Hotels in Baeza

Baeza is one half of a rare double act: together with neighbouring Úbeda it holds UNESCO World Heritage status for some of the finest Renaissance architecture in Spain, built on the wealth of an Andalusian nobility that has long since moved on. The golden sandstone old town is compact and remarkably intact, with the cathedral, the Palacio de Jabalquinto and the old university, where the poet Antonio Machado taught, all within a short walk of one another.

Around it, endless olive groves roll across the hills of Jaén province, and local olive oil is the point of pride at every table. Be honest: this is a small, quiet town with little nightlife, punishing summer heat and awkward public transport, and many visitors treat it as a day trip from Úbeda, which has more to see. With only a modest choice of hotels, booking ahead matters in spring and autumn. Stay inside the historic centre, near the cathedral or the Paseo de la Constitución, so you can walk everywhere and see the stone glow at dusk once the day-trippers leave.