My Guide to the Andalucia region of Spain.
*All work including photos, video and writing on this page is my own, except the link to the Tourism video, freely available on Youtube.
Although I have visited many parts of Spain and the Spanish islands, this region is the most quintessentially Spanish! All the things you think of as being Spanish can be found here, Flamenco, Spanish Music, Tapas, Olives, etc. The Moorish influence of the 8th-15th Century have just added to the culture in this region, especially the stunning architecture, food etc.
This area is the Southern part of Spain including the major cities of Malaga, Cordoba, Seville, Almeria and Granada. The Costa Del Sol (Sunny coast) is also in this region, famous for it's tourist resorts. The real Andalucia though is inland when you visit the towns in the mountains, small towns such as La Rambla and slightly bigger Montilla, where it really feels as if you are the only tourist ever to set foot there!
As you travel inland you travel through vast olive groves, vineyards, dry hilly landscapes and beautiful white washed villages. A must see on any holiday in this region! Do take an A road through the olive groves and past the processing plants. As the olive rich air fills your car with such an intense aroma it feels as if you are actually eating the olives and really is an awesome experience.
The whole area ouzes culture with the gypsy music, flamenco and cheap fresh food and excellent wine. This is the area to immerse all your senses in the real Spain! The main wines grown here are dessert wines, but Rioja is available everywhere at exceptional prices! I really can't stress enough how much you should hire a car and explore this area, rather than just enjoying the beautiful beaches.
Although I have visited many parts of Spain and the Spanish islands, this region is the most quintessentially Spanish! All the things you think of as being Spanish can be found here, Flamenco, Spanish Music, Tapas, Olives, etc. The Moorish influence of the 8th-15th Century have just added to the culture in this region, especially the stunning architecture, food etc.
This area is the Southern part of Spain including the major cities of Malaga, Cordoba, Seville, Almeria and Granada. The Costa Del Sol (Sunny coast) is also in this region, famous for it's tourist resorts. The real Andalucia though is inland when you visit the towns in the mountains, small towns such as La Rambla and slightly bigger Montilla, where it really feels as if you are the only tourist ever to set foot there!
As you travel inland you travel through vast olive groves, vineyards, dry hilly landscapes and beautiful white washed villages. A must see on any holiday in this region! Do take an A road through the olive groves and past the processing plants. As the olive rich air fills your car with such an intense aroma it feels as if you are actually eating the olives and really is an awesome experience.
The whole area ouzes culture with the gypsy music, flamenco and cheap fresh food and excellent wine. This is the area to immerse all your senses in the real Spain! The main wines grown here are dessert wines, but Rioja is available everywhere at exceptional prices! I really can't stress enough how much you should hire a car and explore this area, rather than just enjoying the beautiful beaches.
The Food The Weather
Away from the tourist areas, you can eat very cheaply with good quality fresh food and wine. You must try the fresh olives!! Chestnuts, cheese, seafood, gazpacho, Paella, chorizo, oranges, almonds, croquettes stuffed with ham and chicken are all popular, washed down with local beer and wine. Sweet wines are grown here in the Montilla area, and sherry types of wines. Below are typical olive groves.
The main cities to Visit On the Coast
Malaga The main airport of the region is located here, but it is also has a tourist city and beach. It has lots of bars and restaurants, but didn't really captivate us as much as other cities nearby. Marbella Once the playground of the rich and famous, Marbella is now a great place for all visitors. We all had a great day out here. The beach promenade is well designed for a walk or cycle. There are so many bars and restaurants too. Estepona This is a popular tourist resort, which is still a Spanish town. Other places to visit and find accommodation in this area include Mijas and Nerja. Almunecar A nice beach resort worth a visit for the day. Almeria To the East of Andalucia is another city well worth a day trip. Almeria is a pretty historical town with some stunning coves and beaches all along this coastline. It also has a great view from the Castle at the top of the hill. The photo below is taken from the castle. The most famous attraction in Andalucia is the Majestic ALHAMBRA Nothing sums up the history and culture of Andalucia quite like the Alhambra, with it's imposing presence perched on the hilltop overlooking the city of Granada. Be warned it is so popular you will need to book tickets online as soon as you can. It is sometimes sold out months in advance! When you do book the time they give you is the entrance time to the palace, you can enter the other attractions at the Alhambra before that and just head to the palace at your allotted time. Below are Some photos i took there. |
The weather is almost always sunny! Seville is sunny and hot almost all year around. Granada is the coolest, but rarely below 10c in the winter. The wettest time is December to March, but it doesn't rain much. As a whole it ranges from 10-30C. We have just returned and had temperatures in the low 30's C in late September/early October inland in the cities. It can get very hot in the summer, this year 2017 it was into the 40's C. The stunning Sierra Nevada mountains near Granada do have ski resorts in the winter though and the mountains do look beautiful with their snow capped winter look.
The main inland cities to visit
Seville This is the capitol of Andalucia and the one city you MUST visit. It is my favourite place in Spain. Lonely Planets just rated it the number one must see city for 2018! I suggest visiting these places in Seville, this order is the easiest way to see it all. The Plaza de Espana Real Alcazar Plaza de Triunfor Seville Cathedral Barrio Santa Cruz Torre Giralda pictured below. The most famous place in Granada is the Alhambra, Other places to visit in Granada are: Casa de Zafra Casa Morsica Horno de Oro Carrera de darro (Walk along here for the best view of the Alhambra. Continue up and over the hill for a great view of Granada if you can cope with walking up this big hill!) Plaza Bib Rambla Basilica de San Juan de dios Palace of Dar al-hora The Nevada shopping centre, the biggest Mall in Spain! Take the Armilla junction off the motorway. It has some nice restaurants too. Day trips from Granada include: Monachil A small town just 15 minutes drive from Granada. Take a hike here at Cahorros in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, for spectacular views. Wear decent hiking footwear though. We stayed in an airbnb place here and loved it. Such a sweet little town in the mountains, just a 15 minute drive from Granada. Pictured below. Guadix cave village For something different drive for half an hour to this cave village in the mountains. You could stop here on your way to a day trip to Almeria. Pictured below A small, yet beautiful city, well worth a visit! Don't miss the Mesquita Cathedral, truly unique and every photographers dream!
It is pictured below. Try to visit these places if you can: Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos (Closed on Mondays!) Mesquita Cathedral, pictured below Calleja de las Flores (A great photo spot at the end) Roman Bridge and medieval tower Drive to Medina Azahara |
Cadiz is an island on the western tip of Spain. It is one of the oldest, continuously inhabited towns in Europe. The old town walls are still well preserved and the small cobble streets are nice and cool to explore on a hot day. It also has several attractive sandy beaches. There is a castle (Castillo San Sebastian), where James Bond 'Die another day' was filmed. It is well worth a visit to this often overlooked city. Due to it's location it is also an important Naval base.
Andaulcia is such a beautiful culturally rich part of Spain, that it is such a shame so many tourists just stick to the beach resorts. I hope this will inspire you to explore the countryside and the majestic cities too. We stayed in La Rambla, a tiny town in a little hotel behind a bar called Hostal Garlu, very cheap, but clean and a perfect way to explore the area, just a few miles from Cordoba and under two hours drive to Seville to the west and Granada to the east. Cordoba itself would also be a good base to stay if you want a better hotel. on our second visit we stayed in Monachil, a small town in the mountains just 15 mins from Granada. We all loved Granada. Car hire is very cheap too so there is no excuse not to get out and explore!
Below is the castle in Seville.
Below is the castle in Seville.
For more information on Andalucia click here.