Andalucia Travel Guide

 Andalucia is a fascinating place for its spectacular Moorish monuments, beautiful white hill towns, sparkling blue coast and natural beauty of its mountainous country. The Moors were a mixed race of Berbers and Arabs that occupied Spain (Al-Andalus) for almost eight hundred years. They developed the most sophisticated civilization in the Middle Ages, centered in Seville , Cordoba and Granada . Every city, town and village, is a wonderful mixture of Christian and Muslim influence. Granada preserves the most beautiful Moorish monuments, the Alhambra palace, being the largest and most sensual building in Europe. Córdoba's old mosque with a cathedral built inside it and the spectacular remains of the ancient Moorish city of Medna Azahara shold be regarded as a mustsee whislt  Seville boasts the most spectacular of all Gothic cathedrals and largest church in the world as well as its Moorish Alcazar.

The white towns surrounding Ronda , offer an unspoiled view into Andalucian life with their surrounding natural beauty, delicious home-cooking and stunning appearance-clustered beneath Moorish/Christian castles and churches. There are some terrific walks in this area.

With the Sierra de Tejeda to the north, and the mountainous edge of Granada to the east, the rugged landscape of the Axarquía offers excellent walking and abundant wildlife. Historically it was bandalero (bandit) country for many years, which preyed on traders carrying goods from the coast to Granada.

The Torrox area lays claim to have "the best climate in Europe" sheltered as it is by the Sierra Tejeda and Sierra Almijara mountains. Thus it boasts an average annual temperature of 18C. The opening of the new N340/E15 autovía has improved the journey time to cover the 44kms from Malaga Airport to 35 minutes. Separated by 4kms of farmland, once the areas main employer, the Pueblo and Costa offer a pleasant combination of old traditional Spanish life and the facilities expected by the modern day tourist.

The mountains in the Sierra Nevada and, less known, the Sierra Morena [particularly its western projection in the Sierra de Aracena offer good trekking and skiing, while the coast between Tarifa and Cadiz on the Atlantic has some of the best beaches in Spain. Beware of Europe’s most developed resort area on the Costa del Sol as it is hard to find peace and natural beauty, without paying a high price. Finally, Spain’s largest and most impressive nature reserve, Coto Donana, can be found near Cadiz .

Although unemployment in the province is the highest in Spain (about 20%), it is still known as one of the most high-spirited regions of Spain as it is home to flamenco dancing, bullfighting and a gigantic April carnival (Semana Santa).