In the middle of an ocean of olive trees, Úbeda rises on a ridge like a Renaissance city that took a wrong turn on its way to Florence. This town in the province of Jaén, along with its neighbour Baeza, was listed by UNESCO in 2003 for its sixteenth-century architecture, much of it the work of Andrés de Vandelvira, who built palaces, churches and chapels for wealthy noble families and royal officials. The Plaza Vázquez de Molina is the showpiece, a harmonious square lined with palaces and the extraordinary Sacra Capilla del Salvador, a funerary chapel built for Francisco de los Cobos, secretary to Emperor Charles V.
The town feels like a real place rather than a museum. Narrow lanes lead to small squares, potters work in the old quarter, and the edge of the ridge gives sweeping views across the valley of the Guadalquivir to the mountains of the Sierra Mágina and Cazorla. The light in the late afternoon turns the golden stone warm and soft.
The riding around Úbeda is glorious, if hot. Roads cross the endless rows of olive trees, with long views and gentle curves, and the further east you go, the better it gets. The Sierra de Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas natural park, Spain's largest protected area, offers twisting mountain roads, gorges, pine forests and reservoirs, and is one of the finest riding areas in Andalusia. Surfaces are generally good, traffic light, but watch for gravel, goats and the occasional truck carrying olives during the harvest.
Úbeda is a working town as well as a monument, and petrol stations, hotels and bars come without any hunting. Tapas bars serve generous free tapas with your drink, a happy tradition of the province of Jaén. Try the local olive oil on toast for breakfast, and local dishes like andrajos, a stew with flat pieces of dough, or pipirrana salad in summer.
Avoid midsummer if you can, when temperatures can be scorching and the riding becomes an endurance test. Spring is lovely, with wild flowers among the olives, and late autumn brings the olive harvest, when the whole province smells of fresh oil. Walk into the Plaza Vázquez de Molina at dusk, when the palaces glow and swallows wheel overhead, and you will understand why people fall in love with this town.