The Mezquita in Córdoba (photo © Bjeayes / dreamstime.com)
The Mezquita in Córdoba (photo © Bjeayes / dreamstime.com)
Through the Despeñaperros gorge to southern Spain
If you take the modern high-speed line south to Andalucía described in Route 14, you’ll find it slices through the Sierra Morena like butter. You’ll hardly notice the hills. But if you have a few hours to spare why not take the old rail route that runs through the gorge at Despeñaperros. It’s the route we describe in Route 13. This is truly one of Europe’s finest rail journeys, and it’s a creative way of linking Barcelona with southern Spain.
MAP Double click on the map (or double tap on mobile) to zoom in. You can connect onto other routes in places shown in red. Change to a layer showing a more familiar road map view by clicking on the menu at the top right of the map. Get back to the original view by clicking on the house icon shown in the top left menu on the map.
Whether you are making a long grand tour or just planning a couple of weekend breaks, Europe by Rail is the perfect guide. The book describes over 50 key routes in detail. Together, they span mainland Europe and – brand new for this 16th edition – now also the British Isles. Find out more about the guidebook below.
