Vandelvira
What to order: one of the two tasting menus; the Michelin Guide highlights the squid and ham "handkerchief
geocalia
Day itinerary · 38.01° N · 3.37° W
Úbeda and Baeza on a Sunday: two Renaissance cities and a convent lunch.
The Sinagoga del Agua and the Sacra Capilla del Salvador in Úbeda, lunch in a Baeza convent and the cathedral with its tower in the afternoon. About 45 minutes from Jaén.
Leaving from
Part of Úbeda and Baeza
Add to my trip
Total time9 h
By car45 min each way
Walking3 h around the two old towns
DifficultyEasy
Cost€35 with tapas · €150 with the tasting menu
Best timeMarch – June · October – December
With childrenYes, from age 7 for the synagogue
With a dogIn the street; not in the monuments
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Jaén 45 min by car
from Jaén via the A-316, about 45 min
- 1
- 5 min on foot
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2
Plaza Vázquez de Molina and the Palaces of Úbeda
Palaces and Santa María from the outside
- 3 min on foot
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3
Sacra Capilla del Salvador, in Úbeda
Opens on Sunday at 12:00 · €7
- 15 min by car11,2 km
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4
Vandelvira
Tasting menu in a 16th-century convent · €€€€ · booking
Plaza San Francisco, 23440 Baeza · +34 681 98 21 57
Restaurant €€€€Book - 7 min on foot
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5
Baeza Cathedral and the Tower Climb
With tower · from €7 · closes at 17:30 in winter
- 4 min on foot
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6
Walk Around Baeza: Plaza del Pópulo, Jabalquinto and the Old University
Down to the Plaza del Pópulo · 45 min
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Back home
In Jaén around 19:00
Approximate cost
About €65–130 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Water Synagogue, in Úbeda
Jaén's two Renaissance cities fit into a Sunday if you respect their opening hours: Úbeda in the morning, with the medieval synagogue before El Salvador opens; lunch in Baeza and its cathedral in the afternoon. From Jaén it is about 45 minutes; from Granada and Córdoba, a good hour and a half.
The Day, Hour by Hour
9:30 · Departure. From Jaén, the A-316 towards Úbeda. Park around the centre and walk in.
10:30 · Sinagoga del Agua. On Calle Roque Rojas, a medieval synagogue that turned up under a house and opened in 2010: prayer hall, women's gallery, the rabbi's house and the mikveh, the ritual bath, reached by a steep medieval stairway. Guided only, in half-hour visits roughly every 45 minutes. €6, €4.50 for ages 7 to 12. Book.
11:15 · Plaza Vázquez de Molina. Walk the square from end to end: the Deán Ortega palace, the Marqués de Mancera one, Santa María de los Reales Alcázares, the Vázquez de Molina palace, the Pósito and the Bishop's prison.
12:00 · Sacra Capilla del Salvador. On Sundays it opens at 12:00. It is the pantheon of Francisco de los Cobos and Úbeda's essential visit: €7, €4 for ages 8 to 15. An hour.
13:45 · Lunch at Vandelvira, in Baeza. A quarter of an hour by car. The restaurant occupies part of a 16th-century convent: you are welcomed in the cloister and eat one of its two tasting menus, with produce from Jaén and from its garden. It has a Michelin star. On Sundays you reach the table between 13:30 and 14:45; book well ahead on its website. If you prefer something simpler, Bar Pacos, next to the cathedral, serves tapas and a tasting of appetisers for €22.
16:15 · Baeza Cathedral. At the top of the city, on Plaza de Santa María. General admission, with an audio guide, costs €7 and includes the cloister, the museum and the climb up the tower. From October to March, on Sundays it closes at 17:30, with last entry 45 minutes earlier.
17:15 · Baeza on foot. Walk down the Cuesta de San Felipe Neri, past the Jabalquinto palace and the Old University, to Plaza del Pópulo.
18:15 · Return. To Jaén, about 40 minutes.
With Children and Dogs
With children over seven the day works: the underground synagogue and the cathedral tower go down well. With little ones, the mikveh stairway is tricky. With a dog, the stroll along the street yes; pets are not admitted in the synagogue.
Time30 min
Change the route
If you prefer tapas to a tasting menu: next to Baeza cathedral:
Bar Pacos
If you prefer to have it explained: 2 h 30 with the Salvador and the synagogue included:
Guided Tour of Úbeda with the Salvador and the Water Synagogue
To get to know olive oil: oil mill and tasting in Begíjar, with booking:
Olive Oil Mill Visit and Tasting near Baeza
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Bar Pacos
What to order: a few of the house tapas with a Jaén wine
Cantina La Estación
What to order: the traditional Úbeda andrajos, or the nine-course Renaissance menu in the carriage
Acebuche
What to order: the Estaca menu (€62) if it is your first time; the Olivo adds a fino bouillabaisse and one more dessert
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Úbeda and Baeza
In spring and autumn. From November to January, with the olive harvest in the fields. In July and August, monuments in the morning and a stroll at dusk.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Respect the order
El Salvador opens at midday on Sundays and Baeza cathedral closes early in winter.
- 2Book lunch and the synagogue
Both have limited places.
- 3If it rains
Stretch out El Salvador and the cathedral: almost the whole plan is indoors.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Jaén?
About 45 minutes to Úbeda.
What are El Salvador's Sunday hours?
From 12:00 to 14:30 and from 16:00 to 19:00.
Where do you eat on Sunday in Baeza?
At Vandelvira, by reservation with a tasting menu, or tapas at Bar Pacos.
How much do the tickets cost?
Synagogue, €6; El Salvador, €7; Baeza cathedral, from €7.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/ubeda-and-baeza/itineraries/ubeda-and-baeza-el-salvador-cathedral-and-michelin-table
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.