A heart-stopping moment by the wayside

Anyone travelling to Aracena soon realises that life moves at a slightly slower pace here – and that’s just as well. This little white hilltop town in the north of the province of Huelva is famous for its gigantic stalactite cave, the "Gruta de las Maravillas", and its outrageously expensive, melt-in-the-mouth Iberian ham. But the real main attraction usually only reveals itself after the steep climb up to the medieval castle ruins. When your calves are burning and you’re running out of breath, a strategically placed bench saves the day. You sink down, exhausted, gaze out over the sea of white houses and the green oak forests of the Sierra – and immediately forgive the Moorish fortress architect for not having included a lift in his plans back then. | Spain