campus of the International University of Andalusia, and the municipal guide gives it as open only on weekday mornings, Monday to Friday. Opposite, the Old University was finished in 1593 as the second home of Baeza's studies. Inside is the classroom where Antonio Machado taught French when the building was a secondary school; it can be visited. Next to it is the church of Santa Cruz, from the 13th century and in the late Romanesque style. Plaza de Santa María The walk ends in Plaza de Santa María, where for centuries religious and civil power lived side by side. Here you find the cathedral, a former main mosque turned into a cathedral seat in 1227 and remodelled in the 16th century with the stamp of Andrés de Vandelvira; the Casas Consistoriales Altas (the upper town hall buildings), from the late 15th century; and the Fountain of Santa María, from 1564, which celebrates the arrival of running water in Baeza. How to do it Park down below, outside the upper old town, and walk up: the streets are narrow. The opening times of Jabalquinto and Machado's classroom change; ask for them at the tourist office in Plaza del Pópulo. If you want to go inside one building, the cathedral is the essential visit. For lunch next to the cathedral there is Bar Pacos and, for a special meal, Vandelvira. With children and with a dog The slopes are short and easy going with children. With a dog, keep it on a lead in the street. - **Olive Oil Mill Visit and Tasting near Baeza** (1 h 30 · Everyone): Jaén is the olive oil province, and Úbeda and Baeza are surrounded by olive groves as far as the eye can see. Oleícola San Francisco, a family oil mill in Begíjar, a few minutes from Baeza, opens its facilities to show how extra virgin olive oil is made and to taste it. They present themselves as pioneers of oil tourism in Jaén: they began the visits in 2011 and say they have welcomed more than 70,000 people from more than 60 countries. The visits There are two formats. The mill visit with tasting tours the mill, with its traditional and technological parts, and ends in a guided tasting of its oils. The olive grove, mill and tasting visit begins with a walk among the olive trees and continues with the same tour of the mill. In the mill's own photos, the tasting takes place beside the mill's old presses. The visits are given in Spanish, English and French, and the mill advertises guided visits every day. The website does not publish the duration, price or start times; they appear when booking on its booking platform or you can ask by phone. Other experiences Besides the visits, the mill offers workshops and miller's breakfasts, tapas, meals with local produce and a tasting of its E_sencial Olive line. It also has summer packages with accommodation in two four-star hotels in Baeza. At the end, the shop sells its oils: early harvest, family harvest, organic, olives and even chocolates and cosmetics made with olive oil. When to go All year. If you want to see the mill pressing, ask when booking about the dates of the harvest season, which in Jaén runs from autumn to winter. In summer, the walk through the olive grove is better first thing. How to book and get there On its website, on 953 76 34 15 or at info@oleicolasanfrancisco.com. It is on Calle Pedro Pérez, s/n, in Begíjar, on the outskirts of Baeza; you get there by car in a few minutes. Individual and group visits are accepted. Combine it with a walk around Baeza and the cathedral. To eat afterwards with Jaén produce, in Baeza there are Acebuche and Vandelvira. ## Dónde comer - **Vandelvira** (Restaurant, Baeza, €€€€). Qué pedir: one of the two tasting menus; the Michelin Guide highlights the squid and ham "handkerchief - **Acebuche** (Restaurant, Baeza, €€€€). Qué pedir: the Estaca menu (€62) if it is your first time; the Olivo adds a fino bouillabaisse and one more dessert - **Bar Pacos** (Bar, Baeza, €€). Qué pedir: a few of the house tapas with a Jaén wine - **Cantina La Estación** (Restaurant, Úbeda, €€€). Qué pedir: the traditional Úbeda andrajos, or the nine-course Renaissance menu in the carriage ## By car: Two Cities Nine Kilometres Apart Úbeda and Baeza are nine kilometres apart: you sleep in one and reach the other in a quarter of an hour. The historic centres are explored on foot; park outside and walk in. Presupuesto orientativo: 70–130 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Hotel Palacio de Úbeda** (Hotel): The Hotel Palacio de Úbeda is a five-star grand luxury hotel installed in the former palace of the Counts of Guadiana, one of the great houses of the Andalusian Renaissance, built in the last decade of the 16th century and topped with a 17th-century tower. It is in Úbeda's historic centre, in the Calle Real area, and you explore the World Heritage city on foot from the door. It has 38 rooms and suites, Renaissance courtyards, a spa, a pool and two restaurants. Thirty-eight rooms and the tower The rooms range from the deluxe superior double to the premium suites, with two suites with names of their own, the Count's and the Countess's, and two Master Suites in the historic tower. The hotel describes them as spacious and open, with careful decoration and up-to-date technology; there is a pillow menu, room service and laundry. The price is on its website, which offers a 10% discount for booking directly and benefits for members of its programme. Baths, pool and terrace The Termas Renacentistas (Renaissance Baths) are the hotel's spa: a heated pool, a hydromassage pool, a stone path and a Turkish bath, with treatments and massages. Book an appointment on 640 872 271 or at thermas@palaciodeubeda.com, and they have their own rules of use. The outdoor pool is open from June to 15 September, from 10:00 to 21:00, with views over the city, and there is a chill-out terrace for a drink. Ábside and Taberna Guadiana The restaurant Ábside serves cooking that blends tradition and creativity with local produce; the Taberna Guadiana is the more informal option, with traditional recipes and tapas. There is also a bar-café. Services for arriving without a worry 24-hour reception, express check-in and check-out, parking with a valet service, left-luggage, accessible entrances and WhatsApp service. It is a smoke-free hotel. The website does not detail the conditions for pets or the check-in and check-out times: check before you arrive. Úbeda on foot From the palace you can walk to the Plaza Vázquez de Molina and the Sacra Capilla del Salvador; Artificis's guided visit to Úbeda passes right in front of the palace itself on Calle Real. For eating out, Cantina La Estación is next to the Mercado de Abastos. - **Hotel Puerta de la Luna** (Small hotel): The Hotel Puerta de la Luna occupies a 16th-century mansion at Calle Canónigo Melgares Raya, 7, in Baeza's old town, about 50 metres from the cathedral. It is a boutique hotel with rooms decorated one by one, with an outdoor pool, gardens, private parking and a fine-dining restaurant, Acebuche, in the same building. Eight ways to sleep The website distinguishes business, standard, standard with an extra-large bed, superior with views, premium with a terrace, deluxe with a lounge, family suite with views and a terrace, and the option of two adjoining doubles for families or friends. The rooms have light tones and contemporary furniture, and the family ones are the largest, with an extra bed. Prices can be checked in its booking engine; the hotel guarantees the best price when you book directly on its website or by phone, with its own packages and discounts. Pool, Acebuche and Bar Pacos The outdoor pool opens in the summer season, among the palace gardens. On the ground floor, the Acebuche restaurant, by Axel Guilbert and María López, serves two tasting menus of Jaén produce, at €62 and €72. For something more informal there is Bar Pacos, with tapas and raciones. The hotel also has halls for conferences and celebrations, and organises guided tours. Baeza from the door With the cathedral a short step away, the walk around Baeza starts almost at the door. Úbeda, with the Sacra Capilla del Salvador, is a few minutes away by car, and the Sunday in Úbeda and Baeza links the two cities. Parking in the old town The hotel has private parking in the old town. Ask when you book how to get there by car and whether you need to reserve a space. The website does not publish check-in and check-out times or pet conditions: ask on 953 74 70 19 or at informacionyreservas@hotelpuertadelaluna.com. - **Cantina La Estación Apartments** (Apartment): Apartments in the old town The owners of the restaurant Cantina La Estación rent independent tourist apartments in a renovated traditional building on Calle Navarro, right in Úbeda's old town, a few minutes' walk from the main square, the bars and the monuments. The house presents them as a way of living the city from the inside, more like being at home than in a hotel. What they have All the apartments include a fully equipped kitchen, a private bathroom, bed linen and towels, free wifi, air conditioning and heating, and share a common courtyard. They suit couples, families or groups of friends who want to cook something, have breakfast at their own pace and get around on foot. The website does not publish how many apartments there are, their size or capacity, nor prices, check-in and check-out times or parking. All of that has to be asked when you book. Bear in mind that the streets in Úbeda's old town are narrow: if you are coming by car, ask where to leave it before you arrive. What is nearby From Calle Navarro you can walk to the main sights of Úbeda. The Plaza Vázquez de Molina, with its Renaissance palaces, the Sacra Capilla del Salvador and the Water Synagogue fit into one morning, and if you prefer to go with a guide, the guided tour of Úbeda includes tickets to the last two. Baeza, the sister city, can be visited in an afternoon. Dinner is five minutes away, at the Cantina itself, on the Cuesta de la Rodadera, next to the Mercado de Abastos. It has a bar, a cellar for tapas without a reservation and a dining room in a train carriage, with multi-course menus. Booking Directly on 622 762 175 or by email, at apartamentoscantina@gmail.com or info@cantinalaestacion.com. The website has no booking engine: it is arranged directly with the owners, so it is best to write with your dates and the number of people so they can confirm availability and price. ### Servicios - **Úbeda Tourist Office**: Information, tourist map and bookings; open every day, including Sunday mornings ## Luxury: Renaissance Palaces and Two Top Tables Úbeda and Baeza have the luxury their architecture calls for: sleeping in a 16th-century palace and eating in a Michelin-starred convent by Vandelvira. Presupuesto orientativo: From €180 por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir in style - **Hotel Palacio de Úbeda** (Hotel): The Hotel Palacio de Úbeda is a five-star grand luxury hotel installed in the former palace of the Counts of Guadiana, one of the great houses of the Andalusian Renaissance, built in the last decade of the 16th century and topped with a 17th-century tower. It is in Úbeda's historic centre, in the Calle Real area, and you explore the World Heritage city on foot from the door. It has 38 rooms and suites, Renaissance courtyards, a spa, a pool and two restaurants. Thirty-eight rooms and the tower The rooms range from the deluxe superior double to the premium suites, with two suites with names of their own, the Count's and the Countess's, and two Master Suites in the historic tower. The hotel describes them as spacious and open, with careful decoration and up-to-date technology; there is a pillow menu, room service and laundry. The price is on its website, which offers a 10% discount for booking directly and benefits for members of its programme. Baths, pool and terrace The Termas Renacentistas (Renaissance Baths) are the hotel's spa: a heated pool, a hydromassage pool, a stone path and a Turkish bath, with treatments and massages. Book an appointment on 640 872 271 or at thermas@palaciodeubeda.com, and they have their own rules of use. The outdoor pool is open from June to 15 September, from 10:00 to 21:00, with views over the city, and there is a chill-out terrace for a drink. Ábside and Taberna Guadiana The restaurant Ábside serves cooking that blends tradition and creativity with local produce; the Taberna Guadiana is the more informal option, with traditional recipes and tapas. There is also a bar-café. Services for arriving without a worry 24-hour reception, express check-in and check-out, parking with a valet service, left-luggage, accessible entrances and WhatsApp service. It is a smoke-free hotel. The website does not detail the conditions for pets or the check-in and check-out times: check before you arrive. Úbeda on foot From the palace you can walk to the Plaza Vázquez de Molina and the Sacra Capilla del Salvador; Artificis's guided visit to Úbeda passes right in front of the palace itself on Calle Real. For eating out, Cantina La Estación is next to the Mercado de Abastos. - **Hotel Puerta de la Luna** (Small hotel): The Hotel Puerta de la Luna occupies a 16th-century mansion at Calle Canónigo Melgares Raya, 7, in Baeza's old town, about 50 metres from the cathedral. It is a boutique hotel with rooms decorated one by one, with an outdoor pool, gardens, private parking and a fine-dining restaurant, Acebuche, in the same building. Eight ways to sleep The website distinguishes business, standard, standard with an extra-large bed, superior with views, premium with a terrace, deluxe with a lounge, family suite with views and a terrace, and the option of two adjoining doubles for families or friends. The rooms have light tones and contemporary furniture, and the family ones are the largest, with an extra bed. Prices can be checked in its booking engine; the hotel guarantees the best price when you book directly on its website or by phone, with its own packages and discounts. Pool, Acebuche and Bar Pacos The outdoor pool opens in the summer season, among the palace gardens. On the ground floor, the Acebuche restaurant, by Axel Guilbert and María López, serves two tasting menus of Jaén produce, at €62 and €72. For something more informal there is Bar Pacos, with tapas and raciones. The hotel also has halls for conferences and celebrations, and organises guided tours. Baeza from the door With the cathedral a short step away, the walk around Baeza starts almost at the door. Úbeda, with the Sacra Capilla del Salvador, is a few minutes away by car, and the Sunday in Úbeda and Baeza links the two cities. Parking in the old town The hotel has private parking in the old town. Ask when you book how to get there by car and whether you need to reserve a space. The website does not publish check-in and check-out times or pet conditions: ask on 953 74 70 19 or at informacionyreservas@hotelpuertadelaluna.com. ## As a family: Stone, Legends and Oil With children, two cities full of monuments are tiring if you do them in one go. Mix one guided visit, which tells them stories, with squares to run around in and the olive oil mill, which will surprise them. ### What works best The Water Synagogue, with its ritual bath underground: €4.50 for ages 7 to 12 The guided tour of Úbeda: free for children under 7 The tower of Baeza cathedral The olive oil mill and oil tasting at Begíjar ### Where to sleep Hotel Puerta de la Luna: family suite, triple rooms and a pool in summer Cantina La Estación Apartments, with a kitchen ### Where to eat Bar Pacos, for tapas, in Baeza Cantina La Estación: the carriage, only from age 10 ### Bear in mind At the Salvador, ages 8 to 15 pay €4 The Water Synagogue has steep stairs: no pushchairs ### Qué hacer as a family - Sacra Capilla del Salvador, in Úbeda - Plaza Vázquez de Molina and the Palaces of Úbeda - Baeza Cathedral and the Tower Climb - Water Synagogue, in Úbeda - Guided Tour of Úbeda with the Salvador and the Water Synagogue - Walk Around Baeza: Plaza del Pópulo, Jabalquinto and the Old University - Olive Oil Mill Visit and Tasting near Baeza ## Consejos ### On Sunday, the Salvador at midday It opens at 12:00: start with the square or with Baeza. ### Take the guided visit It works out cheaper than the two tickets separately and tells you what you are seeing. ### Come back at night The lit and empty squares are a different city. ### Buy oil at the mill The tasting teaches you how to choose it. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### Which is better, Úbeda or Baeza? Both. Úbeda has more monuments; Baeza is smaller and more intimate. They are 9 km apart and can be seen on the same day. ### How much does it cost to enter the monuments? The Salvador, €7; the Sinagoga del Agua, €6; Baeza cathedral, from €7. ### How long does it take from Jaén? About 45 minutes by car. ### Can you visit an olive oil mill? Yes. Oleícola San Francisco, in Begíjar, beside Baeza, runs visits with a tasting. ### Where can you eat on Sunday? In Baeza, Vandelvira is open at lunchtime with a reservation; for something informal, Bar Pacos. ### Do you need a car? For getting between the two cities and to the mill, it helps. The old towns are done on foot.