Flamenco and Lorca itinerary

Flamenco is the soul of Andalusia: an art born from the meeting of Gitano culture with Arab, Jewish and Castilian musical traditions, made of song, guitar, dance and the rhythm of clapping hands, the compás. It is not a show for tourists, even though you can see it in many theatres: it is a way of expressing pain, joy and passion that you still hear at family parties, in neighbourhood peñas and at festivals. Since 2010 it has been on UNESCO's list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

No one understood and told its story like Federico García Lorca, the great poet and playwright from Granada, who turned Gitano song into poetry and was killed at the start of the Civil War. This seven-day itinerary weaves the two threads together: Lorca's Granada, with his birthplace at Fuente Vaqueros, the Huerta de San Vicente and the caves of Sacromonte; Seville, with the Triana quarter and its tablaos; Jerez, the capital of cante; and Cádiz, with its alegrías. Every evening brings a chance to hear live flamenco.

Flamenco and its poet

Flamenco took shape in the 19th century in Lower Andalusia, the triangle between Seville, Jerez and Cádiz, in Gitano families and working-class quarters, and then spread through the cafés cantantes. It has dozens of styles, the palos: the grave, dramatic soleá and seguiriya, the festive bulerías of Jerez, the alegrías of Cádiz, tangos and fandangos. Federico García Lorca, born in 1898 near Granada, poet, musician and playwright, friend of Dalí and Buñuel, organised in 1922 with the composer Manuel de Falla the first cante jondo competition at the Alhambra, to save the old song from oblivion. He wrote the Poem of the Deep Song and the Gypsy Ballads, and plays such as Blood Wedding and The House of Bernarda Alba. In August 1936, at the start of the Civil War, he was arrested and killed by Francoists near Granada; his remains have never been found. See Federico García Lorca and flamenco.

Day 1: Lorca's Granada

Arrive at Granada Airport, half an hour from the centre. In the afternoon visit the Federico García Lorca Centre on Plaza de la Romanilla, with the poet's archive, manuscripts and drawings, and exhibitions on his work. Then walk up towards the Alhambra to the Manuel de Falla house museum, a small white house with a garden where the composer lived and where Lorca often came to play the piano. In the evening have tapas on calle Navas or in the Realejo quarter. See Granada.

Where to stay: in Granada, for three nights.

Day 2: Fuente Vaqueros and the Huerta de San Vicente

In the morning go to Fuente Vaqueros (about half an hour), the village on the Vega plain where Lorca was born in 1898. His birthplace is now a museum, with rooms furnished as they were, family photos, letters and a short film with the only known recording of his voice. Stroll through the village, among the fields of poplars and tobacco that appear in his poems.

In the afternoon visit the Huerta de San Vicente, the country house where the Lorca family spent its summers, now set in a park on the edge of Granada that bears the poet's name. Here Lorca wrote some of his most important works, and from here he left for the last time, in August 1936. The guided tour, in small groups, shows his bedroom with its desk and piano.

Day 3: Víznar, Alfacar and Sacromonte

In the morning drive up to the villages of Víznar and Alfacar (about twenty minutes), at the foot of the Sierra de Alfaguara, where Lorca was killed along with a teacher and two banderilleros. The Federico García Lorca Park in Alfacar, among the olive trees, remembers him and the thousands of victims of the repression; it is a place of silence and reflection. See the Spanish Civil War.

In the afternoon go up to Sacromonte, the quarter of cave houses dug into the hill opposite the Alhambra, where Gitano families lived. The Sacromonte Caves Museum tells the story of life in the caves and the quarter's traditions. In the evening watch a zambra, Granada's Gitano flamenco, in one of the caves, where the artists dance inches from the audience. Beforehand, climb to the Mirador de San Nicolás for sunset over the Alhambra.

Day 4: Seville and Triana

Train or bus takes you from Granada to Seville in about two and a half to three hours. In the afternoon cross the Isabel II bridge into Triana, the quarter on the far bank of the Guadalquivir, cradle of great dynasties of Gitano singers and dancers and of potters. Walk along calle Betis by the river, visit the Ceramics Centre and the Triana market, and in the evening go to one of the bars where spontaneous flamenco sometimes breaks out, or to a tablao in the quarter.

Where to stay: in Seville, for two nights.

Day 5: flamenco in Seville

In the morning visit the Museo del Baile Flamenco in the Santa Cruz quarter, founded by the dancer Cristina Hoyos, with multimedia rooms on the history of flamenco and its styles. Many visitors take a short flamenco class or a lesson in palmas, hand-clapping, at one of the city's schools. In the afternoon visit the Alcázar or the cathedral, and in the evening go to the Casa de la Memoria, a small theatre in an old palace, or to a peña, where true aficionados listen to the cante in silence. In April Seville's Feria fills the casetas of the fairground with sevillanas. See the April Fair and Spanish dances.

Day 6: Jerez de la Frontera

The train gets you to Jerez in just over an hour. Jerez is considered the capital of cante jondo and the home of bulerías, and its Gitano quarters of Santiago and San Miguel gave birth to great artists such as the singer Lola Flores. Visit the Centro Andaluz de Flamenco in the Pemartín palace, with its archive of recordings and documents, and a sherry bodega, the wine that has always accompanied flamenco gatherings. In the evening look for a peña or a tabanco, the old taverns where sherry is poured from the cask and, some nights, people sing. In late February and early March the Jerez Festival brings together the world's finest dancers. See Jerez de la Frontera and sherry.

Where to stay: in Jerez, for two nights.

Day 7: Cádiz

Cádiz (half an hour by train) is one of the oldest cities in Europe, on a peninsula surrounded by the ocean. It is the home of alegrías, the most joyful style of flamenco, and its Santa María quarter is a district of cantaores and peñas. Wander the old town, climb the Torre Tavira to see the whole city from above, and eat fried fish in La Viña. In February the Cádiz Carnival, with its satirical songs, is one of the most famous in Spain. In the evening return to Jerez, and fly home the next day from Jerez Airport or Seville. See Cádiz and the Cádiz Carnival.

How much it costs

To save money: the peñas flamencas put on evenings at very low prices, often more authentic than tourist tablaos; the Huerta de San Vicente has free-entry days. In Granada the free tapa with every drink lets you dine for very little.

Practical information

• Bookings: the birthplace and the Huerta de San Vicente can be seen only on guided tours at fixed times with limited places; book ahead. The best tablaos should also be booked.
• Etiquette: in peñas and tablaos people listen in silence; don't clap along unless you know the compás, and leave the olés to the experts.
• Times: shows start late, often at ten or eleven at night.
• Festivals: the Jerez Festival (February-March) and the Seville Bienal (September-October in even years) offer the best flamenco in the world; book accommodation and tickets months ahead.
• Documents: EU citizens only need a valid identity card. See getting around Spain.

Variations

• Madrid: the Residencia de Estudiantes, where Lorca met Dalí and Buñuel, and the capital's great tablaos; see Madrid.
• Córdoba: the National Flamenco Art Competition, held every three years; see Córdoba.
• La Unión: the festival of mining songs, in August, near Cartagena.
• Lorca and Dalí: the Cadaqués house where Lorca stayed as a guest; see the Dalí itinerary.

What to read before you go

Lorca's poems, starting with the Gypsy Ballads and the Poem of the Deep Song; his theatre, with The House of Bernarda Alba; and a biography of García Lorca. For music, listen to Camarón de la Isla and Paco de Lucía before you go. See also Spanish music and Spanish literature.

Final tips

• Pace: don't miss an evening in a peña, even if you don't understand the words: flamenco is felt before it is understood.
• Combinations: it combines easily with the al-Andalus itinerary, which shares the same cities, or with the white villages itinerary from Jerez.
• A tip: at the Huerta de San Vicente, pause in front of Lorca's desk and read one of his poems about the moon: his Granada is still there, outside the window.

See also our other itineraries in Spain.

Granada on the map

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