Ubeda

Úbeda recaptured from the Moors in 1234, it once served as an important base in the Reconquest campaign. The heart of all Spanish towns is the plaza, and Úbeda’s striking oblong Plaza Vázquez de Molina was designed for lingering, lined with palaces and mansions with classic Renaissance façades, grills, and balconies and the beautiful El Salvador chapel. You can also spot the remains of old town walls and towers around town. Úbeda’s elegant parador (on the plaza in a 16th-century palace) offers an imaginative lunch menu, if the time is appropriate.